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| yellowdingo04-18-07, 07:41 AM | The Planetary Globe is to be mapped on a D20 Polyhedron. You the DM may select with your party any single face of the polyhedron and create the region within the confines of a single triangle (all sides of a given triangle are 4000 miles long). The task is to fit your campaign region onto the globe. Develop history for the region, achieve some sort of DM Briefing for the entire region as well as story to brief the PCs as they attempt to help develop it. Stuff it all in a folder. There are five such regions touching each of the poles, and there are ten equatorial regions. Once twenty regions have been developed, we will put them together. No class restrictions. Lets make this easy: TASK 1: Draw your regional map. |
| Darth Syntax04-18-07, 02:40 PM | I think the idea has potential, and I would be interested in participating, but I do have some questions: 1. What, if any, are the geographic restrictions on the map? Can I have landmasses than would "bleed" over onto another triangle or no? 2. May I set the relative latitude of my triangle so that I might more accuractly determine climate? 3. Considering the area you are giving us (appoximatly 6,928,000 square miles) is nearly the size of North America (sans Greenland and some of the other islands) how much detail would you like? 4. What are some the known physical features of the world? What is the sun like (assuming it has one), how many moons does the world have? Are their any known climate facts such as the world being in an ice age or warm period? 5. What is the nature of metaphysics here? Are there gods? If so are they interventionist or do they keep themselves well enough to themselves? What about magic? 6. Whatm if any, are the thematic constraints of the world? Is it low magic, high magic, plaid magic, asymetric magic? 7. How many "empty" regions do you think you want so that there is a proper balance of land and water? |
| DonThelonious04-19-07, 03:48 AM | If you would like to see where we are in the world of Dwenty, please visit Our Wiki (http://Dwenty.PBWiki.com). If you are interested in joining us please jump right in here on the thread, just ask what regions are available and someone will get back to you within 6 hours. Requirements are that you have an idea for your region and at least a basic map. If you need help with a map please contact our Official Cartographer Darth Syntax (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=317241). If you do not maintain your region by regularly checking in (at least once every 30 days) or you post very little and then leave for an extended period time (over 30 days as well) your region will be considered forfeit and will go back into the open region pool. 10/31/07--This post is no longer being updated The Project http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2303/1559806012_648a4e2d7b_o.jpg Map courtesy of Darth Syntax This was the beginning... The Planetary Globe is to be mapped on a D20 Polyhedron. You the DM may select with your party any single face of the polyhedron and create the region within the confines of a single triangle (all sides of a given triangle are 4000 miles long). The task is to fit your campaign region onto the globe. Develop history for the region, achieve some sort of DM Briefing for the entire region as well as story to brief the PCs as they attempt to help develop it. Stuff it all in a folder. There are five such regions touching each of the poles, and there are ten equatorial regions. Once twenty regions have been developed, we will put them together. No class restrictions. 1.yellowdingo (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=396391)He started it all. 2.Darth Syntax (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=317241): Official Cartographer Royal. 3.DonThelonious (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=539199): Not much to say 4.Araes (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=403848):Maker Of Economies 5.SovietCanuck (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=478212):Creater of the Imperial Elves 6.Elidorith (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=538655): Helped us to understand the breadth of The Project. 7.LostMage (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=513149): Climatoligist 8.Turalisj (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=320603): Some funny forms of magic. 9.ChimpMan (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=168443): Arachnid Farmer This is by Author: 1. Yellow Dingo: Dewan: Land Of The Two Tribes Region #12; The History and people of Dewan (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12167827&postcount=17)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/834308848_9dc3f61512_b.jpg 2. Darth Syntax: Nameless Lands OF Darth Syntax Regions #17 and #10; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/834308720_c72299f3a5_o.jpghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/834308704_22f03ccc79_o.jpg 3.DonThelonious: Fallenstar Region #13; The Lands Of Fallenstar (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=13096787&postcount=261) and the Tribes of Fallenstar (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13946583&postcount=404); Classes specific to Fallenstar:The Beast Riders (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13197947&postcount=1)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/834566396_001a60a097_o.jpg 4. Araes: Realms Of Araes Region #19; The Realms (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12194970&postcount=35) and Kingdom Details (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12197937&postcount=36)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/834308810_459007d6fc_o.jpg 5.Soviet Canuck:Dueling Empires Region #9; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/834308792_6e7d9938c4_o.jpg 6. Elidorith: Secluded Fatherlands Region #7; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1177/834566440_3731750b41_o.jpg 7. Chimpman: Arachnaquatic Home Region #4; The Lands (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13319025&postcount=298) and Nations (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13370545&postcount=310) as well as an overview of The Races (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13116934&postcount=275) and finally Areas of Interest (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13116934&postcount=275) Will be up shortly :globe:No longer being updated:globe: |
| ambu04-19-07, 07:24 AM | Maybe the areas are in the inside of the d20 and the sun is in the center of it, with stars and moon(s) being in the Veil, which rotates, hiding the sun. And the various planes are on the outside of the polyhedron... |
| DonThelonious04-19-07, 07:49 AM | Good idea. |
| yellowdingo04-19-07, 10:06 AM | I think the idea has potential, and I would be interested in participating, but I do have some questions: 1. What, if any, are the geographic restrictions on the map? Can I have landmasses than would "bleed" over onto another triangle or no? 2. May I set the relative latitude of my triangle so that I might more accuractly determine climate? 3. Considering the area you are giving us (appoximatly 6,928,000 square miles) is nearly the size of North America (sans Greenland and some of the other islands) how much detail would you like? 4. What are some the known physical features of the world? What is the sun like (assuming it has one), how many moons does the world have? Are their any known climate facts such as the world being in an ice age or warm period? 5. What is the nature of metaphysics here? Are there gods? If so are they interventionist or do they keep themselves well enough to themselves? What about magic? 6. Whatm if any, are the thematic constraints of the world? Is it low magic, high magic, plaid magic, asymetric magic? 7. How many "empty" regions do you think you want so that there is a proper balance of land and water? i just replied to all these great questions when the forum dumped me out for innactivity...Lets try again. 1. Feel free to speak with other DMs involved in adjacent triangle regions in sharing overlap of landmasses or building supercontinents. 2. The Positions of these triangles are pretty much fixed the polar triangles have radiating sides that reach south (or north) from the pole a distance of 4000 miles and come with a 4000 mile basewidth. That pretty mush defines the limits of the equatorialy positioned triangles. The D20 polygon positions them pretty much standardly although some point down and others point up... 3. Yes it is a big area that you as DM will have to your party...even if your region is a cluster of tiny islands in a region that you decide is mostly sea, it is your choice. I have a single triangle on a 22" x 22" Microsoft Word page and the darn grid snaps at 62 miles x 62 miles... All i have on my rather large China sized continents are green and brown smudges defining forests and mountains with a pale green land sitting on a sea of Aqua. Further detail requires that I do other maps for even smaller regions-regions in which adventures happen and Communities are detailed. 4. This one requires i provide you with leway. If you have mountains that look like people because all the gods have been turned to stone (explaining the mountains that look like prostrate bodies and heads), thats your region. If your tropical island is covered in a glacier a mile thick then that is your region and the region of any DM who thinks a glacier covering his polar continent would be what he/she wants. In the end we will have to come to some discussion as to wheter there is even polar ice or if it is just a glacier sitting on your tropical equivelent of Mt Killamanjaro (serves me right if i got the spelling wrong on that one). If you want a moon in stationary orbit perpetually positioned above your region, you better put it to a group vote. Better bring question four up latter when we have sold off twenty campaign regions... 5. There can be what you want in your region, again if you wish to "share gods" with another DM go ahead. If you decide that the Superintelligent and nigh immortal gargantuan sea anemone is the source of metamagic or that the land itself aboundeth with strange energy that grants the locals a gift that is it. If of course you decide that Fando the almighty is a "world power" you will need to negitiate with other DMs as to the spread of that superbeing's reach. 6. Magic. Any thing you want for your region goes. Almost. If you want your region to be zero magic or heavy magic there better be a reason. If the Elves of your region are going through a Ceramic age and live in a giant Ceramic Egg encased in a magically crafted iron mesh frame all situated in a swamp where they extract natural gasses to power their dirigables, then try not to scare the locals in the next region...or upset its DM. 7. What ever you like. The only reason there is a gulf of Mexico is because the very large swamp found itself below sealevel and flooded. Consider if the islands from florida to the Yucatan had been a mountain range and you wind up with a very big Bayou full of Islands on which your culture can build temples and fish for turtle and freshwater fish... So dont forget inland seas. |
| Darth Syntax04-19-07, 10:10 PM | Just thought I might get the ball rolling with a very early draft map of a potential region. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/465673643_d1d0e3feb6_o.jpg The red lines are plate boundries and will not be appearing on the final draft of the map, they are simply there for reference. I have, as yet, only the vaguest of ideas of the peoples and cultures of the region so I can't say much yet about that aspect of things. However, boats will be featured prominently. |
| DonThelonious04-20-07, 04:07 AM | Got a rough map as well, figure if you set the d20 with the 20 side up I'd be number 2. Just don't know how to post it so you all can see it. PM me with how to do it. |
| yellowdingo04-20-07, 10:22 PM | I have, as yet, only the vaguest of ideas of the peoples and cultures of the region so I can't say much yet about that aspect of things. However, boats will be featured prominently. Campaign World Development Concepts Concept The campaign world is set out over a twenty sided polyhedron. Each region is its own campaign area where a DM is devoted to the development of that region. The DM has a region that is four thousand miles on every side of the designated campaign area. This allows all possible classes and races to choose from. Meta-magic is effectively a regional thing. Making it Harder for the PCs I am leaning toward a skill-less and feat-less world. I would suggest that it is going to be even more difficult if the peoples of adventuring regions must develop the skills and feats that will be available to future generations. They might be able to learn an unknown skill or feat from another group or tribe. Until such time as horse-riding and the associated skills such as leatherworking, black smithing, weapon smithing are created, that the role of paladin be restricted to primitive weapons and no mount without feats and skills to support them. No Boating, no martial weapons, no exotic weapons, no metal tools, no swimming. The Party and their culture will effectively begin naked and without the majority of skills and feats available to them. How do your players get skills and feats if you and your tribe don’t have them? Your Players are going to develop them. 1. To develop a feat the Tribe and the Party will be required to achieve a one million experience point cache to direct toward the development of a single feat such as spell-craft. Only then will their clan be able to develop other wizard associated feats using the same process over and over. 2. Skills on the other-hand will require less. Skills will require a one hundred thousand experience point cache. Clerics might need to develop masonry, leadership, and religion skills just to achieve the construction of a temple or pyramid (that will require a massive experience cache of 3 million exp). Welldone on the map Beautiful map by the way...Do you have another DM to pick up the region that crosses into the equatorial zone? |
| yellowdingo04-20-07, 10:34 PM | Brilliant Idea! Though I have much the same questions as previously stated. Also, are you using standard monsters and races, or can we throw in some homebrew? Balanced of course. THE RULE ON HOMEBREW RACES I did say you can have anything...but if you need to be restricted to the monster manual, feel free. If you want to come up with something that fits your region...like halftroll-half elf, or some other work it out and post it here. You will however find I have posted a restriction on the availability of skills and feats making it even harder for the PCs. |
| yellowdingo04-20-07, 10:39 PM | Maybe the areas are in the inside of the d20 and the sun is in the center of it, with stars and moon(s) being in the Veil, which rotates, hiding the sun. And the various planes are on the outside of the polyhedron... Hi Ambu! Sorry i havnt got to the Astronomical horrors of the campaign world. I was Hoping I could avoid those but they obviously need work here at the beginning. i realy wish we had more DMs to discuss this with... Something scary for the entire campaign world Once a Year a shadowy hand of incredible size reaches out across the Universe and takes away a single star. At this point it is irrelevent to even the DM but it is going to provide you with the basis for any and all horror in your campaign if you choose to add it to the awareness of your PCs. How can they see it if they hide in a cave at night? The Next two subjects are going to require substantial discussion with the other DMs. I hate the idea of picking up the Mystaran hollow world idea but if you want to be on the inside of the planetary polygon I am also quite open to that. The Astronomical World We will have your hollow world however to tie the big shadowy hand which steals a star once a year from the outside Universe I will add to your hollow world the hand that places a star in constellations within the hollow world. The stars are still small and beyond the simple difference that something is stealing stars and putting tiny pinpricks of light on the inside of a world i would suggest that at the end of time all the outside stars are going to be constellations on the inside... The Metaphysical World The outer planes overlap your own region. There is plenty of size for you to relocate your plane to a valley of your region that is taboo to everyone. Going there allows you to see but not interact with all outsiders. They are running about on this region where they are visible to you. Your cleric might watch as they fight out some bloodwar right there in the valley as all manor of horrors march across the field. Such a region should require a will check or you flee in fear... Stealing from the planar battlefied Watching the battle, a wizard or cleric might open a gate and steal a planar weapon from the fallen on the battle field...with all the risks that you as DM would think up. As I said this requires a lot more input from the DMs involved and i am still on that regional approach. If you want it for your region have fun and let us know how it works out. |
| Darth Syntax04-20-07, 10:42 PM | Campaign World Development Concepts Concept The campaign world is set out over a twenty sided polyhedron. Each region is its own campaign area where a DM is devoted to the development of that region. The DM has a region that is four thousand miles on every side of the designated campaign area. This allows all possible classes and races to choose from. Meta-magic is effectively a regional thing. No problem here. Making it Harder for the PCs I am leaning toward a skill-less and feat-less world. I would suggest that it is going to be even more difficult if the peoples of adventuring regions must develop the skills and feats that will be available to future generations. They might be able to learn an unknown skill or feat from another group or tribe. Until such time as horse-riding and the associated skills such as leatherworking, black smithing, weapon smithing are created, that the role of paladin be restricted to primitive weapons and no mount without feats and skills to support them. No Boating, no martial weapons, no exotic weapons, no metal tools, no swimming. The Party and their culture will effectively begin naked and without the majority of skills and feats available to them. I really don't think this is a good idea as it puts far too many restrictions on both potential players and DM's. It would effectivly require us to begin our portion of the world as though there was no history, as if sentient life just poofed into existence without precident, which frankly seems both uninteresting and improbable. In order for a setting to have potential for adventure, things must have happend in the past that effect the present and the future. For example, given the geography of my map draft, it stands to reason that the peoples of the southern and central regions would have mastered the nautical arts fairly early in their history. I would venture a guess that these people were boating, swiming, fishing, whaleing, and the like, long before they developed agriculture, writing, and metal working. If you live by the water, you are going to swim and make boats; now you might not have ships that can ply the oceans of the world, but ships you will have. Welldone on the map Beautiful map by the way...Do you have another DM to pick up the region that crosses into the equatorial zone? Thanks. And no, I don't have anyone lined up to do the corresponding section to the north. I'll leave that open for others to explore and see what happens. |
| yellowdingo04-20-07, 10:44 PM | Got a rough map as well, figure if you set the d20 with the 20 side up I'd be number 2. Just don't know how to post it so you all can see it. PM me with how to do it. Is your map Equatorial or Polar? |
| yellowdingo04-20-07, 10:57 PM | I really don't think this is a good idea as it puts far too many restrictions on both potential players and DM's. It would effectivly require us to begin our portion of the world as though there was no history, as if sentient life just poofed into existence without precident, which frankly seems both uninteresting and improbable. In order for a setting to have potential for adventure, things must have happend in the past that effect the present and the future. For example, given the geography of my map draft, it stands to reason that the peoples of the southern and central regions would have mastered the nautical arts fairly early in their history. I would venture a guess that these people were boating, swiming, fishing, whaleing, and the like, long before they developed agriculture, writing, and metal working. If you live by the water, you are going to swim and make boats; now you might not have ships that can ply the oceans of the world, but ships you will have. I suppose we can leave it to the regional DM to use or not use. If you want to invent steam artillery having only medieval skills Knowledge(artillery), I would probably expect your party to pool its exp in cache to pick up the knowledge(basic steam) skill. The same if your region is stone age and you want to build that temple and need masonry and religion as a skill group supporting it. It is a way of allowing the PC party to shape the technological development of their region. If no one develops riding and animal handling your paladin is going to walk everywhere. You want swimming and boating for your fisherfolk, so be it but if you decide to build a double hull paddlewheel barge then i expect the inventing party to have set aside some serious exp cache (skilldevelopmentcache=100,000xp) to pick up Knowledge (engineering) to apply it to an otherwise primitive boating culture. However if you learn this from some other tribe/culture who has engineering then freely slip in in a skill slot if your PC has one. THE SKILL/FEAT DEVELOPMENT CACHE RULE SKILLDEVELOPMENTCACHE=100,000xp FEATDEVELOPMENTCACHE=1,000,000xp You dont need this to validate your existing skills and feats but if you are intent on technological advance and homebrew feats then your PCs must use this to develop and progress further...You need this if the tribe is going from stone age tech to gunpowder and steam. |
| Darth Syntax04-21-07, 12:43 AM | I can see adopting the model for invention in respect to certian sorts of "new" feats and the like, but not so much with already existing ones, as it would simply be more bookeeping than is really needed and thus might turn into just another set of rules to slog through. Also, I'm not sure why you are emphasizing the hypothetical party being the inventers of so much. The sort of thing that adventurers are likely to invent is going to have fairly narrow applications, but the sort of thing that is invented by more "regular" people might have more widespread use. For example, that paddle boat you spoke of would probably have been invented by a shipwright or other engineer with an interest in improving the martime trade or comissioned by a government or trading consortium rather than created by some mangy, unwashed, uncouth social pariah with delusions of grandeur. Now, all that said, I like the idea of certian skills, feats, and the like being endemic to particular regions and cultures. My maritime powers are probably terrible horsmen, and the people of the northern desert probably couldn't build a seaworthy boat to save their soul (although I imagine their irrigation techniques are a thing to behold), but such things need not be absolutly enshrined in the rules. A farmer from the desert just isn't going to have the same skill set as a merchant marine from the islands, and players tend to take this sort of thing into consideration when making their characters (or they should at any rate). What might be helpful (or not, I have no real idea) is for the several participants in this project to hash out a description of their "face" with all the attendant history, politics, technology, and the like. The world really does need to be built before the players go mucking about. |
| yellowdingo04-21-07, 01:27 AM | Now, all that said, I like the idea of certian skills, feats, and the like being endemic to particular regions and cultures. My maritime powers are probably terrible horsmen, and the people of the northern desert probably couldn't build a seaworthy boat to save their soul (although I imagine their irrigation techniques are a thing to behold), but such things need not be absolutly enshrined in the rules. A farmer from the desert just isn't going to have the same skill set as a merchant marine from the islands, and players tend to take this sort of thing into consideration when making their characters (or they should at any rate). What might be helpful (or not, I have no real idea) is for the several participants in this project to hash out a description of their "face" with all the attendant history, politics, technology, and the like. The world really does need to be built before the players go mucking about. Now? Hurgg!! You are probably right. Frankly it will be irrelevent to adventurers of a particular region to know such things but the DMs probably should start putting down what is going on in their region. |
| yellowdingo04-21-07, 01:32 AM | A History of the Dewan The Dewan- A People They had long forgotten the journey that had brought them to this land of bounty. They had named it Dewa. A land vast and rich in al manor of herds and game, yet it concealed dangers strange and terrible. They had settled in a swamp from which they had struggled to drive out all the truly vicious and dangerous predators. The Beginning of the Dewan The Dewan stand upon the shore of a land now divided by waters furious and yet reminiscent of a forgotten joy. This is the beginning. The two continents that had been once the land of Dewa were separated by a simple swamp on which a people with no name had built a community. Stilt dwellings were crowded in the swamp to its north and south sides until there were thousands. They had lived of the fish and the turtle, the duck and the snake that had made their home in and around that swamp. Yet the earth moved and the land changed and one day after centuries of travel by reed bundle canoes through the community and its swamp, the waters had become ocean and boat travellers drowned in rough water that had been unfamiliar to their ancestors. For the centuries that followed they built walk ways on stilt paths over the dying swamp until the sea took ten crossing from one side to the other and they found themselves cut off from one another. Over fifty thousand years the distance widened between the lost halves of a happy people of a bountiful land until the distant shore vanished into the perpetual mist that rose from the sea and the cries of their other halves vanished under the roar of breaking waves. Once they lost their other half to the tyranny of distance the Dewan began to drift apart. Families trapped on each side of that divide began to abandon the coast and move into the forests to the north and south of their painful past. The D’wan and the Durwa Again they encountered beasts thought forgotten in the legends of their peoples. Yet struggle from the carnage wrought by the changing tide they did. For the D’wan, survival meant retreating into the close-knit tree canopy of the forests of Northern Dewa. Now the trees supported their woven basket huts and their hunters took game from the sky with what had once been fishing nets. Well crafted ovens of clay allowed fires for cooking in a fragile world filled with tinder-fuel. Below their communities, the dangers of unseen predators were almost forgotten. Consequently their skills would remain a primitive reflection of a primitive past. They would not develop metalworking yet had managed to advance to ceramics. The lost still remembered by name as the spoken memory is passed down to their children. For the Durwa the outcome had been different. They had encountered something more terrible than simple loneliness. They had encountered a Dragon. At first they had stood proudly against it but over time it destroyed those who resisted and corrupted those who had not. The Great Gold denied the Durwa the life they would have settled into. It took them and taught them secrets not of their own making. It drove then down an uncertain path with a whip of furious fire at their backs. It polluted their shattered tribe with half breeds gifted in dark sorceries. It forced them to raise buildings of stone, and create weapons of iron and they rose corrupted from the sorrow of the past into a strong and capable people with a written language. Yet it had cost them the memories of the past. Now the lost ones, once treasured, were a forgotten song spoken by their fathers around a fire long since burned cold. Its sorcerers now wielded all the spells of the elemental forces and worse. A Dragon named Mas For Mas (the great gold who had raised these Durwa people from their primitive infancy into an empire) time brought regrets. The destruction of the Durwa culture was wrought in iron of her own making and she thought much of their lost past. Villages had popped up across Southern Dewa. Their occupants were on the verge of imperial unity yet struggling to free them selves of its poisonous bite. Durwa left the empire in its infancy and sought out the lost ones. Mas found a primitive people clinging to life in the treetops of a vast forest. Their community was singular and vast and Mas saw the spark that she had taken from the Durwa and decided to try again with the D’wan. It taught the intelligent of the tribe more magic. The would-be Wizards already dabbled in a primitive magic tied to Air and Animal and Plant. Mas gave them the secret of potion craft in trade for her past failings with the Durwa. The Whispering One Yet the vacuum Mas had left in the lives of the Durwa was soon filled by the first thing that came along. The Durwa were a people who had become dependant on a god. The whispering one filled that void. The voice told them that it was the terrible hand reaching across the sky at night to gather stones from the river of stars. It lied. Yet many deep in the strengthening empire of the Durwa were happy with a lie. As the Durwa fed upon itself, some villages simply fled into hiding. Yet the whispering one led the Sorcerers of the Empire to the valley of shadows. Here in the mist they watched the planar war fought on a battlefield. These terrible warriors were as real yet as distant as the lost ones. It was here that some truly powerful sorcerers reached across the boundary of mist and stole up unfamiliar weapons of the fallen and slain from a battlefield they had no business being on. A diviner spoke a prophecy that the Whispering one would be destroyed by one of the forgotten way of Durwa. Thinking this threat was from the Deer Rider Sect they were quickly disposed of as were the families who kept the skills alive. Yet many fled beyond imperial reach. Two sides of the Durwa The Deer Riders of the Durwa, gifted in Mounted Archery, their outlawed sect now sheltered beyond the imperial reach in rebel and outcast villages in the mountains and forests of Southern Dewa. Yet their hiding places have begun to fall. Perhaps soon the continent of Southern Dewa will be too small a hiding place. The Durwa Aristocracy are a ruling class of Sorcerers who have survived in the wilderness beyond the reach of the more powerful predators of the imperial court to finally quest for the valley of shadows that they might wrest a weapon of bone from the fallen of that battlefield and claim a seat in the imperial court. The D’wan Yet Mas was followed. A Sorcerer who had quested for a weapon of bone and yet had not found a place in the imperial court to his liking followed the path of the dragon across the raging sea into Northern Dewa. Geledek found Mas the Corruptor amongst the tree people. The battle was furious and destroyed much of the forest supporting the community of the D’wan. The Bone weapon itself had been shattered. Combat raged on until Mas lay impaled on a shattered pine stump. Geledek was surprised and outraged at the way the D’wan people were throwing themselves at him to stop his assault on the Dragon who had corrupted his own people. Yet they sang to him in battle the song of the lost ones and the names of the families in their number and when they got to his family, he fell back in confusion. Then they sang the song of Mas as it had been told to them by the dragon. Geledek the Sorcerer Geledek paused in his fury and contemplated some pity for the broken Mas yet it was too late. Mas became a female in the form of the Dewan one last time and died in Geledek’s arms. For a time Geledek stayed with the D’wan and aided them in the rebuilding of that which had been damaged and destroyed, yet eventually he departed for some place of his own and found furious beasts in a hard wilderness forgotten to legends for his own people. |
| DonThelonious04-21-07, 04:56 AM | Is your map Equatorial or Polar? Polar preferably, but I'm leaning toward someplace decimated by a prior event like an asteroid. Most of my cultures are going to be primitive (I got a thing for beast riders, and the idea of barbarian gnomes makes me giggle :twitch: . Don't have any land touching the edges so mine can work just about anywhere. |
| DonThelonious04-21-07, 07:42 AM | Campaign World Development Concepts Making it Harder for the PCs I am leaning toward a skill-less and feat-less world. I would suggest that it is going to be even more difficult if the peoples of adventuring regions must develop the skills and feats that will be available to future generations. They might be able to learn an unknown skill or feat from another group or tribe. Until such time as horse-riding and the associated skills such as leatherworking, black smithing, weapon smithing are created, that the role of paladin be restricted to primitive weapons and no mount without feats and skills to support them. No Boating, no martial weapons, no exotic weapons, no metal tools, no swimming. The Party and their culture will effectively begin naked and without the majority of skills and feats available to them. How do your players get skills and feats if you and your tribe don’t have them? Your Players are going to develop them. 1. To develop a feat the Tribe and the Party will be required to achieve a one million experience point cache to direct toward the development of a single feat such as spell-craft. Only then will their clan be able to develop other wizard associated feats using the same process over and over. 2. Skills on the other-hand will require less. Skills will require a one hundred thousand experience point cache. Clerics might need to develop masonry, leadership, and religion skills just to achieve the construction of a temple or pyramid (that will require a massive experience cache of 3 million exp). Call me simple, but... this eems like a whole lotta headache (IE: :banghead: ) Just seems a bit pointless. |
| yellowdingo04-22-07, 07:39 AM | Call me simple, but... this eems like a whole lotta headache (IE: :banghead: ) Just seems a bit pointless. The refered too waste of time is purely for developing feats and skills that dont exist in the civilization. It has no meaning to a campaign where your PCs march into a village, rape the villagers and threaten to impale them if they dont tell the PCs how to make pottery... However for those who do want to develop their own technological power over time, this provides a dificult path by which they may achieve that. |
| Araes04-22-07, 07:06 PM | I would be interested in joining this, but there are several things that I think should be ironed out before we go too crazy, so here are some suggestions. A defined orientation of the world so that everyone can eaisly pick a location and know where they are at: First, I suggest that we go with at least semi-earthlike weather and environment, just to quickly get us all on the same page. Second, from looking through my dice bag, it appears that not all d20's are made universally the same. As such, we should establish a reference d20 that everyone can claim points on, and firmly establish what locations are polar, equatorial, ect... As such, I propose the following die based on my own dice: Top of the World Die http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/d20_die_top.jpg Bottom of the World Die http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/d20_die_bottom.jpg The poles will border triangles 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 in the north, and 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 in the south. The equator will border or run through triangles 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 19, 20. Third, I suggest that we try and seperate somewhat, the various process of world creation from one another, so we don't get into tons of conflict. Create your geography If you border someone, then conform to whatever edges they gave you. IE, in the die example shown, if I chose 8, but 6 and 2 had already been taken, then I would have to conform to whatever they had already laid out. However, if someone chose 4 after me, then they would have to conform to my prior geographic work. Create your completely internal politics and relations. As people make areas to the side of you, then create politics with them. Based on this orientation, I think I will claim number 19 (bordering 9, 13, 16). Dark Syntax, is your area a polar region, or one of the regions which would be on the equator, or is the orientation arbitary? Keep the campaign world development concept optional for people during their campaigns. There has already been some resistance to forcing the idea, and my personal opinion is that if this is going to be relatively freeform, then we ought to allow people to set their regions at whatever particular tech level they like, within reason. Within reason mostly providing an upper cap on what you can have so that one super tech / magic society doesn't run rampant naturally. My proposal would be to bound the upper side of tech at the normal allowed for D&D to make things easy. Of course, if everyone agrees, then perhaps the limit could be higher, at something like Renaissance era tech or maybe steamtech. Limit Picture Size As a general rule, could we perhaps limit picture width to 800 or so? As really wide ones break the forum frames and make everything go all screwy. To facilitate this, I have made two templates for world map sections as equilateral triangles in 800 x 720 format. World Map Section (Blank and Pointing Up) (http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSectionUp.jpg) World Map Section (Blank and Pointing Down) (http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSectionDown.jpg) DonThelonius: One option for hosting picture files is to get a Google Webpage space, and upload the file there. Google allows for roughly infinite bandwidth usage on their webhosting, and its free. That's where those dice pictures are being stored. |
| Darth Syntax04-22-07, 08:06 PM | I agree that we should get some basic facts about the the world worked out before we get too involved in the making of things. Assuming we are going with an earth-like planet, I propose that we make the height of each triagle equal 60° of lattitude. So the Northern Polar triangles would go from 90° N to 30° N, the equitorial triangles would range from 30° N to 30° S lattitude, and the southern Polar regions would range from 30° S to 90° S lattitdue. I also move that we adopt the d20 that Araes so kindly provided us with, as it is convenient. On said d20, I would like to claim face 17 (southern Polar Region), boardering faces 15, 12, and 10, if there are no objections. -- I found an image of an icosohedron that had been 'stretched' into a sphere which might prove helpful in figuring out how the world would look. It certianly helped me to better visualize what part of the globe I was working on. http://www.grandunification.com/jpgs/PlatonicSpheres/Icosahedral.jpg -- In other news, my map is shaping up nicely and the political map of my region is more or less ready for viewing and critique. As suggested I have made the image 800x800 pixels which hopefully will not make all of your monitors go crazy. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/469117974_34e308ac83_o.jpg I hope to have some basics of the history, politics and culture of my triangle up later today. I will abide by Araes' excellent suggestions concerning keeping the politcs (for now) contained to my region, and develop it further as information comes to light. |
| Araes04-23-07, 03:00 AM | Alright, here's the first pass at the geography for my section of the world. Section 19. *edit I have now gotten it to a final version which has all of the various terrain types put into the map. I've put a key in the lower left, so you can tell what everything is. Next up, making kingdoms and naming stuff. I'll stick to roughly the same format that Darth Syntax used in his kingdom scheme. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection19_Araes.jpg |
| DonThelonious04-23-07, 03:07 AM | The refered too waste of time is purely for developing feats and skills that dont exist in the civilization. It has no meaning to a campaign where your PCs march into a village, rape the villagers and threaten to impale them if they dont tell the PCs how to make pottery... However for those who do want to develop their own technological power over time, this provides a dificult path by which they may achieve that. Word, I understand. Thanks for the clarification. Though I think much of my peoples are goona be really suprised that other humans have mastered the 'Gods Bone' (Metal). |
| DonThelonious04-23-07, 03:19 AM | Areas- Great idea withg the d20, I'll be taking area 2 if nobody minds. Still having some trouble getting my map uploaded, but that should be cleared up in a day or so. Like I stated earlier my landmass is bordered on all sides by water, but if someone wants to have thier map extend as little into mine its ok, but just so they know my peoples tech is low but thier ju-ju and kung-fu is strong :monk: |
| yellowdingo04-23-07, 08:03 AM | Polar preferably, but I'm leaning toward someplace decimated by a prior event like an asteroid. Most of my cultures are going to be primitive (I got a thing for beast riders, and the idea of barbarian gnomes makes me giggle :twitch: . Don't have any land touching the edges so mine can work just about anywhere. When you say decimated by asteroid, do you mean in the past or ongoing? The second alternative might be the far more interesting...Darn stonestorm. Or are you talking: Wow! this thousand mile radius caldera with the swamp in the middle is impressive. |
| DonThelonious04-23-07, 08:23 AM | When you say decimated by asteroid, do you mean in the past or ongoing? The second alternative might be the far more interesting...Darn stonestorm. Or are you talking: Wow! this thousand mile radius caldera with the swamp in the middle is impressive. Well, it's not really a swamp, more of a swirling vortex of doom that flushes negligent boats into the underworld (literally I think). And it was some time in the past, like 250-700 years, but there might still be clouds of dust and volcanic-ish ash that roll over the lands and surrounding sea.:plotting: |
| yellowdingo04-23-07, 09:50 AM | Well, it's not really a swamp, more of a swirling vortex of doom that flushes negligent boats into the underworld (literally I think). And it was some time in the past, like 250-700 years, but there might still be clouds of dust and volcanic-ish ash that roll over the lands and surrounding sea.:plotting: Intersting. On a Polyhedron d20, any perpetual cloud should not be visible below 1000 miles. At least until some fool approaches a regional boundary and looks over the edge of the world... |
| DonThelonious04-23-07, 10:15 AM | Intersting. At least until some fool approaches a regional boundary and looks over the edge of the world... New PrC "Edge Surfer"- Uses the edge of the world to do extreme sports and to travel between regions at an incredible rate. |
| Araes04-23-07, 01:32 PM | At least until some fool approaches a regional boundary and looks over the edge of the world... Amusingly, I had never actually considered that, and assumed the concept was more like what Darth Syntax proposed in his last post (stretching). I wonder if that would be something that you could notice if you were close to the fold, or whether it would only be noticable if you were far away or high in the air? Gravity would have to be pretty funky too, otherwise those would be the biggest mountains on the planet. |
| Darth Syntax04-23-07, 02:01 PM | I too had never considered that the planet was actually an icosohedron. I was assuming the shape provised was a kind of projection meant to make mapping a bit easier. If the world really is an icosohedron, that could make things "interesting" to say the least. -- Araes, I like the map. Your face is equitorial is I recall properly. I do have some questions about the geography. Considering the number of mountain ranges and the lattitude, would I be correct in assuming that the interior portion of your contenent is rather arid, possibly desert? |
| Araes04-23-07, 04:51 PM | Yes, you're correct in that the inland portion of my area is pretty arid. The right side of the middle mountain range is basically one big desert with a drainage river running through the middle of it, I just haven't put in the desert graphics yet. It took me a while to do all the hills and grassland this morning. Beyond that it is then mostly savanah around the large lake. I think I may scale back the rightmost forest a little bit as well, or shift it more southward. |
| Darth Syntax04-23-07, 05:16 PM | So there is going to be a large lake (or possibly an inland sea?) in your region. Always a good thing. As to the rightmost forrest, I think you're probably right to scale it back. Assuming that the prevailing winds come from off the ocean, then there is going to be one heck of a rainshadow in that area, which might make the growth of a forrest somewhat difficult. -- Sorry for the delay in getting my regional description up, it's taking longer than I had hoped, but I shall press on. |
| Araes04-23-07, 07:20 PM | Alright, map has been updated in the original post. I have added in all of the terrain, made it look prettier, and shrank the size of that forest a bit. Next up, getting the countries divided out. I tend to be a big fan of hegemony and one world orders, so there's probably going to be a super kingdom in at least part of this land. |
| Araes04-23-07, 09:32 PM | Countries are now done for the section of the world I have. The full country map can be seen below for section 19. Areas 2, 8, and 12 (Sighvat, Mildar, and Nerat) are primarily mountain kingdoms and actually have significant real estate beneath the surface of the world. They are universally the domain of the dwarves, who are the builders of this area of the world, and they are also significantly urban (nearly 30% of the populations and some of the largest Metropoli in this part of the world) Area 5 (Covino) is the major seapower of the region, and by far controls the ocean waves. They very well might have colonies in other parts of the world. They are extremely heavy traders and also extremely urbanized (35%). They possess the largest city in this section of the world, Cathar, at 474608 people, and a number of other extremely large trading cities. Area 3 (Kedarra Empire) is the superpower of the area, and as of yet I haven't decided whether they are benevolent or warmongers. They are mostly controlled by a much more sturdy strain of elves (think Athas elves) who carved out an empire from the harsh desert. They have gnolls as subordinate workers, and a number of other races live among them. Area 4 (Shagenna) is the abode of the more traditional elves of the world. They are not in decline as elves of other settings so often are, but their society does try to be in tune with nature and exist with relatively low impact. They trade fairly briskly with the Ekku to the west and Taidara to the east. A major arterial trade route for the world runs through their land. Areas 1 and 11 (Ekku and Kadauu) are both fairly prosperous and oceangoing nations. Probably fairly heavy traders and limited warmongers. Area 9 (Gabon) is a strange area, in that it is a gnome land that is ruled as a Panocracy, or a group mind. Basically, within area of Gabon, there are a number of magical relays that bind the minds of the gnomes loosly together. They can transmit thoughts, and most major decisions are put to group concensus. In area 10 (Valgard), one of the "good" gods came to the world and made an appearance atop the mountain in the middle of the forest. When he did so, he turned everyone within a large radius into Aasimar by his presence. Area 6 (Bratan) is kind of the hiding place for what are normally considered the undesirable race of this area, orcs. They actually have a fairly complex society within these bounds, but are in a nearly constant state of border conflict with their Aasimar neighbors to the SE. Area 7 (Taidara) is something of a mix between a hippie commune and vikings of the plains. Centaurs and halflings are the most common races in the area, and they mostly live a rural, farming lifestyle. There are also gnolls, due to the proximity to the Kedara Empire, who have fled and come to life a free life. That's all I've got for now, I'll probably be back with more later. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection19_Araes_Countries.jpg |
| Araes04-24-07, 03:16 AM | Kingdoms for section 19 of the world. These are (currently) the first two of the kingdoms for my section of the world. This includes their populations, cities, area, and demographics. I'll stick histories and such in later when I have time, as well as the other kingdoms. Name: Ekku Kingdom Statistics Government: Plutocratic Republic Area: 378,886 Sq Miles Settled: 182,985 Sq Miles Wild: 195,901 Sq Miles Cities: 549 Villages: 66,931 Castles (Civ): 483 Castles (Wild): 161 Ruins: 204 Universities: 1 Population: 32,205,320 Urban: 1,932,319 Rural: 29,306,841 Isolated: 966,160 Density: 85 sq. mile Livestock: 70,851,703 Fowl: 43,219,539 Meat (Sm): 25,766,993 Meat (Lg): 186,5171 Cities Albis Population: 95340 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 154 City Area (Acres): 619 # of Wards: 56 City Racial Distribution: Human: 38.21 Dwarf: 24.41 Elf: 16.24 Half Elf: 10.27 Halfling: 7.08 Gnome: 3.08 Half Orc: 0.79 Ethibea Population: 38136 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 196 City Area (Acres): 195 # of Wards: 18 City Racial Distribution: Human: 48.21 Dwarf: 30.03 Elf: 12.01 Half Elf: 6.12 Halfling: 2.96 Gnome: 0.82 Romia Population: 28602 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 201 City Area (Acres): 142 # of Wards: 13 City Racial Distribution: Human: 52.18 Dwarf: 29.44 Elf: 12.95 Half Elf: 3.99 Halfling: 1.49 Ursopul Population: 22882 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 128 City Area (Acres): 179 # of Wards: 16 City Racial Distribution: Human: 49.17 Dwarf: 25.37 Elf: 15.7 Half Elf: 8.04 Halfling: 1.87 Lucitri Population: 19450 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 107 City Area (Acres): 182 # of Wards: 17 City Racial Distribution: Human: 50.32 Dwarf: 23.48 Elf: 15.9 Half Elf: 7.67 Halfling: 2.7 Ebur Population: 13615 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 131 City Area (Acres): 104 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution: Human: 50.48 Dwarf: 34.26 Elf: 12.02 Half Elf: 3.44 Name: Sighvat Kingdom Statistics Government: Monarchy Area: 162,379.7632 Sq Miles Settled: 108,253 Sq Miles Wild: 54,126.7632 Sq Miles Cities: 1,432 Villages: 24,828 Castles (Civ): 244 Castles (Wild): 81 Ruins: 103 Universities: 0 Population: 16,237,976 Urban: 4,871,393 Rural: 10,879,444 Isolated: 487,139 Density: 100 sq. mile Livestock: 35,723,548 Fowl: 22,863,071 Meat (Sm): 12,619,343 Meat (Lg): 241,134 Cities Terrar Population: 314312 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 170 City Area (Acres): 1849 # of Wards: 168 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 76 Human: 12 Elf: 8 Half Elf: 4 Segavia Population: 125725 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 210 City Area (Acres): 599 # of Wards: 54 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 84.65 Human: 13.92 Elf: 1.44 Saren Population: 75435 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 130 City Area (Acres): 580 # of Wards: 53 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 83.09 Human: 14.48 Elf: 2.67 Mytar Population: 60348 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 207 City Area (Acres): 292 # of Wards: 27 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 77.49 Human: 20.86 Elf: 1.74 Esparda Population: 45261 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 157 City Area (Acres): 288 # of Wards: 26 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 91.3 Human: 9.09 Helvirna Population: 27157 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 139 City Area (Acres): 195 # of Wards: 18 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 78.65 Human: 18.42 Elf: 3.09 Inda Population: 16294 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 156 City Area (Acres): 104 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 89.8 Human: 10.46 Chesov Population: 14665 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 132 City Area (Acres): 111 # of Wards: 10 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 83.21 Human: 17.4 Albyn Population: 13199 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 108 City Area (Acres): 122 # of Wards: 11 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 79.58 Human: 18.73 Elf: 1.82 Name: Kedara Kingdom Statistics Government: Theocratic Monarcy Area: 1055468.461 Settled: 439779 Wild: 615689.461 Cities: 3659 Villages: 146469 Castles (Civ): 1187 Castles (Wild): 396 Ruins: 501 Universities: 2 Population: 79160135 Urban: 11874020 Rural: 64119710 Isolated: 3166405 Density: 75 sq. mile Livestock: 174152296 Fowl: 104491378 Meat (Sm): 64436349 Meat (Lg): 5224569 Cities Istiga Population: 373682 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 146 City Area (Acres): 2560 # of Wards: 233 City Racial Distribution Elf: 21.51 Gnoll: 19.45 Human: 18.97 Halfling: 17.23 Half Elf: 13.58 Half Orc: 7.84 Gnome: 1.42 Batnah Population: 74736 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 194 City Area (Acres): 385 # of Wards: 35 City Racial Distribution Elf: 22.65 Gnoll: 21.22 Human: 20.48 Halfling: 19.13 Half Elf: 16.93 Tasad Population: 56052 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 189 City Area (Acres): 297 # of Wards: 27 City Racial Distribution Elf: 23.44 Gnoll: 20.21 Human: 19.24 Halfling: 15.59 Half Elf: 12.27 Half Orc: 9.34 Ganan Population: 39236 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 137 City Area (Acres): 286 # of Wards: 26 City Racial Distribution Elf: 34.06 Gnoll: 28.37 Human: 22.12 Halfling: 16.1 Hafya Population: 31389 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 133 City Area (Acres): 236 # of Wards: 21 City Racial Distribution Elf: 34.27 Gnoll: 29.71 Human: 22.66 Halfling: 14.1 Dallas Population: 23542 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 132 City Area (Acres): 178 # of Wards: 16 City Racial Distribution Elf: 29.15 Gnoll: 27.35 Human: 23.38 Halfling: 20.15 Rundah Population: 15302 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 93 City Area (Acres): 165 # of Wards: 15 City Racial Distribution Elf: 38.38 Gnoll: 34.12 Human: 28.64 Name: Shagema Kingdom Statistics Government: Femtotheocracy Area: 162379.7632 Settled: 66014 Wild: 96365.7632 Cities: 309 Villages: 28701 Castles (Civ): 212 Castles (Wild): 71 Ruins: 89 Universities: 1 Population: 14127039 Urban: 1130163 Rural: 12573065 Isolated: 423811 Density: 87 sq. mile Livestock: 31079487 Fowl: 22066436 Meat (Sm): 7762490 Meat (Lg): 1250561 Cities Forlond Population: 84193 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 157 City Area (Acres): 536 # of Wards: 49 City Racial Distribution Elf: 85.99 Half Elf: 12.77 Human: 1.28 Rauros Population: 16839 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 145 City Area (Acres): 116 # of Wards: 11 City Racial Distribution Elf: 91.93 Half Elf: 8.17 Bruinen Population: 15155 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 148 City Area (Acres): 102 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution Elf: 96.51 Half Elf: 3.55 Andrath Population: 12124 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 131 City Area (Acres): 93 # of Wards: 8 City Racial Distribution Elf: 96.28 Half Elf: 3.77 Name: Covino Kingdom Statistics Government: Plutocracy Area: 81189.8816 Settled: 78571 Wild: 2618.8816 Cities: 1175 Villages: 16160 Castles (Civ): 183 Castles (Wild): 61 Ruins: 77 Universities: 0 Population: 11934912 Urban: 4871393 Rural: 7063519 Isolated: 243570 Density: 150 sq. mile Livestock: 26792661 Fowl: 18486936 Meat (Sm): 8072126 Meat (Lg): 233599 Cities Bainbury Population: 474608 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 235 City Area (Acres): 2020 # of Wards: 183 City Racial Distribution Human: 17.1 Half Elf: 16.8 Elf: 15.45 Halfling: 13.67 Dwarf: 13.1 Gnome: 12.59 Half Orc: 11.29 Ramsay Population: 237304 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 188 City Area (Acres): 1262 # of Wards: 115 City Racial Distribution Human: 14.29 Half Elf: 14.29 Elf: 14.29 Halfling: 14.29 Dwarf: 14.29 Gnome: 14.29 Half Orc: 14.29 Westry Population: 201708 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 199 City Area (Acres): 1014 # of Wards: 92 City Racial Distribution Human: 18.99 Half Elf: 18.24 Elf: 17.44 Halfling: 16.51 Dwarf: 15.34 Gnome: 13.74 Orcsy Population: 161366 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 168 City Area (Acres): 961 # of Wards: 87 City Racial Distribution Human: 19.02 Half Elf: 18.22 Elf: 17.58 Halfling: 16.55 Dwarf: 15.23 Gnome: 13.6 Landry Population: 121025 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 159 City Area (Acres): 761 # of Wards: 69 City Racial Distribution Human: 18.47 Half Elf: 18.01 Elf: 17.13 Halfling: 16.39 Dwarf: 15.58 Gnome: 14.51 Tenby Population: 90769 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 156 City Area (Acres): 582 # of Wards: 53 City Racial Distribution Human: 25 Half Elf: 25 Elf: 25 Halfling: 25 Oldham Population: 59000 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 139 City Area (Acres): 424 # of Wards: 39 City Racial Distribution Human: 25 Half Elf: 25 Elf: 25 Halfling: 25 Dewhurst Population: 44250 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 156 City Area (Acres): 284 # of Wards: 26 City Racial Distribution Human: 33.33 Half Elf: 33.33 Elf: 33.33 Wesmin Population: 26550 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 209 City Area (Acres): 127 # of Wards: 12 City Racial Distribution Human: 25 Half Elf: 25 Elf: 25 Halfling: 25 Druthers Population: 17257 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 170 City Area (Acres): 102 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution Human: 34.87 Half Elf: 33.58 Elf: 31.95 Tannocks Population: 13806 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 145 City Area (Acres): 95 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution Human: 33.33 Half Elf: 33.33 Elf: 33.33 Name: Bratan Kingdom Statistics Government: Republic Area: 135316.4693 Settled: 47156 Wild: 88160.4693 Cities: 91 Villages: 20245 Castles (Civ): 140 Castles (Wild): 47 Ruins: 59 Universities: 1 Population: 9336836 Urban: 373473 Rural: 8869995 Isolated: 93368 Density: 69 sq. mile Livestock: 20541040 Fowl: 12324624 Meat (Sm): 7322881 Meat (Lg): 893535 Cities Kildare Population: 31778 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 209 City Area (Acres): 152 # of Wards: 14 City Racial Distribution Orc: 55.16 Half Orc: 29.34 Human: 11.75 Halfling: 3 Gnome: 0.83 Meath Population: 25422 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 132 City Area (Acres): 193 # of Wards: 18 City Racial Distribution Orc: 51.55 Half Orc: 29.53 Human: 11.35 Halfling: 5.51 Gnome: 2.19 Sligoan Population: 21609 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 149 City Area (Acres): 145 # of Wards: 13 City Racial Distribution Orc: 63.51 Half Orc: 27.43 Human: 7.71 Halfling: 1.57 Roscom Population: 14046 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 120 City Area (Acres): 117 # of Wards: 11 City Racial Distribution Orc: 57.56 Half Orc: 23.53 Human: 12.57 Halfling: 4.73 Gnome: 1.91 Name: Taidara Kingdom Statistics Government: Monarchy Area: 270632.9387 Settled: 142834 Wild: 127798.9387 Cities: 732 Villages: 52276 Castles (Civ): 386 Castles (Wild): 128 Ruins: 163 Universities: 0 Population: 25710129 Urban: 2571013 Rural: 22882015 Isolated: 257101 Density: 95 sq. mile Livestock: 56562284 Fowl: 36199862 Meat (Sm): 18835240 Meat (Lg): 1527182 Cities Moline Population: 141974 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 131 City Area (Acres): 1084 # of Wards: 99 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 25.63 Halfling: 23.31 Elf: 18.85 Half Elf: 15.44 Human: 10.21 Half Orc: 6.71 Clemence Population: 56790 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 179 City Area (Acres): 317 # of Wards: 29 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 33.73 Halfling: 24.82 Elf: 18.82 Half Elf: 15.3 Human: 7.59 Belmont Population: 39753 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 197 City Area (Acres): 202 # of Wards: 18 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 32.06 Halfling: 25.76 Elf: 19.49 Half Elf: 14.56 Human: 9.13 Troisveir Population: 27827 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 172 City Area (Acres): 162 # of Wards: 15 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 39.71 Halfling: 29.97 Elf: 21.24 Half Elf: 9.73 Basrodt Population: 19479 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 141 City Area (Acres): 138 # of Wards: 13 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 44.28 Halfling: 36.1 Elf: 19.92 Elwen Population: 13635 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 131 City Area (Acres): 104 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution Centaur: 47.83 Halfling: 35.54 Elf: 18.81 Name: Mildar Kingdom Statistics Government: Monarchy Area: 189443.0571 Settled: 112482 Wild: 76961.0571 Cities: 1485 Villages: 27524 Castles (Civ): 270 Castles (Wild): 90 Ruins: 114 Universities: 1 Population: 17457177 Urban: 5399127 Rural: 12058050 Isolated: 539913 Density: 95 sq. mile Livestock: 39593599 Fowl: 28507391 Meat (Sm): 10670475 Meat (Lg): 415733 Cities Ravndal: Population: 356353 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 225 City Area (Acres): 1584 # of Wards: 143 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 40.26 Gnome: 31.73 Human: 17.61 Elf: 10.8 Felby Population: 142541 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 211 City Area (Acres): 676 # of Wards: 61 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 40.26 Gnome: 31.73 Human: 17.61 Elf: 10.8 Hulgade Population: 106906 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 204 City Area (Acres): 524 # of Wards: 48 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 36.49 Gnome: 30.1 Human: 20.41 Elf: 13.41 Lund Population: 80180 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 204 City Area (Acres): 393 # of Wards: 36 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 40.44 Gnome: 28.34 Human: 16.46 Elf: 10.72 Halfling: 4.62 Kvivik Population: 68153 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 198 City Area (Acres): 344 # of Wards: 31 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 36.79 Gnome: 29.92 Human: 22.31 Elf: 11.9 Etainhus Population: 51115 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 208 City Area (Acres): 246 # of Wards: 22 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 44.8 Gnome: 34.68 Human: 22.74 Stenhus Population: 46004 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 160 City Area (Acres): 288 # of Wards: 26 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 41.39 Gnome: 31.55 Human: 17.75 Elf: 9.35 Akranes Population: 32203 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 169 City Area (Acres): 191 # of Wards: 17 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 43.27 Gnome: 33.72 Human: 24.7 Kallek Population: 27373 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 198 City Area (Acres): 138 # of Wards: 13 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 49.16 Gnome: 31.75 Human: 19.75 Hojtoft Population: 20530 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 114 City Area (Acres): 180 # of Wards: 16 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 72.08 Gnome: 31.5 Buoir Population: 16424 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 122 City Area (Acres): 135 # of Wards: 12 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 50.09 Gnome: 33.41 Human: 18.28 Jupidlar Population: 12318 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 167 City Area (Acres): 74 # of Wards: 7 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 52.76 Gnome: 30.16 Human: 18.62 Name: Gabon Kingdom Statistics Government: Panocracy Area: 243569.6448 Settled: 162380 Wild: 81189.6448 Cities: 567 Villages: 56295 Castles (Civ): 402 Castles (Wild): 134 Ruins: 169 Universities: 0 Population: 26792661 Urban: 2143413 Rural: 24649248 Isolated: 0 Density: 110 sq. mile Livestock: 58943854 Fowl: 38902944 Meat (Sm): 19101492 Meat (Lg): 939418 Cities Mouila Population: 140792 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 218 City Area (Acres): 646 # of Wards: 59 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 92.72 Dwarf: 7.28 Tubanja Population: 112634 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 142 City Area (Acres): 793 # of Wards: 72 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 89.17 Dwarf: 10.88 Kimone Population: 84476 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 205 City Area (Acres): 412 # of Wards: 37 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 87.43 Dwarf: 13.54 Suwechja Population: 50686 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 192 City Area (Acres): 264 # of Wards: 24 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 93.21 Dwarf: 6.82 Tafeyla Population: 32946 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 209 City Area (Acres): 158 # of Wards: 14 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 86.75 Dwarf: 14.26 Luman Population: 19768 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 94 City Area (Acres): 210 # of Wards: 19 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 90.75 Dwarf: 10.06 Neyrota Population: 13838 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 107 City Area (Acres): 129 # of Wards: 12 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 90.33 Dwarf: 10.11 Hejama Population: 12454 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 132 City Area (Acres): 94 # of Wards: 9 City Racial Distribution Gnome: 88.85 Dwarf: 11.18 Name: Valgard Kingdom Statistics Government: Theocractic Stratocracy Area: 108253.1755 Settled: 47324 Wild: 60929.1755 Cities: 249 Villages: 16996 Castles (Civ): 130 Castles (Wild): 43 Ruins: 55 Universities: 0 Population: 8660254 Urban: 1039230 Rural: 7447819 Isolated: 173205 Density: 80 sq. mile Livestock: 19052559 Fowl: 13527317 Meat (Sm): 5079769 Meat (Lg): 445473 Cities Deren Population: 120068 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 161 City Area (Acres): 746 # of Wards: 68 City Racial Distribution Aasimar: 24.36 Human: 22.81 Elf: 20.54 Halfling: 18.03 Orc: 14.85 Rehbak Population: 36020 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 153 City Area (Acres): 235 # of Wards: 21 City Racial Distribution Aasimar: 26.32 Human: 25.64 Elf: 24.71 Halfling: 23.52 Hochstatt Population: 27015 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 205 City Area (Acres): 132 # of Wards: 12 City Racial Distribution Aasimar: 30.99 Human: 26.95 Elf: 23.1 Halfling: 19.58 Wieiter Population: 17560 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 92 City Area (Acres): 191 # of Wards: 17 City Racial Distribution Aasimar: 27.37 Human: 25.62 Elf: 24.48 Halfling: 23 Allenfeld Population: 12292 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 134 City Area (Acres): 92 # of Wards: 8 City Racial Distribution Aasimar: 26.73 Human: 25.89 Elf: 24.65 Halfling: 23.12 Name: Kadauu Kingdom Statistics Government: Plutocratic Republic Area: 378886.1142 Settled: 212799 Wild: 166087.1142 Cities: 1331 Villages: 60312 Castles (Civ): 466 Castles (Wild): 155 Ruins: 196 Universities: 2 Population: 31068661 Urban: 4349613 Rural: 26408361 Isolated: 310687 Density: 82 sq. mile Livestock: 68351055 Fowl: 41694144 Meat (Sm): 26357021 Meat (Lg): 299890 Cities Hamedo Population: 187284 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 136 City Area (Acres): 1377 # of Wards: 125 City Racial Distribution Human: 29.55 Halfling: 21.62 Half Elf: 17.1 Dwarf: 13.52 Elf: 9.68 Half Orc: 5.9 Aasimar: 3.02 Minatos Population: 74914 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 149 City Area (Acres): 503 # of Wards: 46 City Racial Distribution Human: 28.15 Halfling: 23.48 Half Elf: 19.17 Dwarf: 14.19 Elf: 9.25 Half Orc: 6.35 Bontiko Population: 56186 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 153 City Area (Acres): 367 # of Wards: 33 City Racial Distribution Human: 25.94 Halfling: 23.37 Half Elf: 18.51 Dwarf: 15.13 Elf: 9.95 Half Orc: 7.5 Ko-Numasa Population: 47758 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 133 City Area (Acres): 359 # of Wards: 33 City Racial Distribution Human: 29.19 Halfling: 24.24 Half Elf: 17.1 Dwarf: 14.79 Elf: 9.5 Half Orc: 5.8 Santishi Population: 33431 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 174 City Area (Acres): 192 # of Wards: 17 City Racial Distribution Human: 35.07 Halfling: 26.84 Half Elf: 21.76 Dwarf: 16.41 Hashiko Population: 23402 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 137 City Area (Acres): 171 # of Wards: 16 City Racial Distribution Human: 27.52 Halfling: 23.7 Half Elf: 20.58 Dwarf: 15.98 Elf: 12.43 Yazen Population: 18722 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 127 City Area (Acres): 147 # of Wards: 13 City Racial Distribution Human: 36.81 Halfling: 29.12 Half Elf: 21.22 Dwarf: 14.05 Wan-gi Population: 12169 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 133 City Area (Acres): 91 # of Wards: 8 City Racial Distribution Human: 33.4 Halfling: 28.12 Half Elf: 23.21 Dwarf: 15.88 Name: Nerat Kingdom Statistics Government: Monarcy Area: 81189.8816 Settled: 56457 Wild: 24732.8816 Cities: 581 Villages: 12444 Castles (Civ): 128 Castles (Wild): 42 Ruins: 54 Universities: 1 Population: 8524938 Urban: 2983728 Rural: 5455961 Isolated: 85249 Density: 105 sq. mile Livestock: 18754863 Fowl: 13128404 Meat (Sm): 5510413 Meat (Lg): 116046 Cities Ollsbaer Population: 327012 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 219 City Area (Acres): 1493 # of Wards: 136 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 69.65 Gnome: 23.94 Human: 5.79 Halfling: 0.67 Molvik Population: 261610 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 216 City Area (Acres): 1211 # of Wards: 110 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 65.95 Gnome: 25.43 Human: 7.43 Halfling: 1.32 Vestrey Population: 196208 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 201 City Area (Acres): 976 # of Wards: 89 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 69.72 Gnome: 24.05 Human: 4.97 Halfling: 1.3 Suoerland Population: 137346 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 136 City Area (Acres): 1010 # of Wards: 92 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 65.58 Gnome: 25.73 Human: 7.77 Halfling: 0.94 Vikleir Population: 103010 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 151 City Area (Acres): 682 # of Wards: 62 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 79.52 Gnome: 16.86 Human: 4.12 Gollring Population: 82408 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 207 City Area (Acres): 398 # of Wards: 36 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 76.63 Gnome: 19.04 Human: 5.1 Veccsa Population: 57686 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 136 City Area (Acres): 424 # of Wards: 39 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 82.89 Gnome: 18.07 Joehus Population: 37496 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 157 City Area (Acres): 239 # of Wards: 22 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 69.76 Gnome: 25.97 Human: 4.81 Kirckwin Population: 31872 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 145 City Area (Acres): 220 # of Wards: 20 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 76.38 Gnome: 20.8 Human: 3.11 Aeldar Population: 25498 Type: Metropolis City Statistics City Population Density: 147 City Area (Acres): 173 # of Wards: 16 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 68.14 Gnome: 24.91 Human: 8.19 Towinfel Population: 21673 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 166 City Area (Acres): 131 # of Wards: 12 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 78.99 Gnome: 23.38 Aegasmars Population: 17338 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 138 City Area (Acres): 126 # of Wards: 11 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 81.95 Gnome: 18.54 Strobael Population: 14737 Type: Large City City Statistics City Population Density: 120 City Area (Acres): 123 # of Wards: 11 City Racial Distribution Dwarf: 83.99 Gnome: 17.89 |
| DonThelonious04-24-07, 04:29 AM | Ok juist war you this is VERY long Ok, so here it goes… The Lands Of Fallenstar Races: -All core races from the PHB -No monstrous humanoids with LA greater than +1 Religion: There are no actual gods in overseeing the realm. Great Wyrm dragons and Titans are worshipped instead. These pseudo-deities, or on the common tongue of the land ‘Welkin’, are the driving force of the land. The primitive peoples of Fallenstar believe the Welkin to be the embodiments of their ancestors. They are all very spiritual, with ancestor spirits being an everyday part of life. Totems play a huge role as well, with each person having a specific totem animal acting as representative in the spirit realm. The huge hand in the sky is called the ‘Taker’ and to the good races it is a sign of the impending doom. They believe that one day the hand will come for “Dwenty’ (the name they have for the overall world). The evil races see the coming of the hand as a time of power, heralding the fall of the good races. -Dragon Welkin- Tyrant lizards worshipped by the evil races and several human and elven tribes. The beast riders from these lands charge into battle on ½ dragon versions of regular and dire animals. The most notorious being the Adjeort Goblins on backs of vicious ½ Green Dragon/ ½ Dire Wolf monsters. -Titan Welkin- The good races of Fallenstar pay homage to the great and powerful titans. The beast riders from these lands sit proud upon the backs of Griffon, Pegasi, Hippogriffs, Dinosaurs, and celestial creatures. The most stalwart and noble Beastkin are the Theronian Dwarves and their ferocious Pygmy Triceratops allies. General Overview: Legend has it that about 600 years ago The Taker cast one of the stars into the middle of this once great and prosperous continent as punishment for the good races dominance over the land. Where the star fell it created a huge ocean, with a vortex in the center that swallows any boats that come near dragging them down into the depths of the Takers Realm. The good people of the land were cast down from their great seats of power, becoming equals with the evil races. Much of the ancient arts of arcane magic and metallurgy, science and engineering were lost in that troubled time. Memory of those brighter days faded away quickly as survival became increasingly important. Thick clouds dust and volcanic-ish ash swept the land, killing those that breathed it and choking the crops before they could grow. After the Fallenstar struck most of the region was cast into an ice age that lasted for over 400 years. In the chaos that consumed the once beautiful lands came the Welkin, awoken from their eons of slumber. The Welkin drew the various tribes to them and tought them how to survive and thrive. Weaponcraft and armormaking were learned, and with the divine help of the Welkin made stronger through magic. Most weapons are made of stone or bone, though occasionally ‘Godbone’ (IE: metal) weapons and armor are found. Only the Chosen are allowed to wear or wield these ancient relics. Border clashes for hunting grounds are not uncommon, and raids on neighboring good or evil tribes for plunder and slaves is a regular sport. A great war is brewing though, between the cruel Dragon Welkin and the noble Titan Welkin, a war that may change the destiny of Fallenstar forever. Input would be great, still having some trouble with the map though, which SUCKS :banghead:(I got this thing for doing everything by hand, I decided my computer aided map didn't meet my standards so getting it all drawn out and scanned in is a pain.) |
| Darth Syntax04-24-07, 08:58 PM | Here are the beginings of my musings on two of the countries in my section: The Esuin Leage, and the Republic of Orothos. I am going to expand on all of this in the future, I just wanted to get something for comment. Some General Thematics of my Region One of the themes I would like to play with in my region will be political and cultural conflict that has little if anything to do with good and evil (or law and chaos). I don't want good guys and bad guys, I want complex societies that have both positive and negative aspects. Exploration and Colonialism are also going to feature in the cultures of the region. The two countries I will present below have (in the past 50 - 100 years) developed reliable oceanic travel along with better navigational tools and are now engaged in the race for colonies to provide them with even greater wealth. Religion too will be a feature of the region, with numerous faiths, cults, and the like playing a part. Generally I would like to keep "proof" of these religions (such as interventionist gods and the like) out of the region, and deal more with how mortals interact with their religions. Magic as both a science and and art. Many cultures in my region will not expressly differentiate magic from other natural phenomena as it is just another aspect of their world. I will be incorporating magic in small ways throughout the region, but there will be comparatvly little "flashy" magic, especially destuctive magic. -- Region I: The Esuin Sea Laying at the southern edge of the continent (as yet unnamed) the Esuin Sea is one of the cradles of civilization in the south. For centuries its shores have been home to settlements of Humans, Gnomes, and other sentient species. Here, the power of word and coin is paramount, and secrets can kill just as well as any sword. The major powers of the region have a long history of conflict, competition, and open warfare, brought about by the desire to control trade routes, maintain monopolies on rare foreign goods, and amass wealth. Five “Trade Wars” have been fought by the powers of the Esuin Sea, some against each other, and some against outside powers seeking to gain a foot hold in the region. The sea is the life-blood of the cultures of the Esuin region, and much of population knows at least something about the art of sailing. The shipwrights of Esuin and Orothos are considered to be masters of their craft, creating ships capable of both island hopping and, more recently, oceanic travel. The development of these sturdier ships (and improvements in optical tools) has spurred exploration and channeled the ancient conflicts of the people into a new direction: the competition for colonies. The Esuin League (The Commonwealth of Esuin) Government Type: Parliamentary Commonwealth of City-States Ruling Body: The Parliament of Ethsh Current Leader: Her Honor, Councilor Gellanya Mroi (TN female Gnome Rogue 3/Expert 2) Population: about 4,000,000 Economic Type: Mercantilism Species Demographics: 30% Human, 25% Gnome, 15% Dromite, 10% Elf, 8% Goliath. 6% Darfellan, 6% Other. Capitol: Ethsh Religion: Varied Major Languages: Lókoiros (Official), Shelna (semi-official) Jaurlolai (semi-official), Tuanutulli, Svro Nominal Alignment: TN with NE leanings Formed some 300 years ago during the fourth Trade War to check the rising economic power of the Republic of Orothos and the expansion of the Ejantulli Empire, the Esuin League has grown from an ad hoc alliance of merchant princes and city-states into one of the most formidable naval powers in the region. As befits a nation born out of an alliance, there is very little centralization in the government, and the various city-states of the League still maintain a fair degree of autonomy. Parliament only has nominal control of the League, mostly the power of the purse. The Most Serine and Beneficent Republic of Orothos Government Type: Oligarchic Electoral Republic Ruling Bodies: The Tetrarchs, The Serine Council Current Leaders: Tetrarchs: Basalain Nyokene (LE male Human Expert 7), Asannari Legdos (LN male Gnome Archivist 6), Sejanna Noi (TN female Elf Bard 5), Oparklon Ilos (LN male Human Expert 5/Wizard 3) Population: about 12,000,000 Economic Type: Capitalism Species Demographics: 25% Human, 25% Gnome, 15% Elf, 15% Dromite, 10% Goliath, 10% Other. Capitol: Trokoilon Religion: Varied Major Languages: Shelna (Official), Lókoiros (Semi-Offical), Jaurlolai, Negweta Nominal Alignment: LN with LE leanings The Republic dates back some 1600 years to when the kingdom of Kyoiln descended into civil war over the question of the royal succession. After seven years of bloody warfare, a truce was brokered between the warring noble houses by an alliance of merchants, and bankers who threatened to seize all of the assets of the nobles if they did not stop their childish squabble. In exchange for peace and the retention of the majority of their wealth, the nobles were forced to sign the First Charter, declaring an end to the unlawful rule of the hereditary elite and the abolition of the monarchy. Shortly after the signing of the Charter, elections (with the nobility and the peasantry being forbidden from voting) were held and a council of representatives was formed. The council then held it’s own elections to determine who among them would lead the new republic. Supposedly, the results gave a four-way tie which lead to the creation of the Tetrarchy, the ruling body of the Republic even to this day. Like most of the states that boarder the Esuin Sea, the Republic is a cosmopolitan society with a diverse population. The extensive trade networks of the Republic only serve to reinforce this, for goods and people are brought from far and wide. It is not uncommon to find that a Bhuka incense merchant from the Aktójaa has set up shop next to a Dromite lens grinder or elves from the Jaurna performing their strange masked dances in a small public garden. Currently, the Republic is attempting to extend its sphere of economic and cultural influence, establishing colonies, trade cities, and outposts in areas outside their traditional trade lanes. This has brought them into conflict with both their neighbors and more distant countires. It may not be long before the tentions come to a head and the Republic finds itself involved in another Trade War. . . -- |
| Araes04-24-07, 10:29 PM | That's comforting, at least we have the same order of scale on the populations of the various regions. Yours are a little smaller in general population, but then again, you also have twice as many nations as I do. Man, these land masses are So big... I noticed that you've decided to go with some non-PHB stuff for your countries? I don't mind in the least, just an interesting choice. I like your general approach to the world. It has reminicent features of my main campaign setting (trying to treat the world, magic, ect... very realistically). Its probably similar to what's going to happen in my own land as well. For a bit, I had been considering maybe putting one or more of my nations up to steampunk levels, but with your areas only just getting reliable sea travel and colonialization, it seems extreme. |
| Darth Syntax04-24-07, 11:10 PM | As regards the whole sea travel thing, I only put the date where it was so that I didn't step on anyones toes. I was originally thinking of having several of the countries at about an 18th or possibly early 19th century level of technology (with some bits more advanced and others less so as the history, culture and region dictated); but I pushed it back to about the 16th century or so so as not to get too far ahead of myself. I would be more than happy to move the sea travel date, but I would like to keep to the theme of expanding colonialism and exploration. I would be more than happy to have my colonial powers compete with yours on roughly equal terms. -- As to the non-PHB stuff, it just seemed to fit with how I was viewing my region and it allows me to devise new sorts of cultural interactions. That and I wanted to play with some of the non-PHB species and leave behind the ones I've never really cared for all that much, or which didn't fit my vision. |
| Araes04-24-07, 11:21 PM | Haha, there's something so awesome, and vaguely british about the way you said that last bit about sea conflict. I say, lets have ourselves some fair competition on the open waves. Well, we've got a minimum of two triangles between us, so there's plenty of room for expansionism. Honestly, I'm more worried if someone takes 16 and 9, as I wrote them a rather mean adversary in terms of pure numbers, and I don't want it to be an arms race either. Maybe they can just wall them in, or island them. For now lets stick where we're at. With magic in the race, would you be open to the idea of limited flight as well? Since mages have already been able to fly somewhat anyhow, it seems natural that there would be airships, mage assisted sea ships, and the like. Also, as another note, if we're doing some colonialism, then it seems natural that we ought to have some lands of "savages". Basically just some folks stuck at a lower level of tech that would be ripe pickings for colonies. Perhaps even some lands that are mostly unpopulated. I've always liked games that have a good aspect of privateering, and exploration adventure, so it would be cool to have a "New World", or something like it, for folks to sail to. DonThelonius, your race that worships gargantuan lizards reminds me a lot of the Slaan from Warhammer Fantasy. You ever had a chance to play that? To both of you, it seems like we're so far going with a world that's pretty limited in its gods. In my regard, I think mine are going to be a bit more active, as I like Gods and celestial / demonic beings coming and messing around with the world. IE: The land of Aasimar. |
| Darth Syntax04-24-07, 11:39 PM | Haha, there's something so awesome, and vaguely british about the way you said that last bit about sea conflict. I say, lets have ourselves some fair competition on the open waves. Well, we've got a minimum of two triangles between us, so there's plenty of room for expansionism. Honestly, I'm more worried if someone takes 16 and 9, as I wrote them a rather mean adversary in terms of pure numbers, and I don't want it to be an arms race either. Maybe they can just wall them in, or island them. Done. I suppose we should figure out a rough tech level at which to be competing. I was planning on making heavy use of alchemy, constructs, and strange scientific sourcery amongst the colonial powers and a great deal of indirect magic. For now lets stick where we're at. With magic in the race, would you be open to the idea of limited flight as well? Since mages have already been able to fly somewhat anyhow, it seems natural that there would be airships, mage assisted sea ships, and the like. I was thinking dirigeables myself. Strange jelly-fish like things held aloft with alchemical gasses and the like. Effectivly a golden age of ballooning. As for magic ships, I can the Republic, the League, Adós, the Ejantuli Empire, and the other more advanced nations of my region using magic to protect their ships, and in the creation of navigational devices (longitude clocks that self correct, compasses that can point to any desired point, that sort of thing). Also, as another note, if we're doing some colonialism, then it seems natural that we ought to have some lands of "savages". Basically just some folks stuck at a lower level of tech that would be ripe pickings for colonies. Perhaps even some lands that are mostly unpopulated. I've always liked games that have a good aspect of privateering, and exploration adventure, so it would be cool to have a "New World", or something like it, for folks to sail to. Considering the number of faces left in the world, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Even in my region, there are several countries that are at differing levels of advancement. The kingdoms of Escthein, Rowyar, and Srotte are about 300 years behind the great powers of my region, being of a more "traditional" feudal type. And of course, there are the inland peoples such as the Bhuka of the Aktójaa who are less advanced technically (due to spending much of their creative energies devising means to farm and save water), but who wants to controll a high desert plateau? |
| Araes04-25-07, 01:00 AM | Is that what the Aktojaa is? I wasn't really sure for a while there, and thought maybe it was a huge wasteland or something. Sounds good for the most part on the rest of your comments. Unless we secure the lands between us, having a conflict between these groups of kingdoms may prove hard to actually achieve, since we could just find the groups blocked away from one another. However, we'll see what develops. Now we just need to get some more people in here. I have also added in the rest of the countries to my listing up above. As a point of comparison, my ten largest cities are: Bainbury 474,608 (Covino) Istiga 373,682 (Kedara) Ravndal 356,353 (Mildar) Ollsbaer 327,012 (Nerat) Terrar 314,312 (Sighvat) Molvik 261,610 (Nerat) Ramsay 237,304 (Covino) Westry 201,708 (Covino) Vestrey 196,208 (Nerat) Hamedo 187,284 (Kadauu) With 11 more that cap 100k. Obviously I'm verging on pretty urbanized with both the dwarves and the seafaring Covino people being driven to it by necessity. In fact, the only two in the top ten that aren't from those lands are Istiga, the capital of my large empire in the NE, and Hamedo, the capital of one of the other lesser sea powers. Overall, the size of my landmass is 3,247,595.264 Sq. Miles, and I have 281,216,038 people, for an average population density of 86.6 people / sq. mile. In terms of raw population data, my kingdoms fall out like this: Kedara (79,160,135 people) Ekku (32,205,320 people) Kadauu (31,068,661 people) Gabon (26,792,661 people) Taidara (25,710,129 people) Mildar (17,457,177 people) Sighvat (16,237,976 people) Shagema (14,127,039 people) Covino (11,934,912 people) Bratan (9,336,836 people) Valgard (8,660,254 people) Nerat (8,524,938 people) So even though they have huge cities, the dwarves and Covino really don't have the numbers compared with the larger landmass groups. Oh, and Kedara is ginormous. |
| DonThelonious04-25-07, 03:34 AM | Also, as another note, if we're doing some colonialism, then it seems natural that we ought to have some lands of "savages". Basically just some folks stuck at a lower level of tech that would be ripe pickings for colonies. Perhaps even some lands that are mostly unpopulated. I've always liked games that have a good aspect of privateering, and exploration adventure, so it would be cool to have a "New World", or something like it, for folks to sail to. On that note, I wouldn't be adverse to moving my little piece of this 20 sided pie somewhere between you two. That would definitly make for interesting interactions and I have a land of savage natives. My lands are also going to be VERY mineral rich since none of the peoples there know anything of mining or forging (not even the dwarves, all thier mines got filled with magma when the star hit). Any thoughts? DonThelonius, your race that worships gargantuan lizards reminds me a lot of the Slaan from Warhammer Fantasy. You ever had a chance to play that?. No, never got into Warhammer. And they aren't lizards, they are great wyrm dragons with a taste for foriegn flesh:dragon:. I have a thread running on the monster boards to find out what people think of the idea of Dragons VS. Titans:duel: |
| DonThelonious04-25-07, 07:07 AM | :teach: Tribes-:lop: Titan Welkin Government Type: Council Of Clan Elders Ruling Welkin: Theron Of The Three Horns Current Leaders: Jajij Trikeson(LN Male Dwarf Fighter5/Cleric2), Chelja Thunderfoot(CG Female Gnome Barbarian2/Beast Rider4), Tsolal Ironheart(LG Male Dwarf Paladin of Theron5) Population: About 150,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% dwarf, 30% gnome, 5% goblinoids (slaves), 3% Halfling, 2% other Capitol: Theron (Temple-City) Beast Totem: Triceratops War Beasts: Zuniceratops, Bellusaurus Nominal Alignment: TN (Has strong aspects of Law and Chaos that balance each other. Government Type: Theocracy Ruling Welkin: Ordiana Of The Deep Woods Current Leader: Ordiana’s Child(NG female Halfling Druid6/Cleric Of Ordiana3 Population: About 200,000+ Economic Type: None Species Demographics: 70% halfling, 20% elf, 5% human, 5% other Capitol: Temple Of Ordiana Beast Totem: Dilophosaurus War Beasts: Dilophosaurus, Pteranodon Nominal Alignment: NG Dragon Welkin Government Type: Council Of Elders Ruling Welkin: Adjeort The Green Death Current Leaders: Iqueoth Chuk (LE male goblin Druid4/Beast Rider3), Thith Bloodlover (LN female goblin Monk6) Population: About 500,000+ Economic Type: Strong arm Species Demographics: 60% goblin, 30% kobold, 10% other (slaves) Capitol: The Adjeorts Heart Beast Totem: Dire Wolves War Beasts: ½ green dragon/ ½ direwolves Nominal Alignment: LE Government Type: Allied Clans Ruling Welkin: Hatiroth The Black Cloud Current Leaders: Dultork (CE male orc Barbarian5/Beast Rider3), Gorka (CN female ½orc Cleric Of Barbarian3/Cleric Of Hatirothia4 Population: About 200,000+ Economic Type: None Species Demographics: 60% orc, 20% 1/2orc, 10% human, 5% Ogre, 3% slave, 2% other Capitol: Necropolis Of Hatirothia Beast Totem: Huge Crocodile War Beasts: ½ Black Dragon/ ½ Huge Crocodile Nominal Alignment: CE |
| Darth Syntax04-25-07, 05:01 PM | On that note, I wouldn't be adverse to moving my little piece of this 20 sided pie somewhere between you two. That would definitly make for interesting interactions and I have a land of savage natives. My lands are also going to be VERY mineral rich since none of the peoples there know anything of mining or forging (not even the dwarves, all thier mines got filled with magma when the star hit). Any thoughts? [QUOTE] I too have no objections to this idea. Indeed I rather like it as it might help to stitch the world together as a more coherent whole. And considering the mineral wealth of your region, it would make a prime location for colonization. [QUOTE] No, never got into Warhammer. And they aren't lizards, they are great wyrm dragons with a taste for foriegn flesh:dragon:. I have a thread running on the monster boards to find out what people think of the idea of Dragons VS. Titans:duel: Some questions on your dragons: 1) are the dragons more or less the standard MM dragons or are they unique beings? 2) How interventionist are the dragons in the lives of their worshipers? 3) Why do they like foreign flesh so much? Is there a spice in many a foreign diet they crave? ;) -- While I am on the topic of questions,I have a few more procederal questions. What sort of power level (in class levels and all that) are we thinking of as the average? Similarly, is there any thought concerning whether power will be concentrated in idividuals or organizations. I tend to lean towards the latter myself, but it might be a good idea to discuss this sort of thing. |
| Araes04-25-07, 07:24 PM | What sort of power level (in class levels and all that) are we thinking of as the average? Similarly, is there any thought concerning whether power will be concentrated in idividuals or organizations. I tend to lean towards the latter myself, but it might be a good idea to discuss this sort of thing. For the first question, I prefer campaigns where you can find the whole range of power levels for characters in the world. Generally, there's an exponential roll-off in numbers as you reach for the higher levels, but overall, its still not unheard of to see a 20th level character. Basically, I like my power levels to be stratified kind of how money is stratified in America. Lots of people with low-medium, fewer with medium to high, and a few with high-ultra high. However, you can still meet ultra high's sometimes and many of the most powerful positions are held by high-ultra high. (Which oddly works with money or skill) On the section question, I vote for a mix of power concentration, as that's roughly how the real world is set up and it makes sense. Some folks are going to be particularly adept at consolidating power. Some groups are going to band their resources together and establish power bases. In fact, some groups may then in fact be controlled by individuals as well, creating many layers of this stuff. (And they may be part of Illuminati like cabals, ect, ect...) Might as well just let people write what they want and see where it falls out. I don't think I will be getting as in depth as Areas. Ha, no worries. I tend to get OCD about some of this stuff as I find the statistics of all of it neat and it fires my imagination thinking about 300,000 dwarves all living under the earth in some massive hollowed out cavern. |
| Araes04-25-07, 09:46 PM | Since we've been talking so much about colonialization, and the trading aspect, I've gone ahead and figured out the trade materials for my nations. Ekku Sighvat Kedara Shagen. Covino Bratan Taidara Mildar Gabon Valgard Kadauu Nerat lumber x x x x x x water x x x x x dye x x x x x x fruits x x x x x x x vegetables x x x x x x grains x x x x x x x meats x x x x x x x x spices x x x x x furs x x x x ivory x work animals x x x x x ceramic x x x x x x ores(const) x x x x x x x x x ores(metal) x x x x x gemstones x x x x x x skilled workers x x x x x x x slaves x x x x oils / fuels x x x x polymers x x x pottery x x x x x x textiles x x x x x smelted metal x x x x x armaments x x x x x art objects x x x x x x x narcotics x x x perfumes x x x x alcohols x x x x x x paints x x x x x x fireworks x x If anybody happens to notice a trade item type that I missed, please feel free to point it out. One of the odd things I noted, is that mineral wealth isn't as important to my nations as I thought it might be. With all the mountains around, and a huge population of dwarves, there's quite a bit of metal to go around. I may also adjust this some, if I can see obvious ways to make it work better. The first pass was basically just done based on what I thought people would produce based on their equatorial location and landscape. Quite a few nations listed here with the same resources would still want to trade with each other as well, since the categories are by necessity rather broad. One thing of note is that I haven't include things like gunpowder, as I'm not sure where we're at on that subject. Theres probably a good chance though with all these mountains and caves around that somebody would have discovered saltpeter. Also, more esoteric topics like technical knowledge haven't been included. Wonder where yellowdingo has wandered off to also. |
| Darth Syntax04-26-07, 03:23 AM | Setting up basic trade and import/export charts is an excellent idea. The following is a chart (subject to change of course) of the imports and exports of the more advanced countries in my region in terms of trade. Key I: imports E: exports E/I: exports and imports these goods -: no noticable activity Esuin Orothos Nurn Adós Ejantuli Nacáil Togné Nyera Sronid Aktójaa Dodjai Lumber I E/I E I E I E E I I I Oil (fuel) E E I E I E E E E I - Oil (cooking) E/I E/I I E E E I I E E I Spices I I I E E I E E E E E Wine I I I E I E/I I I E I E Tea I I - I E I E E I I - Dye I E/I I E/I E E/I E/I E/I E/I E/I I Salt E E E E E - - - E E I Glass I E I I I I I E I E I Ceramics E E I - I - I E E E I Ore E/I E/I I I E I I I E E/I - Fruit I I I E E I E I I I I Vegetables E E I - E E E E I I I Grains I I I I E E I I - E I Alchemical Goods E E I I E/I E I E/I E I I Slaves I I I E E E/I E I E - E/I Pottery E - E E - - E E E I - Textiles E E E/I I E I E I E I I Meats I - E I E/I I I I I E E Ivory I I I E I I I I - I E Gems E E I E E I E E I I E Metal (precious) I I - E I I I E - E - Metal (general) E/I E/I I E E E E/I I - E I Art Objects E/I E/I I E/I E - E E/I E/I E - Paper E E I I I E I I I I - Weapons - E I E E - E I - - E Wax E E E E I - I I - - - Rubber I I I I E I - E I I I Narcotics E E - E/I E/I I - E E/I E/I I Medical goods E/I E/I - I I I - E E/I - I Furs E - - I I E - I I - E Animals I I/E - I E E - I I - E Perfumes I I - E E I - E E E E While we are on the topic of trade, it might not be a bad idea for each of us to claim a handfull of region unique resources. Perhaps coffee is native to Araes' region, tea to mine, and chocolate to DonThelonious' (or whatever you good people might want). I suggest that we each pick 2-3 mundate resources and perhaps 1 or 2 extraordinary resources (magical things, rare herbs, alchemical reagents and so on). As to the issue of gunpowder, I certianly am open to incuding it, and given the strong alchemical traditions in my region it's use would certianly not be outlandish. But that's just me. |
| Araes04-26-07, 04:10 PM | Alright, I'm not against gunpowder as well. So we may be able to include it on a temporary basis for now at least, and then see how other people feel about it. I like the idea of the import and export selections. Mine was based purely on the exports and then an assumption that pretty much everyone would try to import anything they didn't have much of, but that may be a falacy. The idea of uniques is a fairly good one as well, and it makes sense geographically. I wasn't really sure where to stick speciality drink items like tea, coffee, ect... as they're not really food, and they're not a spice. Perhaps luxury foods? Alchemical goods is an interesting category. Does that imply pre-scientific revolution gear for experiments, or is it actual, magical supplies for alchemy? I wonder whether there was much trade in medical goods historically? I guess magical herbs from the far east and stuff probably was around to some extent. I guess for one of my extraordinaries I'll lay claim to the tradition of making fireworks. I had been thinking mostly magical ones, but with gunpowder there could be the traditional kind too. Glass might also be something that is more your area's speciality. I had been considering including it somewhere, but I could see it as a speciality item. Hmm, now I need to think up some good categories for trade items that would be brought about in a magical society. Reagants, magical herbs, enchanting materials, magical beasts / monsters, finished magical items. If we're having blackpowder, then we may have somewhere that knows how to build firearms as their speciality. |
| Darth Syntax04-26-07, 08:08 PM | Seeing as the motion was seconded, and in light of there being no objections currently on the floor, the motion that we admit gunpowder into the world carries. As to firearms, I can see them having several points of origin, but for the sake of world "balance" we might want to pick and upper limit of the technology so that the gunpowder powers can have useful conflicts. As to the issue of Alchemical Items: I was using the term in a rather broader sense than "the proto-scientific system involving elements of both the esoteric tradition and chemistry" but to refer to all manner of "acano-reactive" substances such as alchemists' fire as well as more mundane chemicals and tools. Effectively "alchemy" refers to the substance and tools of what might be termed "physical scientific magic" as opposed to certian forms of Wizardry, which might be closer to "pure scientific magic". Alchemists would be roughly like biologists, chemists, and some physicists while Wizards might be more like mathematicians, astronomers, and other abstract disciplines. On fireworks: By all means, please take them as a unique good of your region and have fun with them. As to glass, I would be more than happy to take it as one of my "unique" goods. I was thinking that several of my countries would have a strong tradition in the science of optics, so glass working fits well. |
| Araes04-27-07, 02:43 AM | Alright, next item up on the revisions of the map for section 19 is a posting of all the trade routes, roads, and major cities. Was neat how it all just kind of flowed with which routes were major, minor, ect.. Notes: The disproportionate number of metropoli vs large cities is due to the fact that the cutoff for metropolis status is too low (25k) for the number and size of cities. Most of those cities are 50k+. At least 20 are 100k+. The shipping lanes are crazy and look like one of those airplane diagrams they always have in the back of the seat. There is apparently a major trade city out to the west of section 19. The dwarves down in the south-east are basically living in one big megapolis. I don't really mind that. I haven't included trade routes for the dwarven kingdoms, because it is assumed they are under the ground. Although semi-small in population, the people of Taidara are probably mucho-wealthy due to all the trade flowing through there. Doh, I am almost out of things to do on my maps. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection19_Araes_Cities.jpg |
| DonThelonious04-27-07, 04:19 AM | Just to make it easier, call me Thel While we are on the topic of trade, it might not be a bad idea for each of us to claim a handfull of region unique resources. Perhaps coffee is native to Araes' region, tea to mine, and chocolate to DonThelonious' (or whatever you good people might want). I suggest that we each pick 2-3 mundate resources and perhaps 1 or 2 extraordinary resources (magical things, rare herbs, alchemical reagents and so on). As to the issue of gunpowder, I certianly am open to incuding it, and given the strong alchemical traditions in my region it's use would certianly not be outlandish. But that's just me. I'm okay with gunpowder as well, but I really don't like the idea of firearms, it just gives me this terrible image of what happened in the U.S. about 150-300 years ago. I am thinking since my region is so primitive I won't have much in the way of major exports/imports. If you guys are willing to let me place a few colonies for you then my main exports will be furs, rare alchemy ingredients, and exotic wood weapons(w/ permenant Ironwood for flavor), maybe ivory as well. For my regional specialty I would like to lay claim to exotic mounts/eggs (IE: smaller dinosaurs, something 1/2 dragon for the more evil inclined, etc.). I'm pretty sure the Dragon allied tribes would take gunpowder and that sort of thing (Fireworks make big boom, lots of fire). The Titan allied would be more interested in medicines, metal items, and bells (blankets too, if they are disease free). Mind you, the colonies are going to be generally shunned with only special representatives allowed to visit specific villages. I don't want another 'Colonial America' incedent. So please keep that in mind. If you guys give me some stats on like 3 colonies each, lets say a pop. cap of 5,000 per colony and what they export the most of, I can throw them in on my map and post it all in one lump. BTW it will be up Friday night 4/27. Since no one has a problem with me moving, then I would like to claim side 1, so I can be kind of between both of you. |
| Darth Syntax04-28-07, 01:22 AM | On Gunpowder and it's impact: I was thinking of having about a 17th century feel to things when it comes to existence of firearms, but I fully understand Thel's (thankyou for the short form) concern, and I think we should discuss this before we forge ahead too far. I would like to be able to make use of cannon, but I'll table that development until a fuller discussion is had. On Thel's resources: I noticed that you mentioned that your people have exotic wood, which is most excellent. I don't know if you have the Eberron Campaign Setting , but if you can get a hold of it, there are several really weird and wonderful woods (note: always avoid alliteration) in the special materials sections, and in the description of the nation of Aerenal. Some of these might do well in your region. Moving right along to the topic of special mounts and the like, I think it's an excellent idea. Further, your peoples will have a distinct advantage over mine in this respect as they have "draconic" creatures. Dragons, other than dragon turtles and sea serpents, are completely unknown in my region so my various cultures will have no idea what to expect from these monsters. -- I've been working a bit on my map, polishing things and so forth. So, without further ado, here is the latest form of the physical map, dived mostly by climate and geography. Enjoy. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/476416438_87044706fd_o.jpg |
| yellowdingo04-28-07, 04:58 AM | On Gunpowder and it's impact: I was thinking of having about a 17th century feel to things when it comes to existence of firearms, but I fully understand Thel's (thankyou for the short form) concern, and I think we should discuss this before we forge ahead too far. I would like to be able to make use of cannon, but I'll table that development until a fuller discussion is had. Interesting. Are you looking at the Gun powder Rocket Launched from a Frame by one Soldier? This might give you a different spin to the Gunpowder firearm. It looked like a large skyrocket on a stick and was fired up a frame that could be angled. I think had more to do with creating fear and panic with regards to horse cavalry on battlefields and pretty much predated the arrival of the firearm in its Development. |
| Araes04-28-07, 07:28 PM | Well, I as well would like to have some measure of firearms in the setting, as you so rarely see their inclusion in a D&D setting. I would though, be perfectly happy with rather primitive versions of them. Maybe 13th-14th century stuff? As there are references to cannons that far back. I can understand your reluctance to use them Thel, however, if we went this far back, we could make it so that they were very limited in scope, and far too unreliable to be put into widescale use yet. No redcoats or blue and grey. Maybe just some artillery and a few experimental handguns. In addition, the rocket option is an interesting one, as we've talked about having fireworks available, and it seems like a logical extension - both as a land and sea weapon. Also, the Chinese had some interesting weapons like flamethrowers and primitive grenades since around the 9th century. These would be no match for the magical alternatives, but they might be interesting combat options anyhow for people who can't use magic. And Darth, very pretty work on the new map. One issue though, is that I can't tell the difference between maritime and subtropical. Thel, for my three colonies, they could have populations of 3857 (Thebia), 4523 (New Bainbury), and 1258 (Tanhurse). The first could be owned by Ekku, the other two could be owned by Covino. Thebia would be interested in trading fireworks for exotic animals and mounts. New Bainbury would like to trade cloths and dyes of all manners for exotic woods to support their fleet. Tanhurse is a fledgling outpost, and would mostly be trying to make a market of trading herbs, and manufactured metal items for luxury goods like furs, ivory, ect... |
| Darth Syntax04-28-07, 09:09 PM | Even as we speak I am attempting to rectify the climate color issue on my map as well as some minor geographic nonsense. Once that is taken care of, I'll repost the map (probably in the same post as the above one) and go from there. Also, there have been some political "developments" in my region which has resulted in the shifting of borders, and the like. The effect is that there are now about 17 different countries, as opposed to the 20 odd that I had before. I hope to have the revised political map up by later tonight. -- While I am thinking of it, are any of you good people thinking of making much use of the sahuagin? I was planning on making use of them as members of the Etjantuli Empire (currently, the Supreme Lord Admiral is a sahuagin), but I don't want to step on anyone's toes. |
| Araes04-28-07, 09:21 PM | I hadn't been planning on it, no. Are you thinking that the sahaguin in this world are going to be surface dwelling creatures, rather than underwater? Or possibly both? I guess I hadn't considered the option of having underwater nations as well. Would be an odd twist to the colonial thing. Possibly getting mad at all this increased sea traffic and attacking ships, or maybe even setting up colonies of their own. |
| Darth Syntax04-28-07, 09:42 PM | The Imperial Sahuagin are simply one of the many intelligent species to inhabit the Ejantuli Empire. Most of their dwellings are below the surface of the water (often in salt-water canals in the major coastal cities or in aquarium-like structures) although some do venture out on land with the aid of "reverse diving suits" or with magical aid. But then the empire, like most of the major powers of my region is a cosmopolitan affair and the people are used to all manner of odd creatures. A foreigner of any species is more likely to turn heads than a native sahuagin strolling down the waterfront. Originally (or so goes my current line of thinking) the sahuagin were a distinct ethnic group of elves that inhabited the Jaurna (the sub-tropical sea in the north-east) who by aid of strange magic began to acclimate themselves to dwelling below the surface. The process of transformation is still ongoing, and occasionally throwbacks to their earlier form are produced (the Malenti) as well as some that have progressed farther in the process (the four-armed sort and other 'mutants') than the main line of the species. As to the issue of aquatic creatures getting a bit miffed about increased shipping, kraken are always a good choice (and they are responsible for some rather nasty occurrences in the history of my region, but more on that later) |
| Darth Syntax04-29-07, 02:29 AM | Maps, maps and more maps I have updated the physical geographic map in my earlier post. Hopefully it is easier to read and all of that. I would also like to curse myself and my love of islands, fjords, and other such pesky features, for they take bloody forever to deal with. Also, here is the current political map of my region. I promise, I will try not to mess with it too much in the future. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/476416442_c61cd7cf9c_b.jpg Coming soon: cities, roads, trade routes, and other such details. |
| DonThelonious04-29-07, 07:42 AM | On Thel's resources: I noticed that you mentioned that your people have exotic wood, which is most excellent. I don't know if you have the Eberron Campaign Setting , but if you can get a hold of it, there are several really weird and wonderful woods (note: always avoid alliteration) in the special materials sections, and in the description of the nation of Aerenal. Some of these might do well in your region. Never looked into the Eberron setting, but now that you mention it I think I should. I would also like to note that I am laying claim to the organic special materials in the DMG, I don't want to be the exclusive provider though, it just fits into my theme. On Gunpowder and it's impact: I was thinking of having about a 17th century feel to things when it comes to existence of firearms, but I fully understand Thel's (thankyou for the short form) concern, and I think we should discuss this before we forge ahead too far. I would like to be able to make use of cannon, but I'll table that development until a fuller discussion is had. First off, your welcome for the short name:). And thank you for being understanding. I am very cool with cannons just so you know. Thay would me unweildy on land (at least until a creative tinker gnome wizard gets to it:( ) but would be of great value on ships, especially against the likes of dragon turtles and sea serpents. Moving right along to the topic of special mounts and the like, I think it's an excellent idea. Further, your peoples will have a distinct advantage over mine in this respect as they have "draconic" creatures. Dragons, other than dragon turtles and sea serpents, are completely unknown in my region so my various cultures will have no idea what to expect from these monsters. Dragons are unheard of!?! Cool, that would make my draconic beasties a precious thing right?...:dancin: Mind you though, anything sent oversea's would most likely be sterile:raincloud so no stealing my thunder. What about dinosaurs? I can understand your reluctance to use them Thel, however, if we went this far back, we could make it so that they were very limited in scope, and far too unreliable to be put into widescale use yet. No redcoats or blue and grey. Maybe just some artillery and a few experimental handguns. Works for me.:) Thel, for my three colonies, they could have populations of 3857 (Thebia), 4523 (New Bainbury), and 1258 (Tanhurse). The first could be owned by Ekku, the other two could be owned by Covino. Thebia would be interested in trading fireworks for exotic animals and mounts. New Bainbury would like to trade cloths and dyes of all manners for exotic woods to support their fleet. Tanhurse is a fledgling outpost, and would mostly be trying to make a market of trading herbs, and manufactured metal items for luxury goods like furs, ivory, ect... Done and done. I will have to work out which tribes are trading with which colony, but this will definitly make the world more cohesive. Are any of your nations good/evil aligned because that would play a role in whom they dealt with. While I am thinking of it, are any of you good people thinking of making much use of the sahuagin? I was planning on making use of them as members of the Etjantuli Empire (currently, the Supreme Lord Admiral is a sahuagin), but I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I was thinking of having them as my sea demons, but there are other races to choose from, so its all you.:D BTW what program are you gentlemen using to make your maps? Over all, great job so far Sir's!!:cheer: And my salute to the awsome maps:bow: |
| yellowdingo04-29-07, 08:42 AM | Well, I as well would like to have some measure of firearms in the setting, as you so rarely see their inclusion in a D&D setting. I would though, be perfectly happy with rather primitive versions of them. Maybe 13th-14th century stuff? As there are references to cannons that far back. The earliest cannons evolved from the use of a ceramic pot filled with gunpowder and shrapnel with a wick placed on a battlefield beforehand to take out advancing troops. That evolved into a metal pot pointed toward charging troops lit by some fool (volunteer). Then it evolved into something put up against a castle gate to blow a hole during a siege, eventually they discover the cannon, progressing down in size to personal arms. Just so long as we avoid that groo comic version of a cast-metal cup on a ten foot pole where the soldier in the field lights a wick and directs the debris at a battlefield opponent within a 20' range. Then again...it would be the most primitive version of gunpowder weapons. |
| Darth Syntax04-29-07, 02:56 PM | Never looked into the Eberron setting, but now that you mention it I think I should. I would also like to note that I am laying claim to the organic special materials in the DMG, I don't want to be the exclusive provider though, it just fits into my theme. There are some other books out their with organic materials as well Stromwrack, for example, has chitin armor and the like. Speaking of chitin armor, I was thinking of using it myself (large numbers of arthropods in my region) but feel free to make use of it as well. First off, your welcome for the short name:). And thank you for being understanding. I am very cool with cannons just so you know. Thay would me unweildy on land (at least until a creative tinker gnome wizard gets to it:( ) but would be of great value on ships, especially against the likes of dragon turtles and sea serpents. I was planning on using the classic naval cannon bit, broadsides and all. Terrestrial cannon wouldn't be all that difficult to manage; put it on wheels and off you go. Dragons are unheard of!?! Cool, that would make my draconic beasties a precious thing right?...:dancin: Mind you though, anything sent oversea's would most likely be sterile:raincloud so no stealing my thunder. What about dinosaurs? Reptilian creatures in general are rare in my region, especially those of a more "unusual variety". There are no lizard men (including such things as kobolds, troglodytes, and actual lizardmen) at all, and I have a feeling that many of my people would be more than a bit uncomfortable around them (should they exist elsewhere). The only real exception is for aquatic creatures, so in addition to dragon turtles and sea serpents there might be some of the classic sea-going reptiles of yore: elasmosaurs and that sort of thing. But as for terrestrial reptiles, all we have are some rather mundane snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, and the odd camen. Of dinosaurs proper, all I have are the avian sort; better known as birds. While on the topic of creatures and other natural beings that are conspicuously absent from my region, the following come to mind. Horses and horse derived creatures such as unicorns Sheep Orcs Dwarves Halflings Goblinoids (other than Bhuka) Most corporeal undead Most fey Most giants (including ogres, trolls and the like) On Colonies: Done and done. I will have to work out which tribes are trading with which colony, but this will definitly make the world more cohesive. Are any of your nations good/evil aligned because that would play a role in whom they dealt with. For my colonial adventures in your region, I believe that The Republic of Orothos, The Esuin League, and the Ejantuli Empire are the three most likely colonial powers. The Republic (which in LN with LE tendencies) would probably be interested in acquiring any alchemical and medicinal items from the region as well as spices, produce and lumber. The League (TN with NE tendencies) would have similar interests although they are also likely to want a few more exotic animals. The Empire (LE with LN tendencies) will be more interested in the animal trade than the others, but exotic good of all kinds would also be within their interest. Of course, all of the colonies are going to be interested in mining and in mineral wealth. I should probably explain why all of my colonial powers have some degree of "evil" about them, and what that means. None of them are of the "I eat babies for breakfast and then have afternoon tea with the dark gods from out of time" sort of evil, but more of the devious, Machiavellian sort of evil. As a general rule, they are not afraid to get their hands dirty if it means that something useful will be accomplished. However, if the dark gods from out of time decided to invade the world, the Republic, the League and the Empire would not hesitate to "save the world" because they rather like existing, and being devoured by ancient unspeakable evil tends to make existing difficult. BTW what program are you gentlemen using to make your maps? I've been using Photoshop to make my maps. The layers are a real life-saver. |
| Araes04-29-07, 09:45 PM | I've been using Photoshop to make my maps. The layers are a real life-saver. Same here. I've been using a fairly old version of Photoshop 5.0 that I've had for years and years. And he's right, the layers are a godsend. If you mess up, or want to do quick swaps for things like the nation layers, its a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. As far as my alignments go, I don't think I've really chosen alignments for the nations as a whole. For the most part, I'd probably just say TN the whole way down. Honestly, its one of the few aspects of D&D I've never really used that much. Of the three that are trading with you, the most I could say for them is that they are greedy. They're not particularly warlike, as they're mostly just interested in furthering their colonial expansion. There are some skirmishes over trade lanes, sponsored "piracy", and things of that nature, but not a whole lot of open war you'd need to be concerned about in trading partners. Probably the only major warmonger would be Kedara in the NE, but they're more interested in claiming land on that continent and the arterial trade routes that run through its center. The only other deciding factor on the G v E might be whether the particular nations deal in slaves or not. I don't find it to be a particularly strong argument, as I don't think of the Romans as "evil" even though they did extensively, but some folks might. Of the two trading partners I've set up, Ekku does while Covino doesn't. If Kadauu ever gets into the colonialism on your continent, they don't trade slaves. If Valgard does, I guess they might verge on good, although I'm thinking of the Aasimar thing more as a zealot type rather than starkly LG. Oh, and the map does look better DS. The distinction between the two regions is much more clear. I'm a little sad to see some of the island kingdoms go though, as I actually thought The Seven (I think it was) was kind of interesting. Horses and horse derived creatures such as unicorns Sheep Orcs Dwarves Halflings Interesting, and probably a good parallel, as my continent is chock full of these - particularly the dwarves. I haven't really decided on corporeal undead or fey, but I'm probably going to say no to the giants as well. And, because I got curious about what the dominant populations were by race on my little section of the world, here they are, with the elves actually surprising me by how populous they are. Guess they're not a fading race in this campaign: elf - 49,066,309 human - 47,474,917 halfing - 30,598,228 dwarf - 30,527,083 half-elf - 27,798,425 gnoll - 15,396,646 half-orc - 14,105,657 gnome - 11,276,131 centaur - 6,589,506 orc - 6,436,246 aasimar - 3,047,911 |
| Darth Syntax04-30-07, 02:47 AM | I'm actually not a huge alignment fan either, I generally remove it entirely from my games but I didn't want to impose that sort of thing on this world without having a discussion. When I tried to figure out the alignment of the societies I was working on I found that very few of them could be considered "chaotic" and almost none of them would be considered "good". As to the map, I too was sad to see some of the smaller countries go, But I couldn't think of what to do with all of them. However, as you seem to like the idea of the Sanctuary of the Seven, I can always bring them back into the world, thanks to having a layered map it's really quite painless. -- On Creatures While it is true that horses are not native to my region, my people are not without suitable mounts. There is a species of true antelope (rather like a large gazelle) which is widely used as a mount. There are also some stranger creatures, rather like the land-striders in The Dark Crystal which are used as mounts, especially by the dromites and other smallish people. Again, although I lack sheep I do have the wool-bearing niche filled by the alpaca. -- It is indeed rather instructive to have a look at the population breakdown of the region. I dashed this one off for mine, and as such it is subject to change; but I think I did a not too terrible job of keeping any one race from complete domination of the region. However, absolute population numbers will need to be somewhat adjusted. Population Breakdown for the whole of my region Gnomes: 22,850,000 Humans: 26,539,000 Elves: 24,715,000 Dromites: 25,150,000, Goliaths: 10,970,000 Bhuka: 5,400,000 (not counting the unknown population in the Aktójaa) Darfellan: 3,420,000 Illumians: 2,550,00 Minotaurs: 850,000 Sahuagin: 8,550,000 Thri-Kraan: 2,100,000 Others: 9,360,000 -- You really do have a large elven population Araes, i wonder what effect that has had on the cultures of your region. I'm still trying to figure out what my large dromite population might indicate. |
| sontefir04-30-07, 07:09 AM | Amusingly, I had never actually considered that, and assumed the concept was more like what Darth Syntax proposed in his last post (stretching). I wonder if that would be something that you could notice if you were close to the fold, or whether it would only be noticable if you were far away or high in the air? Gravity would have to be pretty funky too, otherwise those would be the biggest mountains on the planet. Think about it like this: You'd feel like you were standing at the ridge of a shallow rooftop. Alternately, it could be like Mechanus, where gravity is always relative to the plane you're standing on. Edit: Actually, this is how it MUST work if it's nonstretched into a sphere, because otherwise the water would form a smaller orb around the center of the planet's gravity. I am almost certain that if you get 20 good maps someone somewhere can apply them as skins to a 3D ball in a CG program and take a few screencaps of it. |
| Araes04-30-07, 02:46 PM | I am almost certain that if you get 20 good maps someone somewhere can apply them as skins to a 3D ball in a CG program and take a few screencaps of it. Actually I can do that rather easily. Its a fairly trivial thing to create a quick 3D viewing .exe file if you have some knowledge of C++ and one of the graphics APIs like OpenGL or DirectX. It'll look a bit strange, considering we use different types of graphics to represent our areas of the world, but still, would be interesting. The stretching can just be achieved with a quick mapping algorithm like the one that DS mentioned above. -- I like the double dash as a topic break, its a useful mechanic. Anyhow, on the populations, you do have a heck of a lot of dromites. It also seems there's a stratification. There's the upper layer of 20M+ races, and then there's the 10M- races. Are those four 20M+ races uniform across all the lands, or is it just because there happens to be four big kingdoms with those people in them? The kingdoms you linked before seemed to be relatively uniform, with humans at the top. -- As far as the effect of elves and dromites. The land being awash in dromites, with their predisposition for natural psionics, makes me think that the whole of your land may be fairly psionic when you get right down to it. The rigid caste thing may have also worked its way out into the rest of society, with caste in general being more important in your land. With my elves, its actually kind of a strange deal, as about a 1/3 - 1/2 of them are on average closer to normal, treehugger elves, while the other section is from the NE / Kedara, and a much different breed. Growing as a society of desert raiders / traders, they've manage to carve a sprawling empire out of the waste they started in. Harmony and nature barely factor into the social conciousness. |
| Darth Syntax04-30-07, 07:13 PM | Actually I can do that rather easily. Its a fairly trivial thing to create a quick 3D viewing .exe file if you have some knowledge of C++ and one of the graphics APIs like OpenGL or DirectX. It'll look a bit strange, considering we use different types of graphics to represent our areas of the world, but still, would be interesting. The stretching can just be achieved with a quick mapping algorithm like the one that DS mentioned above. I suppose we could attempt, at some future date, to unify the maps into a single stylistic mode. To add even more of a monkey wrench to the mix; at the rate we are going its going to be the Maya end of the world before we get enough people in The Project to cover all the regions. I like the double dash as a topic break, its a useful mechanic. It has been a good tool, and I am glad to see that it conveys the meaning I wanted it to. Enjoy the double dash. Anyhow, on the populations, you do have a heck of a lot of dromites. It also seems there's a stratification. There's the upper layer of 20M+ races, and then there's the 10M- races. Are those four 20M+ races uniform across all the lands, or is it just because there happens to be four big kingdoms with those people in them? The kingdoms you linked before seemed to be relatively uniform, with humans at the top. The populations tend to differ based on the particular country in question. However, Gnomes, Dromites, Humans, and Elves tend to be the 4 dominant species of the region. Humans and gnomes are the largest population groups (averaging about 25% of the population for each) in the Republic and the League, with elves and dromites following hard behind. The Empire has a larger elf population followed by humans, dromites and then gnomes. My goal was to have the more "advanced" nations have no numeric majority population, only proportional majorities, and I think I did alright with this. However, I think I need more Goliaths and Bhuka in addition to a general tweaking of the population figures. As far as the effect of elves and dromites. The land being awash in dromites, with their predisposition for natural psionics, makes me think that the whole of your land may be fairly psionic when you get right down to it. The rigid caste thing may have also worked its way out into the rest of society, with caste in general being more important in your land. Psionics is indeed more common in my region than it is likely to be in other areas. Nomads are employed as couriers, telepaths can be found working as investigators and that sort of thing. However, clerics are quite rare as their is little interference by "divine" forces, so the healers tend to be egoists (who are often referred to as physicians) rather than priests. There are Archivists (from Heroes of Horror) but they are usually more akin to philosophers and theologians than anything else and what priests their are, are usually experts. I am hoping that the lack of divine intervention will help to explain the diversity of belief found in my region and why there seems to be no consensus on what the meaning of life is, or the nature of death. -- As to the issue of the dromite influence, your idea about caste being important in some of the countries is an excellent one. I was thinking that a complex caste system might exist in the Empire, but that one's species is not the sole determining factor in the system. I can't say I've gotten much further than that at the moment. As to some of the other countries, societal stratification comes in a variety of forms. Economic class is highly important in the Republic as it is a merchant capitalist society. Wealth, education, and political connections mean far more than one's family standing in the Republic. However, the various communities within the Republic do hold to an array of social practices that inform status. Among the dromites, caste remains important, and loyalty to the hive is stressed. Some of this has bled over into the notion of civic duty in the Republic. Loyalty to one's city is every bit as important as loyalty to the national government, and all full citizens (more on this at a later time) are required to spend some of their lives in service to their city. Many sign on to ships leaving for the colonies, others become involved in local government. In the region known as The Three Kingdoms (Srotte, Rowyar, and Escthein) there is a more traditional social hierarchy. The kingdoms are still hereditary monarchies with a strong nobility and are thus very decentralized. Social status is based off of birth, but there are no elaborate caste mechanics as seen in the Empire. Many of the other countries of the region see the Three Kingdoms as a kind of quaint backwater. With my elves, its actually kind of a strange deal, as about a 1/3 - 1/2 of them are on average closer to normal, treehugger elves, while the other section is from the NE / Kedara, and a much different breed. Growing as a society of desert raiders / traders, they've manage to carve a sprawling empire out of the waste they started in. Harmony and nature barely factor into the social conciousness. Your Kedara would seem to be vaguely similar to the Ejantuli, in that the elven population is not composed of the "treehuggers" but rather of a more aggressive sort. Granted your's are far more land-based than mine, which makes sense. The Ejantuli began as river-valley boat people and farmers who expanded to acquire more land to cultivate. Eventually they absorbed most of the elven population of the western Jaurna and the other natives of the region into the empire, and now they are attempting to expand further and acquire more wealth and power. They aren't very treehuggerish and any more most of them live in cities and towns. I can't really think of a "normal" elven population in my region. I wonder what would happen if and when the Kedara and the Ejantuli cross . . . |
| Araes04-30-07, 08:22 PM | I wonder what would happen if and when the Kedara and the Ejantuli cross . . . That's a difficult question to answer, and some of it might depend on how the various races came to the point they are at, and how they view other members of their species. If there is a strong interspecies unity, that in some cases even transcends national borders, then they might actually partner with one another, or in the extreme, unify. However, since we have so far created fairly cosmopolitan nations with a diverse mix of races, it seems that national affiliation may supersede racial identity. In which case, they might become strong competitors. In either case, there's a lot of opposition to them meeting by a direct SW route, as there are a lot of nations and land in the way. However, depending on what the rest of the world turns out to be, maybe there are other options. In addition, at the moment we can't rule out the potential of extreme magical effects like areas of teleportation, permanent gates, ect... that might make travel possible. This also brings an interesting question to mind: how did races get where they are in the world today? If we assume a more evolutionary standpoint, then were there developmental areas for each of the races on the planet at some distant point, and then they intermixed and mingled to create the world we have now? This might involve wide scale migrations in earlier ages and the like. Perhaps they are splits and further splits of some basic line of upright standing creatures which then undertook the same migrations mentioned above. Kind of a superpowered mutation effect. Perhaps they were (with elves as an example) created / evolved in many different places at the same time, and there really is no tie back to some prior state of unity. *edit* The gate option might be an interesting option for the world as a whole, that could build upon the theme of "folds" in the world inherent to a d20. Perhaps reality isn't a straight line in some select places, and for example, if you cross through a valley somewhere, you might not end up in the logical location on the other side. This would create the potential for nations or empires that span rather odd locations globally. It could also function in something more akin to an Eberron way, with areas of the world going in and out of phase or connection depending on some cycle. Anyhow, an idea that I thought I'd throw out there. |
| Darth Syntax04-30-07, 08:50 PM | That's a difficult question to answer, and some of it might depend on how the various races came to the point they are at, and how they view other members of their species. If there is a strong interspecies unity, that in some cases even transcends national borders, then they might actually partner with one another, or in the extreme, unify. However, since we have so far created fairly cosmopolitan nations with a diverse mix of races, it seems that national affiliation may supersede racial identity. I agree with you here. National identity, as well as culture seem to me to be more "natural" categories than species. Human history here on earth seems to bear this out. This also brings an interesting question to mind: how did races get where they are in the world today? If we assume a more evolutionary standpoint, then were there developmental areas for each of the races on the planet at some distant point, and then they intermixed and mingled to create the world we have now? This might involve wide scale migrations in earlier ages and the like. Perhaps they are splits and further splits of some basic line of upright standing creatures which then undertook the same migrations mentioned above. Kind of a superpowered mutation effect. Perhaps they were (with elves as an example) created / evolved in many different places at the same time, and there really is no tie back to some prior state of unity. I generally assume that evolution occurred when I build a world, so I would be in favor of option 1. As far as migrations go, I was tentatively thinking that the Dromites, the Thri-Kreen and the strange insect-mammals of my region are probably truly native, while the more "normal" species migrated their in the distant past, well before the historical record. *edit* The gate option might be an interesting option for the world as a whole, that could build upon the theme of "folds" in the world inherent to a d20. Perhaps reality isn't a straight line in some select places, and for example, if you cross through a valley somewhere, you might not end up in the logical location on the other side. This would create the potential for nations or empires that span rather odd locations globally. It could also function in something more akin to an Eberron way, with areas of the world going in and out of phase or connection depending on some cycle. Anyhow, an idea that I thought I'd throw out there. That is something worth considering. It would certainly make things quite a bit different. |
| Araes05-01-07, 12:49 AM | Quick post on religion in my area. (*edit* Not so quick anymore...) My people are relatively religious, so priest are somewhat common, and divine works are common enough that most people will have one to two degrees of seperation from someone who saw a major one, and even common people are pretty familiar with having wounds healed by priests / adepts. There are three main religions which are centered within this region. One of these religions is a monotheistic basis and has its central holy city in the land of Kedara within the city of Batnah (the city deep in the center of the desert) This religion is also relatively common among elves of all types, wherever they may be. One of the religions is a polytheism and has its most central holy site in the land of Sighvat near the capital city of Terrar along both of the ultra high mountain ridges that run parallel to the city. This religion has strong roots among the dwarves and gnomes throughout this continent. Within the last millenia, this church has experienced a major split, and has a second faction centered within Valgard. They believe that the chief diety and his closest family split from the other gods and chose a new people centered on the mountain of Kofjallet in the heart of Valgard. From this point, they sent but a ripple of their power outward which changed all true believers of the faith into Aasimar. One of the religions is an animism basis with a focus on all things having a spirit. It has no central "holy city", but does have a number of holy sites which are most prominent in Kadauu. However, they occur with relatively high frequency in nearly every nation. NOTE: Most of the holy cities of other religions are considered holy sites simply by the amount of emotion centered around them. This religion was started with humans, but has actually found some of its strongest proponents among the orcish folk. Halflings and centaurs are also common practitioners in other parts of the continent. There are also many minor religions which are practiced by sections of the continent, but not by a significant majority anywhere. These may be further splits of the above religions or religions which have passed in from other parts of the world. As I tend to like the idea of power through belief, all of these faiths have some merit to them based simply on the fact that people believe in them. For example, it could be said that the people of Valgard actually changed the very nature of their god by the tenacity of their belief, and in a way brought about their own transformation. As an odd caviat to this - if someone were to make a faith in a campaign and promote it heavily, then there is a very real chance that their vision of reality might come to pass based on how convincing and viral it was. On a nation by nation basis, religion is treated as follows: Ekku - Free Religion with no preference Sighvat - State Sponsored with toleration (Polytheism) Kedara - State Sponsored without toleration (Monotheism) Shagenna - Free Religion with cultural preference (Monotheism) Covino - Free Religion with cultural preference (Animism) Bratan - State Sponsored with toleration (Animism) Taidara - Free Religion with no preference Mildar - Free Religion with heavy cultural preference (Polytheism) Gabon - Free Religion with no preference Valgard - State Sponsored without toleration (Polytheism) Kadauu - Free Religion with heavy cultural preference (Animism) Nerat - State Sponsored with toleration (Polytheism) Also, I may use the following (condensed) from JulesCarv's post (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=692478) on a different system for alignment to flesh out my religions, as it doesn't use the strict GE / LC axis, but still covers most of the points that are included in that system. In the GE topics, a zero is meant to imply you don't care, which might be considered evil. Good Vs Evil Topics Pursuit of Retreating Enemies: 1. Using lethal force on enemies as they retreat is acceptable, but if they take the initiative to surrender, let them surrender alive. 2. Take the initiative to offer fleeing foes the oppurtunity to surrender, not attacking them as they flee until they either answer negatively or not at all after a reasonable timeframe (say, one round); once you have made sure that they are fleeing in spite of the clearly stated oppurtunity to surrender, use of lethal force is acceptable. 3. Do not use lethal force on fleeing forces, unless they resist violently (as opposed to just trying to get away). Use of nonlethal force to slow them and capture them alive, such as tanglefoot bags, rays of fatigue, saps, bolas, nets, and whips, is still acceptable. Treatment of Prisoners: 1. Do not use torture on prisoners when interrogating them. Do not use them as hostages, threatening to execute them if enemy forces that are still at large do not cooperate. Do not use them as living shields, such as by interspersing them among your own troops on battlements so at to discourage the enemy from firing at them for fear of hitting their own troops. 2. Provide prisoners with adequate food and shelter so long as you are also able to adequately supply your own forces. Do not kill them without cause. 3. Protect them with your own life. Place the life of prisoners -- so long as they are not in open revolt or attempting to escape -- ahead of one's own. Do not force them to work (although providing them with only minimal humane -- although still human -- accomodations if they don't work, and more privileges if they do work, is acceptable) Protection of Civilians: 1. Do not deliberately destroy civilians or their possessions, even if you believe, but without proof in individual cases, that they are sympathetic to the enemy or supply them. Relocation of civilians believed to supply enemies is acceptable, provided that their internment is of limited duration and not marked by excessive material privations. 2. Take extensive (although not unlimited) measures to avoid killing civilians in the crossfire, such as with seige weaponry, area-effect spells, etc, even at the expense of tactical advantage. 3. Take extensive measure to prevent the enemy from killing civilians, even at the expense of tactical advantage, and do not categorically intern civilians who are suspected of aiding the enemy; civilians who aid the enemy can still be imprisoned on an individual basis, after a fair trial. Charity: 1. Help others when there is an oppurtunity to do so that does not greatly inconvenience you (for instance, if you notice a lost child in a market, take a few minutes to take her to whoever can make an announcement calling her parent or guardian). 2. Donate approximately 10% of earnings to charitable causes. 3. Devote life to helping others. This is not the same as a Vow of Poverty, and certainly characters at this obligation rating wouldn't be afraid to accept a masterwork longsword as a gift if they are warriors, but a character at this level of obligation might be expected to follow one of two paths: either going into some very non-lucrative vocation that helps the poor directly, such as being a healer in a remote, impoverished village, or going into a more lucrative profession, but only if it doesn't harm people (even if it doesn't directly help them like the previously mentioned alternative), and give approximately 50% of earnings from this more lucrative profession to charitable causes. Sexual Probity: 1. Don't rape people; don't coerce people into having sex, and don't have sex with people who lack the capacity for consent (i.e., unconscious people). 2. Do not have sex under false pretenses, implicit or explicit. Don't let one night stands think that they're going to get into a committed relationship. Take full responsibility for any reasonably forseeable consequences for sexual actions, such as providing for children and ensuring one's own health to avoid spreading disease. 3. Don't have sex with someone who is (willingly) already in a monogamous, closed relationship. Don't have sex with anyone other than your partner if YOU are (willingly) in a monogamous, closed, relationship. The (willingly) caveats apply to clear cases in which someone is in a forced, wrongful monogamous relationship (i.e., one's partner is someone else's sex slave), not cases in which, for example, one's partner married someone willingly and now regrets it, but doesn't want to leave, fearing that the spouse would gain custody of their children. Animal Welfare: 1. Do not be cruel to animals for the sake of amusement or curiousity. Do not harm them unnecessarily. 2. Avoid engaging in or financing gratuitously cruel practices with regard to animal husbandry, hunting and trapping, and other practices. Avoid sources of products that do not afford a minimal degree of dignity to the animals used in their products (usually leather, meat, etc). (The production process of, for instance, veal, might violate this.) 3. Avoid killing or contributing to the killing or painful treatment of animals generally, even conventional, non-gratuitous ones. Do not wear leather, fur or hide (exceptions might be made for loot). Do not eat meat, dairy, or eggs. Avoid mount-dealers who do not raise their mounts kindly, or procure them from wholesalers who don't. Do not subject mounts to lethal forced marches. Opposition to Evil Forces: 1. Do not give aid or comfort evil forces, beyond normally expected social interaction. (i.e., if you're a store clerk, and a known mafioso walks in and buys some bread and bananas, it's okay to sell them to him like any other random customer, but don't try to become a mafioso yourself so that you can get the benefits of being a member of the family.) 2. Oppose evil when there is a clear oppurtunity to do so. (e.g., if there's a protest against the evil communist government planned, you should go too.) 3. Dedicate your life to opposing evil, regardless of risk to self. Nonviolence: 1. Violence should not be your first resort. Use violence when other methods either fail or are sure to do so. (if an orc state is at war with you, you don't have to try to negotiate with individual units you encounter, since war is a continuous state of extant violence, but if guards stop you and try to confiscate all of your magical weapons before entering a city, try to talk, sneak, or something else rather than trying to kill them: if sneaking, diplomacy, and the like don't work, then maybe violence still fits a rating of 1 on nonviolence) 2. Even if your ends cannot be achieved by means other than violence, resorting to violence requires uniquely worthwhile and important ends. Violence is acceptable only if it prevents greater pain and suffering, if it is in self-defense, or if a failure to use violence would have catastrophic forseeable results, and the targets of such violence cannot themselves be innocent of the consequences the violence is supposed to prevent. 3. Use violence exclusively in self-defense, and even there, avoid killing: try to leave those against whom you defend yourself alive at the end of the fight. Mental Autonomy: 1. Do not casually use charm/compulsion mind-affecting powers/spells to get what you want from other people, when the alternatives are just the normal inconveniences of society such as paying for what you want to buy, having to go through normal channels to get authorization, etc. 2. Do not use mind affecting charm/compulsion powers/spells except in the short term: use of such mind-affecting powers to prevent wrongdoing, or in the heat of battle when the alternative to a suggestion is fireball instead, is acceptable, but dominating a prisoner for days on end to lead you to his home base is not. 3. Do not use charm/compulsion mind-affecting powers or spells, unless the alternative is death. Law Vs Chaos Topics Theft: 0. Stealing is perfectly fine. Ownership is defined by laws and who can really "own" something anyhow. Besides, possession is really 10 / 10ths of the law... 1. Only steal from people who can afford to lose the money. Do not rob from the poor. 2. Never steal from anyone. It is okay to loot graves and tombs, because the people are dead, and no longer need the items. 3. Never steal from anyone. Never loot any graves or tombs. Only loot those defeated in combat, and only items that do not obviously belong to someone else. Honesty: 0. If it fits your needs at the time, lie. Its hard to be truly free when you can't even tell a fib. 1. Only lie if there is a direct benifit to you. Do not lie soley to hurt someone else's reputation. 2. Never lie unless it is necessary to protect someone, or for a greater good. 3. Never tell a lie. Even if it means facing some inconvinience. Obidience: 0. Do not allow authority to constrain your actions. Authority is simply a social construct with no moral basis. Why is one person's will more valid than another's? 1. Do not openly undermine an authority figure without good reason. Be respectful to them in person. 2. Obey any legitimate athourity figures, as long as their requests do not interfere with your morality. It is okay to question an authority figure that is violating your moratily. 3. Obey any legitimate athourity figures without question. It is not your place to question them. Promises: 0: Do what you promise to do only if you feel like it. 1: Don't break promises to close acquaintances, but for people you don't know too well, it's okay if the promise would be too inconveniencing. 2: Don't break promises without a good reason, such as if you made the promise while intoxicated or if breaking the promise gets a friend out of trouble with the authorities. 3: Never break a promise, unless it is literally a life-or-death situation. Community and Security: 0: Work within communities only as long as they do not try to place constraints upon your actions. 1: Be a part of the community, but don't actively support or discourage it. 2: Contribute to the community when it fits your own interests, perhaps gardening in a community plot when you already enjoy gardening. 3: Contribute to the community and its security often, donating money and time. Laws: 0: Follow the law only as it fits your personal needs. Laws have no inherent value as they are simply rules imposed on your actions by other beings. 1: Don't break the law without a reason, and then only if you won't get caught. 2: Don't break the law unless there is something important at stake, such as a choice between lawfulness and starvation. 3: Don't break the law, even if such will result in your own misfortune. |
| Darth Syntax05-01-07, 03:05 AM | Funny that you posted on religion in your region, as I was thinking of doing the very same thing. Great minds think alike I guess. * One of these religions is a monotheistic basis and has its central holy city in the land of Kedara within the city of Batnah (the city deep in the center of the desert) This religion is also relatively common among elves of all types, wherever they may be. * One of the religions is a polytheism and has its most central holy site in the land of Sighvat near the capital city of Terrar along both of the ultra high mountain ridges that run parallel to the city. This religion has strong roots among the dwarves and gnomes throughout this continent. o Within the last millenia, this church has experienced a major split, and has a second faction centered within Valgard. They believe that the chief diety and his closest family split from the other gods and chose a new people centered on the mountain of Kofjallet in the heart of Valgard. From this point, they sent but a ripple of their power outward which changed all true believers of the faith into Aasimar. * One of the religions is an animism basis with a focus on all things having a spirit. It has no central "holy city", but does have a number of holy sites which are most prominent in Kadauu. However, they occur with relatively high frequency in nearly every nation. NOTE: Most of the holy cities of other religions are considered holy sites simply by the amount of emotion centered around them. This religion was started with humans, but has actually found some of its strongest proponents among the orcish folk. Halflings and centaurs are also common practitioners in other parts of the continent. * There are also many minor religions which are practiced by sections of the continent, but not by a significant majority anywhere. These may be further splits of the above religions or religions which have passed in from other parts of the world. I think this list is promising, as it covers a wideish range of possible religious positions. I would be very interested is seeing how your animistic religion works in greater detail as this is an areas of belief that is not often fully explored in the genre. As to your monotheistic religion, how does it deal with the other religions of your region? Does it seek to covert practitioners of such religions, or is it more concerned with its own internal doctrines? As I tend to like the idea of power through belief, all of these faiths have some merit to them based simply on the fact that people believe in them. For example, it could be said that the people of Valgard actually changed the very nature of their god by the tenacity of their belief, and in a way brought about their own transformation. I like this idea quite a lot. Not only does it leave things relatively open from a world-building standpoint but it makes the practice of the religions far more important which can lead to the whole orthodox/heterodox conflict. I never grow tired of seeing these sorts of things play out as it allows from more drama than the rather flat "go talk to the god and find out" sort of religions that we see so much of. -- As to alignments and religions, I was thinking of ignoring the issue altogether and simply writing up dogma for the more organized religions and having their practitioners behave accordingly. I would much rather have priests of a given religion have powers that accord with the belief system than the sort of bland cleric of the PHB. Perhaps we could implement the use of spontaneous domain casting rather than energy channeling or something of that nature. -- Moving right along then: A Basic Outline of Religion in my Region The Philosophical Underpinnings: The existence of a large number of psions in conjunction with the pervasive use of illusions (I'm looking at you gnomes) has had some rather interesting consequences on philosophical and religious thought in the region. The mundane perceptions (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) are generally not fully trusted, and things such as optical illusions are commonly cited as evidence for the fallibility of the senses. This sort of thinking lead rather rapidly to the entrenchment of a kind of idealism in the people of my region. The mind, and the ideas in it, are seen as being prior to physical reality. This makes my people more akin to the thinking of Heraclitus (the man behind the famous quote "You can never step into the same river twice"), Plato, and Bishop Berkley (one of the foremost advocates of phenomenalism). Some of the major religions The Bifurcating Path: The primary religion of Adós, the Path centers on the notion that the future is simultaneously predetermined and volatile and that only by making the correct choices can the true future come about. Follows of this religion revere Pratargen, a god of doors and passage ways, whose symbol is the labyrinth. Temple complexes are built in the middle of a maze of corridors through which there is only one correct path through, and these mazes are guarded by specially trained minotaurs, who are considered to be sacred due to their inability to become lost. Nurianism: More a philosophical school than a religion in the conventional sense, Nurianism centers on the belief that the physical universe is all an elaborate illusion, a kind of sensory puzzle that must be solved. Through concentration, mental training, logical puzzles, and the study of the arcane science of illusion, the Nurians believe that they can eventually unravel the meaning of the illusion, and gain some level of control over it. The school is obviously popular amongst illusionists, but it has a substantial following among the educated classes in the Republic and the League. Ejantuli Traditional Religion: The family of religious beliefs of the Ejantuli has no single name, although it is variously know as Jaulinna, Oiuiganism, Vagrado and Galta. The core of the these religions in an ancient tradition of laudatory hymns, incantations, and rituals surrounding the worship of a diverse pantheon of gods, lesser spirits, and ghosts (souls of the dead). The structure of the beliefs runs the gamut from a kind of shamanic practice to an esoteric philosophical religion. Koyaakwiatu: The traditional religion of the Bhuka of the Aktójaa, Koyaakwiatu is a complex religious tradition that is nearly inseparable from traditional Bhuka culture. There are various gods, goddesses, spirits and the like, but they are seen as somewhat symbolic in nature, and the truth of their existence in largely immaterial to the Bhuka. A central tenet of the religion is the proper treatment of guests, which involved offering food and water, a place to rest, and refusing no request unless it is patently unreasonable. There is a very strong communal tradition in Koyaakwiatu and there is no concept of private religious practice. Prayers, rituals, and rites are all performed in public and by the community as a whole. |
| Darth Syntax05-02-07, 12:20 AM | Well, sense there are so few of us on The Project I was playing around with my cartography and hashed out a very rough map of a possible region 10 (the region immediately north of mine). By no means does this ever have to be used, but I thought it would be better to have something of an idea of what such a region might look like. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/480881896_6e2ba43f0a_o.jpg |
| Darth Syntax05-02-07, 01:53 PM | And now it is time for yet another episode of Idle Speculation with your host, Darth Syntax . . . Given that each of us seems to be developing regions that are metaphysically quite different: Thel's dragon and titan worshiping people, Araes' 'belief shapes religion' system, and my general lack of divine interference, how should we go about structuring the cosmology of the world? It seems to me that the standard cosmos is right out, which is fine by me. I would be more than happy to help in the creation of a wholly new and world-specific cosmology. Any ideas? |
| Araes05-02-07, 03:47 PM | I for the most part like the draft concept of the area above you. I've actually been considering doing something similar, and starting in on a couple other map sections, simply because nobody else has joined the cause yet. Just have to be careful how I split my posting time between this and my main campaign world (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=518823). On the cosmology question, its seems that we have some basic starting points. We need a system which can incorporate the visions of different people without much conflict We have already removed the possibility of a unified pantheon If we accept my proposition, then the gods aren't the direct source of magic, just a representation of it. Of course, it could be argued that this is just a revisionist misunderstanding of divinity popular among that continent. Depending on the power of Thel's dragons and titans, we may need to include the possiblity of manifest divinity in living beings. My proposal would actually be for a mutable system that is influenced by what races themselves believe. If one race believes their god exists in a realm outside of space, and that they must walk through a shadowy transitionary realm to reach that place, then those aspects might pop into existencce. If another race instead believes that their gods exist in a somewhat similar plane outside of space, but to reach them men must climb the highest mountains in the world which are portals to the sky realm, then that might also pop into existence. An interesting facet would then be, that if two things which are relatively similar pop into existence, then they might overlap and share areas with one another. In effect, if you were to go planar traveling within the realms of your own religion, you might be able to wander far enough in the same area that you would pass right into the religious domain of another group. These connections could be worked out by the writers of particular areas as they came up. As an example, one person in the prior two examples might be able to travel through the shadowy realm between worlds, arrive at the plane where the gods reside, and then find one of the mountain portals and travel back down into the world. In addition, this system would also allow for races infusing aspects of the world around them with divinity. (Dragons / Titans, objects / animism ). Anyhow, that's my suggestion. In a nutshell, nothing solid and firm, but a mutable tapestry that people add to and argue over like normal races do. Just in this case it comes true, and in some cases blends together, because of the fact that they argue and care about it. |
| Darth Syntax05-02-07, 10:02 PM | It's really not a bad idea at all. I think it has potential and it adds an element of mystery to the cosmos as there is not clear "truth" in this sort of system. |
| SovietCanuck05-03-07, 11:04 PM | Hi! If it's not too late, I'd like to offer my help and ideas for this project here. This thread has sparked some ideas, and seeing as how my personal campaign setting is in limbo right now, I'd like to do something that keeps the creative juices flowing. I have yet to pick out a name for the region, but the general idea is a region that was formerly dominated by a great empire (the Caelen Empire) around five hundred years ago, before it collapsed under the twin forces the Horseland barbarians and the growing independence of the regional princes and governors. The fractured kingdoms have recently began reuniting into newer nations, and have began once again to exert their influence. Here's just a rough overview of my concepts here: Kingdom of Rimegaard Government Type: Monarchy Current Ruler: Jarol Rostenheim III, King and Tsar of Rimegaard, Normard, Stromald and Bardrim Population: ~5,700,000 Demographics: 67% Human, 22% Dwarf, 5% Elf, 4% Maenad, 1% other Official Religion: Cael Capitol: Rimeholme Alignments: NG, CG, LN Quick Overview: Northern kingdom of traders and mercenaries, masters at naval warfare. Formerly the northernmost province of the Caelen empire, it was reunited 200 years ago after fracturing into several earldoms after the fall. Currently at war with the Caelen Empire and Castillia over the Stromald island chain and the natural recourses therein, and with the Ithu'Kut barbarians for control over the unexplored northern wastes. The people are talkative and boisterous, and favor martial classes such as fighter or ranger. Most Holy Caelen Empire Government: Theocratic Empire (Empress is living decent of Cael) Current Rulers: Empress Vistra II Ceal, Heir to the Throne of Cael, Ruler of all Caelea, Rimegaard, and the Western Reichs Archprelate Urbane VII, head of the Caelean Church Population: ~13,500,000 Demographics: 70% Human, 12 % Halfling, 9% Dwarf, 5% Gnome, 2% Maenad, 2% other Capitol: Citta Sulla Collina Official Religion: Cael Alignments: LG, LN, NE Quick Overview: The heartland of the former Caelen empire, the Holy (or Second) Caelen Empire was 'reunited' little over 80 years ago. The rich soil along the course of the Great River Cael allows for excellent farming, making Cael the breadbasket of the region. Caelen is at war with several of it's neighbors, who have no wish to return to the era of Caelen dominance. The people of Caelen are proud of their national heritage, and devoted to their religion, favoring religious classes such as cleric or paladin for their adventuring careers. United Kingdoms of Castillia Government Type: Union of semi-independent kingdoms under central government, rotating governorship Current Rulers: King Martin San Rillo, Marquess Patrica Villanto of Bardrim, Duke Harold of the Stromalds (currently landless), King Juan-Micheal Distran of Stilla and Portoro Population: ~11,800,000 Demographics: 72% Human, 12% Halfling, 8% Gnome, 4% Kobold, 2% Xeph, 2% other Capitol: Rotates annually, currently San Rillo Official Religion: Cael Alignments: LG, CG, CN Quick Overview: A confederation mostly-independent of duchies, earldoms, baronies and small kingdoms united solely to keep themselves independent from Qalitz and Caelen. Castillia is known for it's mercenaries, and almost every state has a sizable army ready to march for the highest bidder. The central government rotates yearly, currently it is in the hands of the San Rillo family, who have supported the war against Caelen and Rimgaard for control over the rich mines and oilfeilds of the Stromalds. The Castillians are notoriously independent, but are well known as reliable and efficient soldiers. Serene Empire of the Qalitz Government Type: Theocratic Empire (Leader is both Emperor and Prophet of Cael) Current Ruler: Emperor and Caliph Abdul Aziz bin-Hassan. Population: ~7, 100,000 Demographics: 80% Human, 8% Dwarf, 6% Halfling, 3% Elf, 2% Kobold, 1% other Capitol: Tibris Official Religion: Ceal Alignments: LG, LN, LE Quick Overview: The Qalitz are the decedents of Horselanders conquered by the first Caelen empire. Qalitz has existed in one form or another since the collapse, and see themselves as the rightful heirs to the Caelen throne, not the new empire or the Vestenreich. The Emperor of Qalitz can trace his line back to the former rulers of Caelen, and therefor can claim the blood of Cael, the God-Emperor and founder of the first empire. Currently the Qalitz are not at war with anyone, however there have been indications that some in the government are looking to reclaim the southern baronies form Vestenreich by whatever means necessary. The people of Qalitz are strong and dedicated to their religious convictions, favoring classes such as paladin, knight or monk. The Vestenreich Government Type: Unitary Empire Current Ruler: Emperor Peter Utritch-Cael, Heir to the Throne of Cael Population: ~6,900,000 Demographics: 68% Human, 14% Elf, 6% Half-elf, 5% Dwarf, 4% Gnome, 2% Halfling, 1% other Capitol: Vendenburg Official Religion: Cael Alignments: NG, LN, N Quick Overview: The rich mines and bountiful vales of the western baronies of what was once the Caelen empire made this the industrial center of the empire. However, after the collapse and the devastation wrought by the Horselanders, the region existed in a state of flux, the separate baronies ranged from war to alliance with their neighbors. It was only under the shadow of the expanding Great Elven Empire that the Vestenreich was united once again to maintain human control over their own lands. The Vesteners have devoted themselves to the art of magic, practicing the philosophy of fighting fire with fire, and have temporarily halted the Elven reconquest of human lands. Thalu Tal'Qusail (Great Elven Empire) Government Type: Empire Current Ruler: Itil Nithril Liirin Population: ~10,200,000 Demographics: 56% Human, 24% Elf, 11% Half-elf, 4% Halfling, 3% Gnome, 2% Other Capitol: Alor'Daelin Official Religion: The Elven Pantheon Alignments: CG, CN, N Quick Overview: Before the first Caelen Empire, the elves ruled the entire region, divided up into hundreds of elfheims. When humans and dwarves began settling the peninsula, they swore allegiance the their elven rulers, and payed tribute to them. However, after centuries of the elves strange and often biased rule, the inhabitants of the region through off their yoke, and in a surprising move under the leadership of Cael, drove the elves off the continent. The Caelens job was so thorough that after only 200 years, the elves where left with only the islands of Best'ithal in the southwest. It remained that way even after the collapse of the first Caelen Empire, the elves all but forgotten about on their small, remote slices of land. However, about 90 years ago the elves spilled out from their mysterious island kingdoms and conquered huge swaths of the western baronies and kingdoms, only being slowed by united fronts. It was due to the elves reappearance that the Trade Nations, Vestenreich, and ,some say, the Holy Caelen empire were formed. The population of the Great Elven Empire is largely human, and are regulated as second class citizens under the rule of elf-blooded individuals. Old elfheims are being reestablished, and forests are springing up where for a thousand years farms and fields have been. Some of the greatest human cities are being torn down, and replaced with sparking demonstrations of elven architecture. It is a center of magic and artifice and most adventurers from the Great Elven Empire are wizards, bards or druids. Deraile Republic Government Types: Republic Current Ruler: President Sophia Andre Population: ~3,200,000 Demographics: 64% Human, 12% Halfling, 10% half-elf, 6% Dwarf, 3% Gnome, 1% Other Capitol: Deraile Official Religion: Cael Alignments: NG, N, LN Quick Overview: This once barren coast has been reclaimed by refugees fleeing the advance of the Great Elven Empire, and now stands proudly independent on newly fertile grounds, standing strong against their would-be elven overlords. This is the southernmost of the three Trade Nations, called such because of their common culture, democratic governments, and free market economies. The people of Deraile are generally descended from the diaspora of the more educated and urban baronies, and have attempted to maintain this culture, leading a large number of 'refounded' universities, colleges and arcane institutions, and adventurers favor classes that rely on wit and intellect, such as bard, psion or archivist. Khazad Roen (Red Mountain States) Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy Population:~ 2,400,000 Demographics: 58% Dwarf, 31% Human, Gnome 4%, Halfling 3%, Kith 1%, other 1% Current Rulers: Duran Baren Gor'Darim, King of the Iron Citadel Prime Minister Jorit Tranin Capitol: Izard Krak (Iron Citadel) Official Religion: Cael Allignments: LG, NG, LN Quick Overview: Home of the greatest fortress in the region, Izard Krak, a literal mountain fortress, and throne to the Duran, or King of the dwarven states, Khazad Roen has maintained it's independence from the elves, Caelens and other forces seeking the riches of this kingdom. The human baronies along the sea along with the diaspora have granted Khazad Roen with a large human population who much prefer living under the rule of their longtime allies, the Dwarves, then under the rule of the secretive elves. The central of the Trade Nations, Khazad Roen maintains a Constitutional Monarchy, and a proudly independent and loyal populace, which favorers classes such as fighter, bard, or cleric, classes that offer support and aide to their comrades. Holtland Federation Government Type: Federated Republic Population: ~2,700,000 Demographics: 72% Human, 9% Dwarf, 8% Halfling, 6% Gnome, 3% Half-elf, 1% Kith, 1% Other Current Ruler: Chancellor Kevin von Ubresten Capitol: Flansburg Official Relgion: Cael Allignments: LG, NG, CG Quick Overview: The northernmost Trade Nation, and the birthplace of democracy in the region. It was the only one founded before the Elven Expansion, however it didn't reach it's current size until it absorbed several duchies favoring democratic rule over service to Caelen or Elven Emperors. The greatest city in the region, the port of Firensdamm, is Holtland's other claim to fame, the metropolis boasting nearly half the nation's populace. Holtlanders are a very urbane people, and favor classes such as rogue, wizard, or bard. The Restored Kingdom of The Guardians of The Chalice Government: Commonwealth ruled by High King Current Rulers: High King Henry Chalicebearer IV Population: ~5,800,000 Demographics: 68% Human, 15% Halfling, 6% Dwarf, 4% Gnome, 3% Maenad, 1% Kith, 3% other Capitol: Kingsbridge Official Religion: Lady of the Chalice Alignments: LN, N, LG Quick Overview: After the collapse of the Caelen Empire, and the disappearance of their God-Emperor, the remnants were thrown into chaos. Without a strong central government and the backing of the powerful Caelen military, local governors could not maintain control over the regions they were responsible for, and local warlords and decedents of the old chieftains quickly took control. One notable individual from this time was Harold Jarlholme, who claimed to have received a vision from the God-Emperor, in which Cael explained that he was just a herald of the true God, who slept in a hidden loch on the island of Great Flans. Gathering an army of followers with this message, he lead a march on Great Flans, where in the Vale of Mists, he discovered the sleeping form of the Lady of the Chalice, grasping the artifact with which she created the world. Harold took it upon himself, his decedents, and the decedents of his followers to protect this artifact from nonbelievers, and conquered the island in the name of the Lady of the Chalice. One thousand years later, after a series of devastating civil wars, the most recent funded by the Trade Nations, the High King once again sits on the Sapphire Throne in Cascading Palace, having crushed the democratic reformers under the soles of the Knights of the Chalice. Chaliceites are a vain and arrogant folk, believing themselves to be the moral compass of the world. They favor militaristic classes such as clerics, knights and wizards, so that they can better defend their isle from those who would destroy their sleeping goddess The Kith Government Type: Union of Tribes Population: ~190,000 Demographics: 100% Kith Current Ruler: N/A Capitol: Alsten Official Religion The Traveler Alignments:NG, CG, CN Quick Overview: The hidden, mist-cloaked homeland of the Kith is actually a portion of their homeworld planeshifted to this world to escape it's destruction. The kith have shrouded their homeland from view, and live life as nomads, the majority only seeing their island once or twice in their lifetime. The kith seek to protect the remains of their homeworld with their lives, and thus have propagated the rumor that they are homeless, forever wanderers, relying on the kindness of others for survival. The kith provide an important role in the region, acting as neutral traders, though it is widely rumored they favor the Trade Nations and Rimegaard in their dealings. Kith typically favor classes which facilitate nomadic life, such as bard, ranger, or rogue. Ithu'Kut Government Type: Tribal Population: ~240,000 Demographics: 100% Human Current Ruler: N/A Capitol: N/A Official Religion: The Ice Gods Alignments: CN, N, NG Quick Overview: The Ithu'Kut are nomads who subsist on the great Caribou herds of the Arctic island. They have generally resisted the expansion of Rimegaard north, strongly objecting to the defilement of their sacred sites by unbelievers. The Ithu'Kut have no central organization, each clan ultimately loyal to themselves. They have some friendly contact with Kith traders, though the economic benefits have been minimal. Occasionally a Ice Nomad will feel the desire to explore the wider world. Those that do generally have abilities reminiscent of the barbarian, sorcerer or druid classes. The Horselands Government Type: Tribal Population: ~700,000 Demographics: 80% Human, 13% Xeph, 3% Half-giant, 2% Half-orc, 2% Other Current Ruler: N/A Capitol: N/A Official Religion: Shamanism Alignments: N, CN, NE Quick Overview:The wild hordes of the Horselands posses great skill in both the arts of Horsemanship and Psionics. They are generally blamed for causing the downfall of the firth Caelen Empire, a claim they do not refute. At the present, they are more interested in trade, seeking to make the most of the brewing wars to the north, and will do anything they can to facilitate the conflicts. There is talk around the yurts of the clans that once the kingdoms to the north have destroyed themselves is conflicts over land and beliefs, the warrior of the Horselands will sweep north, and take what remains for the glory of their ancestors. Classes favored by Horselanders include ranger, psychic warrior and wilder. http://i16.tinypic.com/540gg36.gif The regions that would most likely influence neighboring regions would be the Trade Nations, The Great Elven Empire and the Horselands. The Trade Nations in particular would have colonies elsewhere, while the Elves would likely attempt to spread into neighboring regions. That's all I have now. I hope I can help out here! |
| Darth Syntax05-04-07, 01:14 AM | Although I am not the project director (and thus lack the power to really do much), let me extend my hand and welcome you to The Project. You've done some nice work here, and it's good to see a northern segment presented as we currently seem to have a dearth of such things. I note that your region seems to be heavily dominated by humans; do you have any idea what historical processes lead to their ascendancy in the region? Anyway, some minor questions about your region (I can't help it, I like asking questions) What sort of technical level are you envisioning for your people? How involved in "the colony game" are your major powers? Clearly, trade is important to your people, so what are their major resources? What do they import, what so the export, and what are their unique goods? When you speak of "The Elven Patheon" or "The Traveler" what is it that you mean? |
| SovietCanuck05-04-07, 05:42 AM | Although I am not the project director (and thus lack the power to really do much), let me extend my hand and welcome you to The Project. You've done some nice work here, and it's good to see a northern segment presented as we currently seem to have a dearth of such things. Thanks! I'm actually really impressed with the collaborative work you, Araes, DonThelonious and yellowdingo have put in here. I note that your region seems to be heavily dominated by humans; do you have any idea what historical processes lead to their ascendancy in the region? Well, at the moment, what I'm thinking of is slow migration over a period of about 1000 years of humans north to the elven dominated lands (I don't know if this fits in with the current time line, but it can be easily modified to mesh with the neighboring regions). After about a thousand years of immigration, settling and growth, even under the rule of the elves, humans outnumbered the elves by a fair margin (About 50% Human, 40% elf, 10% other). After the humans (and dwarves, halfings, gnomes and such) drove the majority of the elves from their lands, the elven population was crushed, most dead or fled (though there were some 'foreign' elves among the immigrants, and other elves who betrayed their kin for Caelen, but their population remains rather low). With that rather large change in total population, the end result was about 70% Human, 25% other, 5% elf. That's about where the population is nowadays, with humans outnumbering the other races significantly. Humans became dominant mainly because the founder of the rebellion, and the God-Emperor of the Caelen Empire was a human, Cael, and he appointed many of his fellow humans to fill the vacancies left behind by the loss of the elfheims. In certain regions, he appointed dwarves or halflings, but for the most part, the noble lines were humans. Anyway, some minor questions about your region (I can't help it, I like asking questions) What sort of technical level are you envisioning for your people? Since you've gone and approved firearms, I'm thinking that mid-renaissance/late 1700's period would be best (French/American revolutions, colonialism, pirates, heavy focus on trade, democratization and imperialism) How involved in "the colony game" are your major powers? The three Trade Nations (Deraile, Khazad Roen, and Holtland) are all fairly involved in the 'colony game', and would probably focus on exporting important goods from their colonies to their neighbors more concerned with territorial squabbles then with colonization. The Great Elven Empire might have a few colonies, but I'll leave that up to someone else to decide, while Rimegaard, Caelen, Castillia, Vestenreich and Qalitz are all more interested in their neighboring regions, though it is quite possible Rimegaard, Castillia or Qalitz have some small colonies that help supply the war machine at home, though again I'll leave that up to the creators of other quadrants. Clearly, trade is important to your people, so what are their major resources? What do they import, what so the export, and what are their unique goods? I'll have to work on a chart like you and Araes have done up here, so that I can represent the wealth of each nation separately. However, I would probably say thin general, the largest exports are arms and armaments, while the largest imports would be mercenaries. Again, I'll have to work on unique goods, as I haven't really thought about that part yet. Mostly, the trade nations exist by ferrying goods from colonies back home to be processed, and then off to customers. The Trade Nations and the Kith represent the middle-men, whereas the warring nations get the majority of their wealth from agriculture, minerals (marble, sandstone, ect) and producing weapons of war. When you speak of "The Elven Patheon" or "The Traveler" what is it that you mean? I haven't really worked on the Elven Pantheon yet, as religion is less important to the elves then for the followers of Cael or the Kith, but at the moment, I'm thinking a rather militarized group of deities who promote elven dominance, and represent the elven ideals (magic, nature, war, art, archery, ect.) The Traveler, much like Cael, has a basic background laid out. He is the last living Kith god, and was the one who brought the Kith from their homeworld to this one to save them from i's destruction at the hands of a demon prince. Unlike Cael or the Elven Pantheon, the Traveler is much more involved in the lives of his worshipers. He is called the Traveler because that is the title the Kith use with outsiders, while they themselves have a specific name for their god Hope that answers some questions |
| DonThelonious05-04-07, 07:23 AM | Sorry gentlemen, for not being present for a little while. RL reared its mundane head and sent me on a business trip:tie:. Please forgive me if this post seems to jump around a lot, I'm back on a graveyard schedule and the caffiene is making me jittery:twitch:. So, photoshop you all say:plotting: Your maps all look excellent, if I may add. Now if I could just get mine up then I can join the club too. Anyway, here is my 2 cents for each of you, and some suggestions. The Project sounds kind of creepy and X-Files...I like it. The Game Of Colonialism Why do I get this feeling my lands are going to be like the Americas for Europe? I'm not complaining mind you, I'm just saying. My proposal would actually be for a mutable system that is influenced by what races themselves believe... ...this system would also allow for races infusing aspects of the world around them with divinity. (Dragons / Titans, objects / animism ). This works well for me, and on the subject of living divinity with my Dragons/Titans, I am thinking of giving them very slight diety status (IE: If a dozen people think your God, your a cult leader. If 1/2 a million people think your god, you are.) -- SovietCanuck, welcome aboard:w00t: Its nice to get some fresh ideas. -- I like the dashes too:D :clap: -- Since you've gone and approved firearms, I'm thinking that mid-renaissance/late 1700's period would be best (French/American revolutions, colonialism, pirates, heavy focus on trade, democratization and imperialism) :rant:Wait one second there sparky, what are you talking about? We had an earlier discussion on this, and I am against post-17thth century firarms. Especially if you have lands with a colonial bent. Although given your location so far from our regions it may never come up, I still don't want another Native American massacre in my region. Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry, I simply don't feel comfortable with this. -- There are some other books out their with organic materials as well Stromwrack, for example, has chitin armor and the like. Speaking of chitin armor, I was thinking of using it myself (large numbers of arthropods in my region) but feel free to make use of it as well. I hadn't thought to look there. To be honest though my books right now are very limited. I have a DMG, PHB, MM 1&2, SS, and EL. SO I love all the great suggestions for material. As to using chitin thats all you DS, I was thinking more along the lines of Darkwood, Ironwood, Silverel (wood grown by elves with similar properties to mithral), Treated Beast Hide, Etc... Wearing bugs would not really fit, though riding bugs maybe...:plotting: I was planning on using the classic naval cannon bit, broadsides and all. Terrestrial cannon wouldn't be all that difficult to manage; put it on wheels and off you go. Kind of like seige-engines. Thats okay with me. -- BTW- You all seem to be dropping most giants, any problems with me making them a special part in my region? I would like to claim Trolls, Ogre Magi, Frost Giants, Fire Giants, and Cloud Giants as specific for my region. Any objections? -- You fellows may be shunning the old cliche of good vs. evil, but this seems a good time for my region to embrace it. Given the greater advances in your respective regions on the studies of philosophy, religion, morality and mortality I can understand why it would seem moot. I on the other hand have a very simple and primitive peoples and with thier 'Gods' having such a strong presence in thier daily lives its only natural for them to embrace either the good (helping your fellow *man for the better of all) or the evil (let only the strong survive). Seeing it from this perspective, your all trading with the good races only, unless you can provide evidence that your strong enough to warrant the attention of the evil races (bonus points for explosions that kill at least 15) -- The only other deciding factor on the G v E might be whether the particular nations deal in slaves or not. Slavery is practiced heavily on both sides. -- I have been thinking about adding another region as well, does anyone obect? |
| DonThelonious05-04-07, 07:44 AM | The three Trade Nations (Deraile, Khazad Roen, and Holtland) are all fairly involved in the 'colony game', and would probably focus on exporting important goods from their colonies to their neighbors more concerned with territorial squabbles then with colonization. The Great Elven Empire might have a few colonies, but I'll leave that up to someone else to decide, while Rimegaard, Caelen, Castillia, Vestenreich and Qalitz are all more interested in their neighboring regions, though it is quite possible Rimegaard, Castillia or Qalitz have some small colonies that help supply the war machine at home, though again I'll leave that up to the creators of other quadrants. Since it looks like my regions are to be used extensivly for this, I can offer some suggestions:). First off, my people are rather primitive, so they are impressed by simple tech, especially if it makes the earth shake, lights flash, and lots of smoke. Our big exports are rare and exotic woods and materials, and for those inclined we also have 1/2 dragon mounts and war beast dinosaurs. My natives like trinkits and Godbone (enchanted metal) weapons. The rules for your colonies are simple: 3 named colonies, max pop. 5000, list of what they bring in for trade, list of preffered exports, country of origin. I will place them and pick whom they trade with. |
| Darth Syntax05-04-07, 04:28 PM | Well, I've got a lot to respond to it seems, so this promises to be a bit of a long post. -- On gunpowder Thel is correct in his general assertion of no 18th century or later gun tech. I'm leaning more towards a The Musketeers or English Civil War style of doing things. This is primarily due to my long-standing dislike of the overuse of armor. I also want proper highwaymen, and shouting "Stand and deliver!" while holding a crossbow is just absurd. So i would say that you (the Canuk) are about 100-150 years outside the supposed max for tech. However, I think things can be easily resolved. -- On Colonies For my own colonies, The Republic is probably the largest trans-oceanic colonial power of my region, followed by the Esuin League. The Republic is primarily interested in acquiring new resources and not so much in land. Their colonies are more likely to be built in the manner of city-states or controlled enclaves than they are to just start a land grab. They will send cartographers, merchants and soldiers out to explore but they prefer to dominate by a show of wealth rather than a show of force. Also, why don't we turn the tables a little bit when it comes to colonies. One of the bigest issues with European colonization of the Americas was disease. What if Thel's land has a variety of new and interesting diseases that his people are acclimated to, but the foreigners are not? I have often wondered why the disease aspect of American colonization wasn't more of a two way thing. And sense we're on the topic of colonies, I might as well get one up for Thel. Name: Kuilnos Colonial Power: The Republic of Orothos Population: 4567 people Government: The Colonial Authority Current Leader: His Appointed Excellency, Urlis Amredaklon, Voice of the Tetrarchy, The Doge of Kuilnos (TN male gnome expert3/illusionist 3) Proposed general location: On the coast, at the mouth of nice large river system. Primary Exports: Lumber, alchemical reagents, ore, exotic fruits and spices. Primary Imports: Glass, finished goods, textiles, lamp oil, paper -- Well, more to come later in the day. Work calls and I must obey. |
| Araes05-04-07, 04:30 PM | Alright, it seems that all of us our looking at the potential for adding more land to the map. Well, except maybe Canuck since he got here (welcome to the fold by the way). As a suggestion, perhaps if you've previously made a colonial power, you ought to make something that isn't quite so expansionistic, or maybe even populated at your discretion. This is only a suggestion to preserve the whole idea of colonialism being active. If we don't have any lands for it, its kind of hard, and I worry that people may be opposed to making a land which they feel is just going to be a picking ground for some other section of the world. Building on S. Canuck's idea, I've thought that I might make a land that was fairly open, but is now where those elves from his land that managed to get away fled to instead and tried to start again. It would still be pretty open, because from what I understand, they only were wiped out a small time ago in societal terms. Speaking of which, S. Canuck, you're obviously going to be one of the polar spots with your land, but which one exactly were you thinking you'd lay claim to, as I didn't notice a number? *edit* Oh yeah, buggery, forgot about the gunpowder issue. I agree with Thel and DS on this. From my understanding, we were going to limit gunpowder to very primitive firearms for the most part. Some shipmounted cannons and maybe a few land ones would be the most of it. Personal firearms would be a sketchy rarity for the most part I believe. 14th - 15th century might be more appropriate. Also, in response to DS's post which appeared right above me as I was posting, I think that of my lands, Covino might be fairly interested in claiming more land, as they're so small to begin with. However, Ekku would be more of a Dutch trader with a little bit of France mixed in. |
| SovietCanuck05-04-07, 08:45 PM | Hmm...alright. I was a little fuzzy on the level of firearms that was set, so I chose the era that I felt fit best politically and socially, rather then militarily. The firearms are not a big part of my region here, so they can easily be moved back about 100 years no problem. The main theater I intended gunpowder to influence was the naval one, with ship-based and fort-based cannons. Armies won't necessarily be using personal firearms en masse, though the Trade Nations are most likely going to be in a phase of transitioning from crossbows to muskets. I'm still working on concepts for colonies DonThelonious, but I hope to have some info to give you by the end of the week. Thanks for the suggestions, though:D The region I'm thinking about taking right now is 9, which is due north of Araes' region 19, if it's alright with everyone. The reason why is after looking at the way Araes and I set up our maps, they fit together pretty soundly. And, believe it or not, I didn't plan it like that...it didn't occur to me that it worked well until last night, when I was looking over your maps again. I actually took the two maps and mashed them together and it turns out that they match up about 90%. The majority of changes are just the location of my southern mountain range (modifying the curving at the bottom), and I think this could work fairly well, if you're willing to peruse this train of thought here Araes.:D Here's what I ended up coming out with http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/484446299_d55dfb81e9_b.jpg And I did do some work on the economies of the nations here, to help with the integration of trade. I've gone ahead and stolen Darth Syntax's idea for showing imports/exports, and added in a few extra trade goods of mine own. However, I don't have any materials or goods unique to my region yet...but I'll think of something! Rimegaard Caelen Castillie Qalitz Vestenreich Elven Deraille Roens Holtland Kith Horselands The Chalice Lumber E E/I E I I - I I I - - E Oil (fuel) E I I E I - I I I I - E Oil (cooking) E/I E/I E E I E E/I E/I E/I E I E/I Spices I I E E I E E/I E/I E/I E I I Wine I E E I E E E I I E - I Tea - I I I I I I I I I - I Beer/Ale E/I I I I E/I - E E/I I I I E/I Dye/Paints I I E/I E/I I I E/I E/I E/I E/I I E Salt I I I E E - I I I I E I Glass I E E I E E I E I I - I Ceramics I E I E/I I E E/I E E E - I Ore E/I I E/I I E/I I E/I E E/I I I E/I Processed Ore E I I I E/I I E/I E E/I E/I I E/I Fruit I E I E E/I E E/I I I I - I Vegetables I E E E E - E/I I I I I E/I Grains E/I E E/I I E/I - E I E I I E/I Cheese/Dairy E/I E E I E - E E/I E I E E/I Herbs I E/I E/I E/I E - I I I E/I I E Alchemical Goods I E I I E/I E E I I E I E/I Slaves I I I E I I - - - - E - Pottery I I E E E - I E E I - I Textiles I E E/I E I - E I E I - E/I Wool I E E I I - I E I I E E Livestock/Poultry I E E I E/I - I I E/I I E E/I Fish E I E I I - E - E E - E Husbrandy E E/I E E I - E/I I I I E E Ivory - I I I I I I I - I - I Gems E/I I I E E/I I E E I E - I Metal (precious) E/I I I I E/I I I E I E I I Metal (general) E E/I I I E I I E I E I E/I Art Objects E E/I E E/I E - E/I E/I E/I E - - Paper I E I E E - I I I I - I Books I E/I I E/I E/I E E/I E/I E/I I - E/I Weapons E/I I I I I I E E E E I E Firearms I I E/I I I I E/I E/I E/I E I I Armor E/I E/I I I E/I I E E E E I E Mercenaries E I E/I I I I E E E - E - Wax I E E E I - I I E/I E/I - I Rubber I I I I I I I I I I - I Narcotics I I E/I E/I I E I I I E I - Medical goods I I I E/I E/I I E/I E/I E/I E/I I E/I Tools E I I I E/I I E E E E I E/I Manufactured Goods E/I E/I E/I I E/I - E/I E/I E/I E I E/I Polymers I I I I E/I I I I I E I I Ships E E I I I - I I E/I I - E Furs E I I I I - I I I E E I Animals E E/I I I I E I I I E E I Perfumes I I E/I E E/I E E I I E/I I I |
| Araes05-04-07, 11:04 PM | Seems pretty good to me. I think my only point of negotiation would be the extension of my 3 (Kedara) vs your 12 (the Horselands), as it just looks weird with the perfect border right now, and there's really no geographical reason for it. One option might be for your 3 to be my 12, and just referred to in a different way. I'd be perfectly willing to work in the fact that Kedarans are heavy horse users. Another option that might make sense, is that the wasteland area I've got with the mountains in the upper right, could be a fairly natural divide if we want the countries to remain seperate. Within your own map, my personal thoughts are that the Qaliz Empire is in a pretty unstable position. They've extended themselves a long ways along the shoreline, which unfortunately means that they could have some issues if there's a big military push through the desert, as it would choke them off at the gap between the shore and mountain portions. On other border issues, I would suggest that my number 1 (Ekku) extends to the river at the very bottom of your map, as that seems like a very reasonable and defendable border for national boundaries. My number 2 (Sighvat) is completely contained to mountains, so its official territory might just barely pop into the bottom of the big Y shaped mountain range a couple millimeters. I'm honestly surprised that the realms ended up this close in design if you didn't plan it this way. Rather amazing / strange. On Rimegaard, I'm curious whether they are actually on polar icecap territory like the map implies. If so, some of their exports seem a little odd. Namely, I wouldn't think they'd have enough dairy and lumber to actually be exporting it. We are going to have SO many nations when we get done with this. 200-300 if we keep going at this rate. |
| SovietCanuck05-05-07, 12:00 AM | Seems pretty good to me. I think my only point of negotiation would be the extension of my 3 (Kedara) vs your 12 (the Horselands), as it just looks weird with the perfect border right now, and there's really no geographical reason for it. One option might be for your 3 to be my 12, and just referred to in a different way. I'd be perfectly willing to work in the fact that Kedarans are heavy horse users. Another option that might make sense, is that the wasteland area I've got with the mountains in the upper right, could be a fairly natural divide if we want the countries to remain seperate. I favor your later suggestion, that we keep them separate. The Horselanders are nomadic barbarians, so Kedara could claim the land, however they don't have a real significant military presence in the area, while the Horeslanders continue to wander the ancestral homelands. Within your own map, my personal thoughts are that the Qaliz Empire is in a pretty unstable position. They've extended themselves a long ways along the shoreline, which unfortunately means that they could have some issues if there's a big military push through the desert, as it would choke them off at the gap between the shore and mountain portions. That is a factor that I have considered, but I am considering them building a "great wall" or a chain of forts along the desert, not just because of the risk of potential invasion, but also because of the risk of monsters On other border issues, I would suggest that my number 1 (Ekku) extends to the river at the very bottom of your map, as that seems like a very reasonable and defendable border for national boundaries. My number 2 (Sighvat) is completely contained to mountains, so its official territory might just barely pop into the bottom of the big Y shaped mountain range a couple millimeters. That's seems reasonable, and Sighvat could expand north under the earth as well, while the Vestenreich and Qalitz claim the surface. On Rimegaard, I'm curious whether they are actually on polar icecap territory like the map implies. If so, some of their exports seem a little odd. Namely, I wouldn't think they'd have enough dairy and lumber to actually be exporting it. I was thinking southern Rimegaard had a climate similar to Sweden and Norway, and thus able to support decent agriculture and forestry industries. We are going to have SO many nations when we get done with this. 200-300 if we keep going at this rate. Eh, that's not a big problem. There are, what? 235 sovereign states and territories on Earth today, and in medieval India, there was over 60 independent princedoms on the subcontinent alone:D |
| Darth Syntax05-05-07, 01:09 AM | I'll leave most of the geographical hashing out to you and the Canuck, but I would like to offer up one observation. The Kedaran desert now seems to be in an unlikely spot due to the presence of the large bay to the north. Such a problem could easily be solved by the extension of the coastal mountains. |
| Araes05-05-07, 10:35 AM | I'm not quite sure which coastal mountains you are referring to. Are you talking about cutting the desert off from the bay by stringing a mountain chain along in the north? This might be a reasonable thing to do, as that would also aid in the separation of the horselands from Kedara. The mountains to the east I had mostly been thinking of as a volcanic chain. Or are you referring to a different coastal chain that would help? |
| Darth Syntax05-05-07, 01:50 PM | Indeed, i do mean that the desert should be cut off from the bay by the use of mountains. The mountains directly above your number 2 could be modified to do this I think. Sorry for the lack of clarity in my statement. |
| SovietCanuck05-05-07, 03:56 PM | I see where you're coming from here, Darth Syntax, and yes, placing a mountain range along the northern edge of the desert would definately help explain the desert there. However, I don't think a desert in necessarily needed. To use a real world example, take North Africa, along the Mediterranean. The distance between the coastline and arid desert in some areas is less than 100 miles. So, there are cases in the real world where deserts neighbor on coasts, however I'll leave the final choice up to Araes here if he wants us to expand the mountain or volcanic chains. Expanding the ranges might also help with the problem the Qalitz bottleneck :D |
| yellowdingo05-06-07, 01:15 AM | Darth Syntax, How would you like to be promoted Cartographer Royal? You get to fit all the maps together as they come in and make them pretty in a nice chart of twenty triangles that we will all be able to download later and cut up with scissors and glue into a 20 face globe. |
| Darth Syntax05-06-07, 02:47 AM | By a fortuitous confluence of circumstance, I had begun to do just such a thing earlier today for my own amusement. At the moment it is less than perfect and I have currently omitted the triangles so that I can get the landmasses to line up , but I have faces 17 and 10 merged at the moment, and I am now playing around with merging Araes' and the Canuck's regions together. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/486057405_2784fe1e73_b.jpg Anyway, if I am going to be the Cartographer (subject of course to the approval of the rest of The Project) and and all information regarding how your geography and climate behave will be invaluable for the creation of a unified map. So, please, don't stop making maps and posting them, I think they've all been great and I can always use more information about the maps. Any time I attempt to draft a map of a region that is not my own, I would love for the creator of said region (or regions) to critique and comment on said rendering so that I can get it right. I don't want to take over your areas so you always have the last word on things. hopefully I'll have a draft of the other maps up in a day or so. |
| Darth Syntax05-06-07, 04:59 PM | I've done a very quick (and admittedly slapdash) icosahedral projection of the known world. I was tempted to write in all the unclaimed triangles "Here be Dragons" but it's not on this version. Currently I am using the climate mapping I have been using. Eventually I would like to see if i can't get the map to look like the antique maps that adorn my walls. I will also be tweaking the scale of my region a bit I do apologize for the size of the image, but it's a bit on the large size to accommodate all the faces. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/487004558_56797f684d_b.jpg -- Referring back to the whole "Here be Dragons" bit, I was wondering if it might b e possible for us to keep our regions in the 10 faces on the right side of the map for the moment, just to make mapping easier and to provide a whole open hemisphere to work with at some later date. |
| Araes05-06-07, 07:51 PM | Nice work on the composite of the maps. I'm surprised you redid the graphics on all of our maps. Anyhow some things in regard to my area. In the central mountain range, there shouldn't be a gap between the mountain ranges that you show seperated. This would be a major issue in terms of trade, and the people of Kedara flooding into the midland, as the Mildar and Gabon people's are mostly keeping them out of the heartland. In terms of weather, I have been premising my map on the concept that jet streams, and weather patterns, flow from west to east in the northern hemisphere of the world. I don't know what they do in the south, as that is up to you and Thel right now. From your map it appears they may be flowing east to west, but its tough to tell. |
| Darth Syntax05-06-07, 08:32 PM | I'll fix the mountains, it's a good thing to know. Any and all comments and critiques are more than welcome. -- As to the redoing of the maps, I was attempting to see what the continents would look like when seamlessly put together, and it was a bit easier to do that if I used the same style. I'll also be making a composite map of the regions in the original art style so that everyone's work can be seen in the maps. A lot of my climate modeling for your region and the Canuck's was latitude based, and it's only one possibility among many. Any other corrections will be joyfully received. -- As to the weather, your "prevailing winds" observation is a good one. You're also right about the nominal direction of the winds in my region. -- On cartographicly unrelated note, I have been working on the history of my region, and I would like to know if there are any objections to my having my region dominated by a strange empire of outsiders some 200,000 years ago. Mostly this is to provide for weird ruins, ominous secrets, and ancient puzzles. The empire and it's people are long gone (or are they? Ah plot hooks) so it should have little to no effect on other regions current history. |
| Araes05-06-07, 08:49 PM | No, I don't mind in the least, because by definition it is a self contained piece of history for your region. If they were popping up all the time and giving "great power" and all that jazz to the kingdoms, then I might, but then again, Thel's got godlike Titans and Dragons roaming around his land, so who am I to care? |
| Darth Syntax05-06-07, 08:54 PM | Thank you sir. The Shattered Lens Empire will be only very lightly detailed, partly for game reasons, and partly because their language has resisted all attempts at translation due to being the product of a very non-humanoid mind. |
| capnwoodrow05-07-07, 12:19 PM | Hi, I've been following this thread for a while and am really excited about this project. I was debating contributing, but I was curious - what kind of programs are you using for the maps? I didn't want to just throw something together if there was something better out there. Thanks |
| Araes05-07-07, 03:00 PM | Hi capnwoodrow, myself and DS are users of Photoshop, which may be difficult to get, as it can be relatively spendy unless you have it for work or are a student. I know that Thel uses something else, but I don't know what, and I can't speak for Soviet Canuck, as he hasn't said what he uses yet. In general, the main benefit of a program like Photoshop is that it allows for layers of content in a single picture. This allows you to selectively modify mountains or forests without the danger of messing up the rest of your picture. Things like selective fades and the like are also relatively easy. |
| SovietCanuck05-07-07, 08:14 PM | Great job on the map, Darth! Can I just make one small adjustment here? For climate, I envisioned a powerful warm current akin to the North Atlantic Drift off the Trade Nations, northern Caelen, and southern Rimegaard, leaving a climate akin to Central europe in Caelen and Northern Europe in Rimegaard. Just a little critique, the rest is great!:clap: -- I agree with the prevailing winds heading west to east in the north. Helps set up the climate of my region like that of Europe, which is what I was going for. -- As the rest of you are working on ancient histories, I'm definately going to have to build up some history older than 2300 years ago...gah!;) -- On the topic of how I made my map, I used a combination AutoREALM for the maps, icons and labels, OpenOfice Draw for the layers and transparency settings, and IfranView for conversion to GIF. It doesn't come out as nice as Photoshop, and it takes a bit longer fiddling around with controls, but hey, it's free:D |
| Darth Syntax05-07-07, 08:39 PM | Great job on the map, Darth! Can I just make one small adjustment here? For climate, I envisioned a powerful warm current akin to the North Atlantic Drift off the Trade Nations, northern Caelen, and southern Rimegaard, leaving a climate akin to Central europe in Caelen and Northern Europe in Rimegaard. Just a little critique, the rest is great!:clap: I was thinking that Rimegaard (how are you pronouncing this, [ɾɪmgɒ:ɾd/ɹaɪmgɑ:ɹd/ rimegɒ:rd] or some other way) would have a climate similar to Alaska or northern Scandinavia myself, but a warm ocean current would change things a bit, and it's easy to fix. As the rest of you are working on ancient histories, I'm definately going to have to build up some history older than 2300 years ago...gah!;) Well, most my my ancient history is quite vague at the moment, composed mostly of archaeological data and the like. A time-line of Ilaros. Dates given in the Republican Calendar, PR (pre republic) and CR (charter of the republic), the current date is 1634 CR. c. 200,000 PR: the mysterious Shattered Lens Empire establishes itself on the continent. Very little is known about these people save that they were not native to the world, and that they seem to have come from the void between realities. Cities are built according to a complex mathematical arrangement throughout the contentment, and at the center of each city was a great observatory. What the purpose of either the arrangement of the cities or observatories was is not known; it is however evident that the Lens people placed great importance in these structures, and that their fall would coincide with the shattering of the telescope lenses. c. 150,000 PR: The Shattered Lens Empire mysteriously vanishes from the face of the world, its god-like people are all but forgotten, and its cities fall into the dust. The observatories remain, but they are ruins now, their great lenses deliberately shattered by some unknown hand. c. 100,000 PR: The goblinoid peoples begin their migration to the contentment. The earliest attested goblinoid settlements are in the north, but within a few few thousand years they had spread over the whole of the northern two thirds of the contentment. c. 50,000 PR: The first physical attestation of the Bhuka in the Aktójaa is dated to this period and consists of a small cache of flint tools with associated bones, including the all-important neck bones that show the attachment of the frill and a near complete skull. c. 40,000 PR: The first of the large scale dromite hive-settlements, the resin- ware hive is attested. The name derives from the curious pottery artifacts made of long lasting beetle resin. c. 30,000 PR: Evidence of the early settlements by humans, gnomes, and elves appears. In all cases these are late stone age cultures with considerable sophistication in tool making and general material culture. Their point or points of origin are still unknown due to the lack of a corresponding material culture on any known landmass. c. 4,500 PR: Writing in invented by the Pagorta, a now long gone gnomish culture, of what is now the southern Ejantuli Empire. The script is a logo-syllabary and remained one of the most influential scripts for the next two thousand years. On the topic of how I made my map, I used a combination AutoREALM for the maps, icons and labels, OpenOfice Draw for the layers and transparency settings, and IfranView for conversion to GIF. It doesn't come out as nice as Photoshop, and it takes a bit longer fiddling around with controls, but hey, it's free:D I've never used AutoREALM before; how difficult it is to play around with? |
| Darth Syntax05-08-07, 01:18 PM | I must be really slow on the uptake of late. I failed to note an interesting trend in the sociological information about many of the regions: I speak of course of imperialistic elves. I wonder what caused so many of us (myself included) to develop this idea in relative independence? -- Anyway, I am sorry for my lack of posting of late, but work is getting a bit more in the way at the moment. However, I shall attempt to get some useful, and hopefully interesting, information on my region out in the next few days. |
| Araes05-08-07, 05:29 PM | I'm not sure about the timing, but its a logical response to the much more pronounced trend of elves in all other fantasy and sci-fi literature (if they happen to be space elves, or spelves) as dying races of elder beings who are being slowly whittled away despite their great power. LotR, all of D&D, Warhammer Fantasy and 40k (Eldar). Its pretty much a uniform truth across all of fiction, and it gets old. It also ties in with the human-centric idea that we're nearly always the most populous and the ultimate custodians of the world, ect... |
| SovietCanuck05-08-07, 10:31 PM | I agree, Araes. In most fantasy universes elves are a declining race which has vastly superior magical and military skill when compared to humans. However, this presents a contradiction, does it not? So there are two options: weaken the elves military and magically, or change their state in the world. Now if elves are a race dedicated to the twin arts of magic and combat, what would be the driving force behind it? To me, the most logical interpretation would be to make the elves an imperialist, expansionist nation. While others will have different opinions on the matter, I feel like elves fit really well into the roll of an imperial force. I believe that the reason humans are present as the major race is that for most authors and world builders humans present a huge variety of options without being shoe-horned by typical preconceptions of other fantasy races. That is one of the reasons Eberron and Warcraft stand out for me, because they break preconceived notions of typical fantasy races without resorting to inventing new races. That's my input for now! I'm going to try and get up my pantheon and outer realms tommorow |
| Darth Syntax05-08-07, 11:57 PM | And of course I am one more for the chorus here when it comes to the elves and imperialism. They whole dying race bit is more than a tad cliché by this point, and I am glad to see a different take on elves in this world. I only hope that we can extend this "reimagining" to the whole of things; given what we have all done, I think it is likely. So, drinks all 'round and all that. |
| Araes05-09-07, 12:00 AM | Heh, we can all go hang out at the Library of Babel sometime and toast a couple rounds to ourselves. Thel's place would be cool for scenery, but I think we'd be more thirsty by the time we got done with our drinks then when we started. I'd invite you all over, but the table I'm hiding under is a little crowded, with there being a monster here and all. |
| Elldorith05-09-07, 04:06 PM | I love this Project and would not mind getting involded. I however do not have the software to create a land mass. If dark could do so I would like to feel out what I may. If you are interested in having me. Elldorith |
| Darth Syntax05-09-07, 08:20 PM | In regards to a little light cartography, I would be more than happy to map out a region for you. However, if you could provide me with some general details of the region (location by section number, physical geography, and so on) that would be most excellent. Also, a very quick sketch of the region (done in something like paint even) would be invaluable so that I can get the shape and placement of geographic features right. |
| yellowdingo05-10-07, 08:09 PM | I love this Project and would not mind getting involded. I however do not have the software to create a land mass. If dark could do so I would like to feel out what I may. If you are interested in having me. Elldorith Make sure you atleast provide Darth with a description of the region. That way your map is a text idea. Campaign Secrets 1. The Crooked Door DM Briefing: The door itself is a singular ceramic artefact. Otherwise primitive and simple there are in fact several cuneiform scripts in the ceramic surface with little more appearance than scratches. The Door is only open at winter solstice. That deep winter in which a traveller moved from one side of the world to the other and in doing so moves forward six months. In returning the traveller moves again forward by six months always finding themselves in winter yet loosing six months at a time. Conceivably a person could travel back and forth through the door for a prolonged period of time and be lost to the distant future. Indeed this is what happened to the creators of the door. Fearing annihilation the Sulung fled through the door. They travelled back and forth from the moment it opened to the moment it closed and were gone many thousands of years into a future where they might be safe. Through the Door today is a land fought over and bled for. Who ever these people are today, they fight over the crooked door. Desperate battles are fought for control of a plain surrounded on distant sides by mountains and their weapons are not the primitive tools of the obsidian, bone and wood of the Dewa. Rather they possess weapons of ceramic crafting. Blades sharper and harder than steel. Refuse from the battlefield also reveals the working of cloth (the two dominant cloth banners found on the field are black with a hand outline sprayed in white ochre, and white banners with black three petal flowers. |
| Darth Syntax05-11-07, 12:38 AM | Our esteemed project director asked me to draft up his/her/its/respected androgyn's region in the manner I have been doing. Well here is the first draft of said map. Much of the climate data is conjectural at this point, and it will be easy to fix if I got it horribly horribly wrong. The rivers too are pure speculation on my part, but I tried to put them in where it seemed logical. Anyway, any and all comments from the yellowdingo on the map will carry infinitely more weight than my meager scribblings. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/197/493262718_4b495854cd_b.jpg |
| DonThelonious05-11-07, 03:50 AM | Lordy Lordy Lordy have I been out of the loop for awhile. Sorry to be away for so long guys, its been rough out here in the desert. Anyways... I have a lot to say so lets get started. First-Also, why don't we turn the tables a little bit when it comes to colonies. One of the bigest issues with European colonization of the Americas was disease. What if Thel's land has a variety of new and interesting diseases that his people are acclimated to, but the foreigners are not? I have often wondered why the disease aspect of American colonization wasn't more of a two way thing. I was reading up on what I have missed and had some thoughts on the whole disease thing. I was thinking that what we can do is pick one disease and our natives would be immune to it or at least gat a +1 or +2 bonus an saves. Foriegners on the other hand would be highly susceptible to this and get a -1 or -2 on saves. This I think would accuratly (ish) represent real world disease. Since my land is gonna be so savage I would like 3 diseases. -- As for being the picking ground I have an awnser to that. DS you are a great asset, I really like the world map. Since my intention is to be in area #1 I would also like to take area #13 as well. I also noticed that you have done up a map for YellowDingo, and was hoping that you could maybe help me along with mine. You see, I am but a poor boy trapped in the desert and have not the ability to get mine online yet, so if you could help me I would be indebted to you. -- I was wondering if any of you would mind me placing some refugees in some of your regions, they would be integrated of course but I thought maybe it might add some flavor. -- I'm not overly concerned about how the jetstreams move and weather patterns, so I will leave it those better suited and more inclined. -- Proposal I motion that we give this collaborative world a name. I submit to you, my fellow members of The Project, for your approval the name of: Dwenty. I know it sounds simple, but oftentimes simplicity is the soul of elegance. What say you? |
| Elldorith05-11-07, 04:58 AM | In regards to a little light cartography, I would be more than happy to map out a region for you. However, if you could provide me with some general details of the region (location by section number, physical geography, and so on) that would be most excellent. Also, a very quick sketch of the region (done in something like paint even) would be invaluable so that I can get the shape and placement of geographic features right. Since you are so nice to help me with my lack of map gear, I dont mind if you pick the triangle for me. I dont mind the geogrphy either..I can make use on anything you wish to do. Desert, Mountain, Islands...I am easy to it all. Thanks again Elldorith |
| Darth Syntax05-11-07, 12:51 PM | Ok Elldorith (might I call you Ell? or Dor? or Francis?) I can mock something up. But if you have any ideas for what you want, I will be happy to incorporate them. For example, if you want horse (or other mounted) nomads, you'll need a fairly large area of plains and the like. Also, if you have a preference, polar or equatorial? I just don't want to squish anyone's creativity with the lines on a map. |
| Elldorith05-11-07, 05:39 PM | Ok Elldorith (might I call you Ell? or Dor? or Francis?) I can mock something up. But if you have any ideas for what you want, I will be happy to incorporate them. For example, if you want horse (or other mounted) nomads, you'll need a fairly large area of plains and the like. Also, if you have a preference, polar or equatorial? I just don't want to squish anyone's creativity with the lines on a map. You can call me Ell :) Closer to the equator is fine. Plains sounds good too. Maybe a good mountain range and some islands . I cant wait...should be fun. |
| yellowdingo05-11-07, 09:40 PM | Project Director is So hash...Considering you are pretty much responsible for your own region except for Cartographer DarthSyntax who gets maps as an extra plaything...kitty likes to play with ball of string. It is good to see we have picked up a few others, still hopping we can pick up a whole planet full of DMs. |
| Darth Syntax05-12-07, 02:52 AM | It is good to see that the project is alive and kicking. My it go well for us all. -- I hope to get some more mapping done at some point, but this upcoming week is going to be a little bit of hell for me (job things really, just lots of work) so I'll probably get backlogged a bit. -- Ell, I have a draft of a potential region for you. If you don't like it, let me know. I would much prefer that people have maps they like than just take any old thing I or someone else drafts up. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/494458984_6d32e48efc_o.jpg Currently I am thinking that this region is east of region 10 (their will be some fixing of region 10 to accommodate things of course), but you are free to request a move. -- yellowdingo: I promise, I'll fix up your region and all of that, just let me know anything that you would like to see done. -- As for the rest of you superlative people (and any future members of The Project) please keep making your maps if you can. It's great to see other cartographic ideas, and hey, mapping is fun. -- Hopefully my writers and historians block will clear up at some point and I'll start getting some cultural notes up and the like before the end of the world is upon us. So I've got about 5 billion years, that should be enough time . . . |
| DonThelonious05-12-07, 03:36 AM | Just finished reading up on the religous aspects of DS and Araes and have to say there is some interesting dynamics:angelhide (I love that word:)). This caught my eye: One of the religions is an animism basis with a focus on all things having a spirit. It has no central "holy city", but does have a number of holy sites which are most prominent in Kadauu. However, they occur with relatively high frequency in nearly every nation. NOTE: Most of the holy cities of other religions are considered holy sites simply by the amount of emotion centered around them. This religion was started with humans, but has actually found some of its strongest proponents among the orcish folk. Halflings and centaurs are also common practitioners in other parts of the continent. How recent is this religion:confused:? Because it touches on aspects of mine. This is just a thought, so do with it what you will, but if the religion is fairly new (say within 600-1000 years) then it couold have been started by refugees or emigrants from my lands. Kind of like tamed beast-riders by comparison. What do you think? -- Also I was wondering if you folks remember YellowDingo' world-spanning-star-stealing hand? How does this effect the various members of your respective religions? What are their beliefs in regards to what the hand represents, and possible prophosies(sp?) or heresies(sp?) there-in?:thinks: -- :globe:And what happened to the idea of the inner-sphere? Are we still going with that? I was thinking that for the sake of how the planes interact we could just make 1/2 of it controlled by demons and the other half controlled by devils, so they can still wage that eternal war. Please give me your input on this idea 'cuz I gots me a plan and I wanna know if it will work. |
| Elldorith05-12-07, 04:02 AM | The map looks good for me. You dont have to change a thing. I will post as soon as I can on the people and places. Thanks again. Ell |
| Araes05-12-07, 01:28 PM | if the religion is fairly new (say within 600-1000 years) then it couold have been started by refugees or emigrants from my lands. Kind of like tamed beast-riders by comparison. What do you think? I have no problem with this Thel. Would be an interesting twist on the setting, and one more crossover between the various continents. In addition to the physical goods and produce from the New World, our traders have also brought back ideas about spirituality and life. |
| SovietCanuck05-12-07, 09:56 PM | Sorry about this. Been a little busy here, so hadn't had much of a chance to write up anything really substantial till this morning. So let me just say, welcome to the fold, Elldorith! And keep up the great work on those maps, Darth! -- I support the idea of Thel's region having some pretty nasty bugs that help to impede colonialization. However, this would make religion a major power in the colonies, as the priests and paladins would have the spells needed to facilitate the colonization process. Still, it sounds like a great idea, and I fully support it :D -- Also I was wondering if you folks remember YellowDingo' world-spanning-star-stealing hand? How does this effect the various members of your respective religions? What are their beliefs in regards to what the hand represents, and possible prophosies(sp?) or heresies(sp?) there-in? Gah...haven't really thought of that. I'll have to incorporate it into my religions somehow...prolly the Caelens will make it representative of their Devil or whatnot, while the Kith will view it as the demons searching for them, and snuffing out another world in their march around the universe...I'll work on it. -- I was wondering if any of you would mind me placing some refugees in some of your regions, they would be integrated of course but I thought maybe it might add some flavor. No problem here. Again, the Trade Nations would be most accommodating, though your refugees might have to flee into the Great Elven Empire, as it is the closest to your region. -- I agree with Darth and Araes on their views of alignments and religion here, where priests gain power from dogma and beliefs instead of divinities. I like Darth's idea of spontaneous domain casting...makes one's specific beliefs and values more important than one's overall alignment The Caelen Church http://www.wowwiki.com/images/thumb/e/ee/Scarlet_Crusade_Tabard.jpg/200px-Scarlet_Crusade_Tabard.jpg A progression of the primal faiths of the original non-elven migrants to the region (possibly an advanced heterodox branch of Araes' polytheistic religion), the Caelen Church really took shape after the death of Cael, the human paladin who lead the humans, dwarves and other races in rebellion against the first Elven Empire. It is a monotheistic religion, worshiping the immortal God-Emperor, Cael, though the exact nature of Cael is a heavily debated topic. In fact, each nation has it's own national church, and they are all engaged in covert operations and more overt missionary against their 'misguided' brethren. The central holy city is the Citta Sulla Collina, the City on the Hill, where the Tomb of Cael's appointed successor, Samuel, does lie. However, there are numerous other holy sites around the kingdoms, the tomes of saints, prophets and divine miracles. For example, Tibris holds an important cathedral, surrounding the rock which Cael through down from the High Heavens to give hope to his missionaries to the Horselands, while the tomb of the esteemed philosopher and theologian Heinrick of Bramsburg bring pilgrims from all over the region to Vendenburg. The eventual goal of followers of Caelen is to live honorable and productive lives so that their souls are removed from the cycle of death and reincarnation, and allowed to ascend to the High Heaven, where Cael reigns over his glorious court. The most common symbol of the Caelen church, the broken circle, represents this. There is no set style for Caelen churches, and each nation is prone to inventing their own style, weather the onion-domed cathedrals of Rimegaard, the towering minarets of Qalitz, the Gothic columns and archways of Caelen, of the distinctive red-bricked and steep-roofed Holtland houses of worship. The Living Gods http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/fp_gallery/fp1/Silvanus_symbol.jpg While the majority of the faithful, including the majority of elves, in the region follow the doctrine of the Caelen Church, the elves of Thalu Tal'Qusail have maintained their millenia old faith in the Living Gods. This pantheon of divinities are the primal forces of elven nature made incarnate, weather it be magic, music, or warfare. It is said that these gods cannot die as long as elves exist. The most visible sign of existence of the Living Gods was at the legendary Battle of Hiren, where the elven god of war, Alishir Hirun, the Warrior, became incarnate in the midst of the conflicting elven and Caelen armies and squared off against Cael himself. Though Cael was slain that day, his followers crushed the elven army in retribution, causing the irreparable hatred that exists between the two faiths today. Each elf is encouraged to find out what message the Living Gods bring to them as individuals. The elven religion, unlike the Caelen one, is very personal, focusing more on meditation and reflection than on mass worship. Their houses of worship, or Nith'Kor Hiim (House of Souls), are designed to provide a quiet place where elves may go to find themselves and their gods, and appear more to be enclosed gardens then actual places of worshiping. Besides the widely known god of war, there eleven other gods, however their names are a closely guarded secret of the elves. Their titles are The Creator, The Lover, The Mage, The Philosopher, The Beast Master, The Trickster, The Destroyer, The Dreamer, The Deathless, The Artist, and The Preserver. Some elves and Caelens claim that the Kith's god, the Traveler, is the thirteenth (lost) Living God, however the Kith vehemently deny this, and their religious practices are more akin to that of the Caelen church then the introspective elves. The goal for followers of the Living Gods is unity with the god that exemplifies their own life. So a warrior would seek to live a life close to Alishir Hirun, so that when he dies, he will join with the Warrior, becoming one with him. Those who cannot join with a god when they die are condemned to an eternity of loneliness, as their soul can never find peace. Humans and other races conquered by followers of the Living Gods find themselves regarded with pity by the elves, as they can never bond with the Gods, and thus will spend eternity alone. However, worship of the Living Gods is encouraged, as maybe the living god will take mercy on worthy followers and make them into fey or elementals. They will never be able to join with the Gods, but they will never have to die. Worship of Cael is forbidden, as he represents an outside force trying to change others, instead of one's own internal self changing oneself. The Traveler The creator, sustainer and protector of the Kith, he is the last living god of their pantheon. When the Kith's homeworld was invaded by the hordes of the Abyss, their deities fought and died along side them. Eventually, the head of the Kith's pantheon realized that if any of his children were going to survive, they had to leave this world he created. So along with the remaining members of the pantheon, he dredged up the last bastion of the Kith, their capitol city of Nohn, and flung it across the multiverse. When the island crashed off the northern shores of the ancient Caelen empire, he was the only god left, the rest having sacrificed their very essences to power the planeshift. The Kith's relationship with their god is very personal, as they believe their god is with each of them constantly, however their worship and celebrations are community events, where several nomadic clans come together for week long festivals. The Traveler's only holy site is the Last Temple in Nohn, which every kith is expected to visit at least once in their life. The Ice Gods This is a catch-all phase used to describe the religions of the Ithu'Kut nomads. They are generally polytheistic faiths following a myriad of gods, goddesses, and animal spirits. The religion of the ice nomads is central to their culture, and each tribe has their own collection of holy sites that represent different aspects of their lives, such as a shrine to the Caribou Spirit where the tribe leaves offerings for the health of their mounts, or a cairn dedicated to a fallen ancestor from which the clan's shaman can channel his warrior spirit to empower the clan against invading Rimegaardsmen. The central focus of the religion is the cycle of renewal. The spirits and gods of the arctic wastes help to drive the changing seasons, and without the belief and support of the Ithu'Kut, the nomads belive that their gods will no longer be able to rise the sun each summer to renew the tundra, and start the yearly cycle of travels Shamanism The horse nomads of the Horselands have a religion that much resembles the Ice Gods, with each clan believing in important animal and natural spirits who protect and empower the tribes of the steppes. However, while one can find variation on Iqal'Jut, god of the great waters amongst all Ithu'Kut, there is no such cohesion amongst the Horselanders. In fact, many wars and vendettas between clans are caused by variations on religions, and while two Ithu'Kut of differing tribes would be willing to admit that their gods are the same, simply suggesting that to a Horselander is an invitation for death. If one spirit plays a prominent role is Horselands Shamanism, it is the Great Horse, the forefather of all the great beasts of the plains. However, each clan has their own legends and practices to honor this spirit, and each claims the others worship a demon or other fel spirit who has triked them into worshiping false gods. |
| Darth Syntax05-13-07, 12:10 AM | Sorry about this. Been a little busy here, so hadn't had much of a chance to write up anything really substantial till this morning. So let me just say, welcome to the fold, Elldorith! And keep up the great work on those maps, Darth! Eh, it's fine. I think many of us have had a lot on our respective plates of late so no worry their. I support the idea of Thel's region having some pretty nasty bugs that help to impede colonialization. However, this would make religion a major power in the colonies, as the priests and paladins would have the spells needed to facilitate the colonization process. Still, it sounds like a great idea, and I fully support it :D I also welcome refugees into my region and I would be rather interested in seeing how they would have adapted themselves to the local cultures. Also, if the refugees left Thel's region shortly after the cataclysm that he as been alluding to, the sort of culture they brought with them would doubtless be very different from what one would find there now. -- On disease and religion Religion and the medical arts are rather separated in my region as clerics who have anything to do with healing are rarer than chicken's teeth and paladins are non-existent. Most physicians in the civilized portions of my region are either alchemical doctors or egoist psions. The medical profession is seen as a proper science by a myriad of peoples and the idea of linking it with religious practice would be found to be quite distasteful (or outright horrifying) by most of my people. Priests are their like to deal with the ailments of the soul (or the mind for those who deny the existence of the soul. Which is rather common in cultures with a substantial gnome and/or psion population) not of the body. For such mundane matters as physical maladies, physical treatments are called for. The idea of magically healing someone without any real analysis of the ailment or a through understanding of the treatment would be highly unsettling. (This is a bias of mine, and I have played many a character who will outright refuse divine healing as a result. A current character of mine would much rather die than be healed) Gah...haven't really thought of that. I'll have to incorporate it into my religions somehow...prolly the Caelens will make it representative of their Devil or whatnot, while the Kith will view it as the demons searching for them, and snuffing out another world in their march around the universe...I'll work on it. I haven't considered it at all either; partly because I was not sure it was actually being implemented. I agree with Darth and Araes on their views of alignments and religion here, where priests gain power from dogma and beliefs instead of divinities. I like Darth's idea of spontaneous domain casting...makes one's specific beliefs and values more important than one's overall alignment That's why I like the whole domain casting bit. It makes the priests more attached to their religion and beliefs. I also have similar opinions about dealing with the undead (I mean really, what does a priest of a god of travel have to do with the undead? Shouldn't such a priest be able to do something more thematically appropriate than turn undead?) -- I like where you are going with your religions. I also really like the symbols; very swank. |
| Araes05-13-07, 12:45 AM | I agree with Darth and Araes on their views of alignments and religion here, where priests gain power from dogma and beliefs instead of divinities. For the part of my own religions, I think the issue could be said to be a bit more murky, at least for the ones that do believe in divinities as part of their faith. At least in my perception, the heavens are morphic based on faith. To more clearly illustrate what I mean, how about the following: Suppose my polytheistic religion has been around for quite a while - originally put forth by the dwarves, it is as old as the mountains. In that time, in the view of most practitioners of the relgion, most of the gods were relatively equal in power, with the chief of the gods being slightly moreso. Priests of the faith would ask whatever particular god was relevant to them for the spells or abilities necessary for their tasks, and the god would answer. Now, with the split of the monothiestic branch in Valgard, there are a great number more people who believe that only the chief of the gods is important. As such, he literally has become more powerful. By their devout faith, they have somewhat altered the balance in another religion that is tied historically to theirs. That change has affected the way people pray somewhat in the other religion and the power of spellcasters. Finally, another important bit is that at least in my perception, the people who believe in the gods do get their powers from their gods. Enough people have believed the same thing, that they have caused something to spring into existence, which can then be interacted and bargained with for power. In addition, that god can also interact with other beings who don't believe in it. This has a number of consequences, but they can be semi-contained to my area if people like. One of them is that I think the physical presence of the gods is going to be something much more common than it is in standard D&D in my lands. Much more like Greek or Norse tales, where the gods wander the land, interacting with humans and influencing their fate. This borrows somewhat from Neil Gaiman's great book, "American Gods", which is highly recommended, but in such a setting, the gods are naturally interested in maintaining their own existence, so they do everything in their power to make sure people believe and are faithful. In addition, for the animist groups, I'm thinking that since they believe everything has a spirit that can be interacted with, and collections of things have even greater spirits, then practitioners of their faith may have powers corresponding with concepts like geomancy, ley lines, communication with objects, and communication with "group spirits". By group spirits, I mean that they might be able to directly interact with a group of objects or people by directly talking to the spirit that represents their presence in the world. Ley lines are another interesting case, as they would naturally follow features in the world that have strong emotional ties to people like trade routes, rivers, national borders, mountain ridges, ect... Anyhow, most of my thoughts on that. Sorry about the haphazardness of my own posting in here as well. I've been kind of distracted from the boards as of late, and I'm getting ready for a location shift as well. |
| yellowdingo05-13-07, 12:56 AM | Darthsyntax, I Love the map...as Araes has got a chunk of land rolling over the north pole, guess I need to flip mine and put it in the south pole though. Mind you if we dont get some DMs to fill those other regions we may wind up with a huge shallow sea of reefs and atolls... DM: "your lifeboat passes silently between two of the reinforced keeps built around the edge of the perpetual reef...above you guards are pointing at you through the mist. You have reached the wall at world's end. Beyond is the open ocean." |
| turalisj05-13-07, 02:02 AM | Is this still open to help with? :D |
| Araes05-13-07, 02:09 AM | Of course, feel free to join in if you like. There are tons of sections where no one has claimed anything yet. I'm not sure where yellowdingo , Elldorith, or Thel's lands are going to go, but if you look at this map compilation that DS created, you can see how much of the world lies unclaimed. Please, jump right in. We don't care about your art, we just want contributors. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/487004558_56797f684d_b.jpg *appologies for linking to your flickr image if that is a problem DS. |
| turalisj05-13-07, 02:14 AM | *rolls his gold-painted d20* Hm... looks like I'm going to 3.... Let me go back an read over the stuff before posting. |
| yellowdingo05-13-07, 02:22 AM | *rolls his gold-painted d20* Hm... looks like I'm going to 3.... Let me go back an read over the stuff before posting. In that case i guess it is a "flip the map and put it in 12" day. |
| yellowdingo05-13-07, 02:26 AM | Spelljammer: dont realy want to go there just yet unless it is infact an achievement by some region or empire as the history of the world unfolds...any thoughts? |
| turalisj05-13-07, 02:27 AM | I only have the stupid paint program to work with, so my map is going to be low budget.. If my scanner was working, I could have one sketched up complete with a grid layout....:D Anyway, my area is going to have three regions: 1) The Land Above, where beings of great power of the mind (psionics) rule. 2) The Land Between, where those with arcane and divine skill hold sway. 3) The Land Below, a place filled with bubbles of air that has devolved into a primitive state, where martial skill and being strong of spirit (incarnum) is your best bet for survival. |
| Araes05-13-07, 02:59 AM | No worries on the art, as I said, we don't care about picture quality. Some of us have access to better tools, but that shouldn't bother you in the least. We're just looking for additions and content. 3 huh? The way the map wraps, that means you're bordering SovietCanuck's creation in section 9, and two empty triangles in 2 and 11. You should note that you are somewhat polar, and that SC did create some nations that will border your triangle and you might want to work into your own setting. Heh. Or you can just draw a big mountain and call it good I guess. When you say three areas, are you talking vertical, like a layered continent with multiple underdarks, or possibly flying stuff? Or more like a geographical separation, with sections of the continent held by different groups? Spelljammer. I'm pretty certain no would be the right answer. Everyone so far seems on the same page to have most travel done by seagoing ship, along with some aerial flight. Jumping around in space (wildspace) would be a big step. |
| Darth Syntax05-13-07, 03:07 AM | Araes: Linking to the map is no problem as far as I am concerned. Feel free to do so. Also, if you want to mark up any of the maps for critique purposes, I certainly don't mind. -- turalisj: Welcome to The Project. As regards your map, don't worry of it's done in paint, it will be more than fine. Now then, your three regions. How are they structured in a physical sense? It sounds like they are stacked atop each other or something (or that they are like those Russian nesting dolls, or the worlds from Torin's Passage, yes I played that years ago). It will be interesting to see how this works out. -- On Spelljamming: I'm not sure we really need to address this at the current design phase. Also,considering the rather eccentric nature of our ur-cosmology it might not be all that wise to include the world(s) that go along with Spelljamming. On a similar note, I think it would be unwise to link this world to the standard cosmos (or indeed any other) as it would cause all manner of continuity and consistency problems. -- On positioning of map segments Currently, i believe that Thel is in region 13, Ell is in 1 and yellowdingo is somewhere in the southern polar region. I might have this all mucked up of course, so any corrections would be good. -- I promise, culture and the like will be coming on my region. I'm just a bit hacknazzered at the moment. |
| SovietCanuck05-13-07, 04:01 AM | Okay...so let's see if I have the regions right: -yellowdingo:12 -Darth Syntax: 17 (and 10, though if we get 20 DMs, 10 will prolly go to the last) -DonThelonious: 13 (and 1, though again, 1 can be taken up if we get more dms) -Araes: 19 -SovietCanuck: 9 -Elldorith: unclaimed Equatorial (20, 7, 5 and 4 all work) -and the new guy (welcome!) turalisj: 3 So there's the basic rundown as of this moment. turalisj, you're going to be bumped right against me on the "international date line", or sorts, so we're going to have to do some mashing together:) Also, though your region looks like it's polar, note that the equator runs through the center of the zone right below you, so your zone is really from the 30° (northern Africa/southern States) to the poles. Besides that, have fun, and I'm interested to see how your "three regions" work out Oh, and a side note: The nation of mine that spills over into yours, the Horselands, are a bunch of nomadic, shamanistic psionicists, so it could work! -- Spelljamming, in my honest opinion would be a no. Maybe you could get away with flying ships...though Thel's dragons would probably have a go at you if you got to close to them:P But I agree with Darth. Let's keep this world separate from any other continuity. If you like something from another world, feel free to fit it in to your region. Be creative! You can find a way to fit in the Time of Troubles, dragonmarks, moons of magic, cannibalistic halflings, and the City of Doors all into one region :D -- Araes, though I like your concept for divinities here, I guess this means we're going to have to keep our theologies somewhat separate. The Living Gods are sort of 'the gods inside everyone', and I don't think that having walking, talking avatars would fit very well with that idea. The Traveler does exist as a 'mortal' wanderer, who travels frequently with the Kith clans, and the spirits of the Ithu'Kut and the Horselanders are present in the natural world, so I guess they resemble the gods of your region. However, the Caelen church doesn't. However, I can, and will, modify it so that Cael was actually the God-Emperor of the First Caelen Empire, which is why none of the modern nations will join with the new Caelen Empire, as they will only fall under the dominance of Cael, and not some 'princess' who 'claims' the blood of Cael flows through her veins. (As a coincidence, two others also claim that right, the Emperors of Qalitz and Vestenreich). I'll have to work out the kinks, but I think I can adapt so our regions aren't too different:D |
| SovietCanuck05-13-07, 04:03 AM | *double post, ignore* |
| Araes05-13-07, 04:34 AM | Hmm, was Ell going to be in 1, or was that going to be Thel's second land of interest? Probably an important point for Thel and Ell both if they want to write stuff. SC, I actually thought the Cael strain might be one of the best to work with the manifest dieties idea, as an immortal god-emperor seems like a natural to be hanging out with his most devoted followers and guiding them personally. But, I guess if its all strife as to who actually is decended from him, and can claim rights, then this would make it quite a bit more difficult. |
| SovietCanuck05-13-07, 04:55 AM | SC, I actually thought the Cael strain might be one of the best to work with the manifest dieties idea, as an immortal god-emperor seems like a natural to be hanging out with his most devoted followers and guiding them personally. But, I guess if its all strife as to who actually is decended from him, and can claim rights, then this would make it quite a bit more difficult. Well, what I am currently considering is that after the collapse of the first empire, Cael took off, disappeared off some ways (interpreted as heading off to the High Heavens), and said that he would return when humanity had proven itself again (empire collapsed under corruption, they ignored Cael's warnings). So, now what I'm thinking is that the Caelen Empire wants to re-unite the region to bring back Cael, where as the other regions won't be united under anybody but Cael(/themselves). So Cael could fit in with your manifest deity line, absolutely, but he's note home right now:D |
| turalisj05-13-07, 12:26 PM | turalisj: Welcome to The Project. As regards your map, don't worry of it's done in paint, it will be more than fine. Now then, your three regions. How are they structured in a physical sense? It sounds like they are stacked atop each other or something (or that they are like those Russian nesting dolls, or the worlds from Torin's Passage, yes I played that years ago). It will be interesting to see how this works out. -- It's on top of another like stacked plates. WA on top, WBet in the middle, and WBel underneath. I'm working on some Stargate-sg1 inspired psionic items, including staff weapons that fire an energy ray, a flying chariot with a pair of staff weapons attached, etc. Here's an idea for travel between the areas: Gateway: A gateway looks like a large ring made of stone. When the correct coordinates are entered, it allows a number of people to travel to another area. The coordinates must be entered as follow: 1) Number on the d20 for the point of origin 2) Number on the d20 for the destination 3) Number on the d20 for the region to the left of the point of destination 4) Number on the d20 for the region to the right of the point of destination 5) Number on the d20 for the region below/above the point of destination 6) Number on the d20 for the region opposit the point of destination. If the coordinates are entered incorrectly, it sends the person to a random location. |
| Elldorith05-14-07, 04:33 PM | I will Take 7 on the Region if none else is. |
| Elldorith05-14-07, 04:48 PM | http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/494458984_6d32e48efc_o.jpg Short Start The North East Land Mass of the Possible Map (Now Affirmed Map) is the Nation of Uld Realm. Uld Realm is a collection of smaller kingdoms that pay homage to the Uld King. It is a prosperous land of farm and field with the Bone tusk mountains cutting down the center. It is these mountains that hold the people of Uld. The nation is both underground and above, the major race being Dwarf. The High King is T'Tug Ironfaith. The High King has known a life of peace and his people have not seen war in many a year. The Kingdoms that T'Tug rules over are rather small, each ruled by a Duke, Baron or Marshall. They consist of the Dutchy of Gorguthron, the Kingdon of Riz, the Baronies of Cal, Drieg, and Alturvia. There are shires and Cantons throughtout the realm that are defended by knight protectors. Even though the nation has not seen a great war in many a year, that does not mean there is no danger to be had. The cult of Malice hides within the citires and bergs of the Nations of Uld. The cult whorships forgotten powers and tries to bring the down fall of the dwarven King and his people. The mountains hold lairs to the dangers of Chimera, Griffon and harpy. The worse threat comes from the sea. There the nations of Devil fish reside between the Island nation of Uld Realm and the main continent. The subjects of Dagon by no love the the surface and make frequent raids on the westren Kingdoms of Uld. |
| LostMage05-16-07, 02:42 PM | Hey, is there any real estate left? I had an idea for an island campaign setting, but my players wouldn't hear of it, though I'd like to try my hand at making settings on the boards. If so, are there any ideas that have been decided on a global scale that I ought to know about? (magic, religion, race, etc) |
| Darth Syntax05-16-07, 03:37 PM | There is plenty of room left in the world at the moment especially in the "west" of the map. If you can tell me if you prefer a polar or equatorial region I can give you a list of available regions. -- As to the constraints of the world, there seem to be a few that are evolving. 1. The world has it's own cosmology that is unlinked to any other. Currently the cosmos is rather an unknown quantity, and it seems to be quite complex. 2. Gods are seemingly more a product of religion and belief that a physical reality. However, there are powerful beings who walk the earth that are worshiped as gods; but their true divinity is unknown. 3. Although we might debate the true nature of magic till we're blue in the mouth, it appears to be a force (or collection of forces) that is bound by laws. In short, magic appears to be just another natural phenomenon, albeit one with some very strange behaviors. Both Araes and I seem to be treating magic as a form of science, but that is probably more how our people understand it than anything else. 4. The population of the world seems to be fairly diverse, so their should be no real trouble with races and the like. However, their seems to be no unity among races, so the elves of the Ejantuli Empire and the Kedaran elves have little in common. -- Welcome to The Project. If you have any questions feel free to ask. |
| LostMage05-16-07, 03:49 PM | Thanks, Darth Syntax. Alright, a few questions: besides what's happening across the globe, what else do I need to know about posting on this thread? Also, when you say polar, how polar are we talking, here? And, how on earth do I put maps up? Oh, one more: what's the area of the triangle I have to work with relative to somewhere on Earth? |
| Araes05-16-07, 04:19 PM | I believe that the size for the triangles was decided on at 4000 miles to an edge. Which would work out to ~6,900,000 sq miles of area. This is a little bit smaller than all the land area of Australia. I host my maps on a Google Pages account. DS puts his maps on a Flickr account. By polar and equitorial, look at this map (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/487004558_56797f684d_b.jpg)for a general idea of how big the span between polar and equitorial is. Overall, the planet is generally of average Earth areas for how polar and equitorial extents. Also, I recommend going back and reading the past several pages, as most of your questions are answered there. |
| LostMage05-16-07, 07:10 PM | Thank you, Areas and Darth Syntax. I'm off to read the thread... |
| turalisj05-16-07, 07:20 PM | Does anyone have a map making program I can use? |
| SovietCanuck05-16-07, 07:38 PM | Welcome to the Project, LostMage! For polar triangles, the area we're talking about is from roughly 30° to 90° (either N or S), while equatorial are from 30°N to 30°S For a real world analogy, polar regions range from the US Gulf Coast/ African Mediterranean Coast to the north pole, whereas an equatorial region would go from the Gulf Coast border strait down to the northern borders of Chile and Argentina. He's an overlay of the Project with a Dymaxion projection map of earth (the one that fit's best with Darth's set up) http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/501403356_5a83f4efec_o.gif For my images, I use flikr, however both Tinypic and Photobucket work well...just don't use image shack:yuck: Almost every region has their own set of gods. Thel's region has dragon and titan cults, Araes has very active and influential pantheon, while mine is more of a Abrahmic religion. turalisj, Microsoft paint works well if you don't have access to anything else, and aren't willing to spend hours learning AutoREALM. Just use IfranView (http://www.irfanview.com/) for conversion to GIF or other compressed file to upload it. If you want to use AutoREALM, you can get it at http://www.gryc.ws/autorealm.htm. Because AutREALM doesn't have a transparency setting, I just moved the different layers over to OpenOfice Draw (http://www.openoffice.org/) and fiddled around with transparency there before moving it over to IfranView for conversion I think that's all for now:D |
| LostMage05-16-07, 08:01 PM | Wait, Soviet... OK, regions 6 & 1 are roughly parallel to the arctic circle, and regions 20, 14, 11(?) and 3 are antarctic, is that all correct? So if I interpreted your your map correctly, region 6 ought to have a chilly climate in the north, and an atmosphere similar to the Mediterranean in the south? If that's the case, I'd like that one, it looks empty, and not completely out of the way from what's developing. |
| Araes05-16-07, 08:06 PM | He's an overlay of the Project with a Dymaxion projection map of earth (the one that fit's best with Darth's set up) Hmm, this is something that I think may be unclear among the thread, and so I want to address it here. How exactly is the d20 rotated in relation to standard Earth regions? In my view, and when I proposed the d20 Die shown in this post (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12182115&postcount=21), I envisioned that the north pole of the world would touch triangles 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and the south pole of the world would touch triangles 12, 14, 15, 17, 18. The equitorial line would run through 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 19, 20. If this is the case, then I believe your map would need to be chopped roughly in half and rotated 90 deg SC. Otherwise, we need to firmly establish rotations so nobody is confused. Effectively, by my view, the north pole runs across the top of DS's map, the equator runs straight through the center of DS's map, and the south pole runs along the bottom. |
| SovietCanuck05-16-07, 08:09 PM | Erm...I put that map up for size comparisons, not for climate! Don't want to confuse you here...the reason I chose a Dymaxion was that it is a polyhedron-based map, like our world is, and so works for SIZE, however the Dymaxion is set with the north pole in our zone 1, while in our world, the equator runs through there, and the pole in at the northern points of the arctic regions. Therefor this does NOT work for climate...unless our world's climate has decided to take lessons from Azeroth :P the antarctic regions are 14,15,16,12 and 18, while the arctic regions are 3,2,8,6 and 9. These regions do go from Mediterranean and/or tropical climate and up to arctic. Just to clear up confusion here:) |
| LostMage05-16-07, 08:17 PM | Phew! I thought I mis read that post at the beginning of the thread (and in Araes' link) In that case...region 6 is still a polar region, near other nations... I still pick that, I think. |
| yellowdingo05-17-07, 02:35 AM | Phew! I thought I mis read that post at the beginning of the thread (and in Araes' link) In that case...region 6 is still a polar region, near other nations... I still pick that, I think. Post#125 by Areas Includes a Worldmap by Darth, |
| DonThelonious05-18-07, 05:27 AM | Ok, so this is like BIG, but I got someting for everyone!:cookie::cookie: I have no problem with this Thel. Would be an interesting twist on the setting, and one more crossover between the various continents. In addition to the physical goods and produce from the New World, our traders have also brought back ideas about spirituality and life. I wasn't thinking about current events, but thats interesting. So you want to say you have been trading with my lands for say, 600 years? -- I support the idea of Thel's region having some pretty nasty bugs that help to impede colonialization. However, this would make religion a major power in the colonies, as the priests and paladins would have the spells needed to facilitate the colonization process. Still, it sounds like a great idea, and I fully support it :D Cool:thumbsup: [QOUTE]No problem here. Again, the Trade Nations would be most accommodating, though your refugees might have to flee into the Great Elven Empire, as it is the closest to your region.[/QUOTE] However they may fit in is purely up to you, though I would ask for them to be pushing in some way (politically?) for the chance to reclaim thier homelands. In your Elven Empire, do you mind if they are Wild Elves? -- I also welcome refugees into my region and I would be rather interested in seeing how they would have adapted themselves to the local cultures. Also, if the refugees left Thel's region shortly after the cataclysm that he as been alluding to, the sort of culture they brought with them would doubtless be very different from what one would find there now. If possible, either have them live as outcasts, or pushing politically for the chance to reclaim thier homelands. The details of them I will leave up to you. -- Pre-Cataclysm Life in the old world of Fellstar was much like that of the original Native Americans. While things like metallurgy and engineering were not unknown, they were uncommon. Ship building and sea going were the tdrade mark of the early humans, though gnomes soon tried thier hands at it as well. The great Welkins were unheard of at that time, sleeping deep in the earth. Dwarves did as dwarves always do, digging deep into the mountains for precious minerals. There were only a handful of metropolis areas, much like the Aztecs Teotehuaca. These were mainly religious sites, with towns springing up around them. Psionics was never heard of, nor was most arcane magic. -- Spelljammer: dont realy want to go there just yet unless it is infact an achievement by some region or empire as the history of the world unfolds...any thoughts? No. And on the topic of my dragons, yes. They would very quickly take down anything that might threaten thier hold on thier worshippers. -- Okay...so let's see if I have the regions right: -yellowdingo:12 -Darth Syntax: 17 (and 10, though if we get 20 DMs, 10 will prolly go to the last) -DonThelonious: 13 (and 1, though again, 1 can be taken up if we get more dms) -Araes: 19 -SovietCanuck: 9 -Elldorith: unclaimed Equatorial (20, 7, 5 and 4 all work) -and the new guy (welcome!) turalisj: 3 I was in area 1. I was thinking about expanding to area 13, but I wanted everyones opinion on it. Soviet, I was wondering if your God-Emperor Cael was a Titan? If so, he could just be hiding out on my lands, waiting for the perfect time to go back to his chosen people. That would make for a very intersting connection between our two regions. I could just imagine groups of adventurers on holy quests to the Savage Lands in search of thier long lost God-King. Hell, they could even just think he is there since the 'Gods' of my lands walk the earth with thier chosen peoples. -- I'm working on some Stargate-sg1 inspired psionic items, including staff weapons that fire an energy ray, a flying chariot with a pair of staff weapons attached, etc. Here's an idea for travel between the areas: Gateway: A gateway looks like a large ring made of stone. When the correct coordinates are entered, it allows a number of people to travel to another area. The coordinates must be entered as follow: 1) Number on the d20 for the point of origin 2) Number on the d20 for the destination 3) Number on the d20 for the region to the left of the point of destination 4) Number on the d20 for the region to the right of the point of destination 5) Number on the d20 for the region below/above the point of destination 6) Number on the d20 for the region opposit the point of destination. If the coordinates are entered incorrectly, it sends the person to a random location. I'm not to sure about this. It suggests a previous civilization pre-dating anything we have now. Suffice to say, if there was a Gate in my region it would have been buried in the cataclysm. BTW Welcome Aboard:) -- Hey, is there any real estate left? I had an idea for an island campaign setting, but my players wouldn't hear of it, but I'd like to try my hand at making settings on the boards. If so, are there any ideas that have been decided on a global scale that I ought to know about? (magic, religion, race, etc) I think I have claim to most major diseases (that sounds SO wrong to me). I also have claim to exotic wood for weapons and such. My special creatures are half-dragons and dinosaurs, so if you plan to use them let me know so we can work something out. BTW Welcome Aboard:) -- Okay thats all I have for the second. Geez, leave for a couple days and you folks just toss another page on the thread. Nice to see some new names here (no offense Araes or DarthSyntax) welcome to The Project. I will be available for the next couple of days (FINALLY!) so hopefully I can post more than just long responses. |
| DonThelonious05-18-07, 05:28 AM | Yeah I started another page!!!!!:cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::ch eer::cheer: |
| Darth Syntax05-18-07, 10:29 PM | So, here is a draft of Thel's region as near as I can make out. Enjoy http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/503903461_9f434ed309_o.jpg |
| DonThelonious05-19-07, 05:00 AM | Dead on DS, your a god send -- I just went over the main diseases in the DMG, so here is my listing: Blinding Sickness: The murky swamps are home to this hellish virus. Demon Fever: THe Theronian Tribe has a saying: "Keep your dagger clean". The most common cause of this particularly nasty bug is just that, a nick on the finger from a dirty dagger. Red Ache: Any wound taken in the deep swamps is a guaranteed case od Red Ache. These are the top three I'm taking out of the DMG, I might add more as I find them or come up with them. |
| Darth Syntax05-19-07, 03:40 PM | Glad you like the map Thel. If you want either the higher res version or the original photoshop image, let me know and I'll get them to you for your editing pleasure. I hope to have a revised and expanded world map up sometime this weekend, so that should prove somewhat interesting I hope. -- To all of you newish people, if you need any help with maps and the like, let me know and I'll do what I can. |
| LostMage05-19-07, 06:42 PM | Yeah, I'll probably need map help. Sorry I haven't posted anything yet, I'm trying to think of something that's unique, and wholly different from the world I've been making. Some ideas for what I have in mind (tentative, of course) *most of the region is islands. Travel has been developed by all the major races: elves, who are expert in the ways of math and astronomy, are excellent meteorologists. They use traditional sailing ships. Gnomes, whose island I'm thinking is surrounded by alkaline waves, make use of hot air balloons, and plan to send their first submarine to the depths of the sea to explore why their islands are surrounded by caustic waters. Dwarves, who live not in mountains, but active volcanoes, make use of steam boats (dwarven wizards have worked out a way to encapsulate small amounts of magma for use on such ships) to ship their coffee and rum. Halflings both travel on and live in their houseboats, and humans make use of whatever means are most available. Orcs use galley -slave propelled vessels. *wizards and sorcerers need pure spring water on their person to make use of magic. The islands with the best springs and streams have become prestigious schools of magic. *alright, I'll borrow something from my own setting: culture is fairly advanced: arts, natural philosophy, education, etc. are much farther along than the stereotypical D&D middle ages. |
| turalisj05-19-07, 08:46 PM | A quick outline: The islands: There are several islands that make up the Tri-realm area. The biggest of these are called the Big Three: Unadri, Duonduri, and Triunkri. Unadri: Unadri is the largest of the islands. It is located in the northern part of the region, and thusly encounters harsh winters and snowfall even when other lands would be in midsummer. It is mostly populated by the fey kingdom and the elven kingdom, which live in harmony with eachother. Duonduri: Second biggest of the three. It is located just below the equater, and is a scorching desert island. It is mostly populated by humans and undead, te latter having lostthier once glorius and wealthy empire to plague and war. Triunki: The smallest of the three, Triunki is the most habitable. It has an even mix of hot and cold seasons. It's inhabitants vary from humans, to elves, dwarves, and even the rare hafling. Next: The empires |
| Darth Syntax05-19-07, 09:10 PM | Yeah, I'll probably need map help. Sorry I haven't posted anything yet, I'm trying to think of something that's unique, and wholly different from the world I've been making. Let me know what I can do to help you out. If you would like me to draft you a map I can, but it would be good if I had a version done in your own hand to work from. Some ideas for what I have in mind (tentative, of course) *most of the region is islands. Travel has been developed by all the major races: elves, who are expert in the ways of math and astronomy, are excellent meteorologists. They use traditional sailing ships. Gnomes, whose island I'm thinking is surrounded by alkaline waves, make use of hot air balloons, and plan to send their first submarine to the depths of the sea to explore why their islands are surrounded by caustic waters. Dwarves, who live not in mountains, but active volcanoes, make use of steam boats (dwarven wizards have worked out a way to encapsulate small amounts of magma for use on such ships) to ship their coffee and rum. Halflings both travel on and live in their houseboats, and humans make use of whatever means are most available. Orcs use galley -slave propelled vessels. My only bones of contention here are with the submersibles and the steam power, as that might cause a few too many problems with the rest of the world. Diving bells might be acceptible, but full-scale submarine boats are probably out. However, balloons I cannot object to as I too am making use of them (primarily due to the near total lack of possible flying mounts in my region). The rest of your ideas sound good though. *wizards and sorcerers need pure spring water on their person to make use of magic. The islands with the best springs and streams have become prestigious schools of magic. Oddly, in another setting I am working on, it is saltwater that is the required catalyst for both magic and psionics. Casters tend to travel about with clay and glass vessels of sea water to maintain their powers. Now, I am not sure how well the water idea will work in relation to the rest of the world. If magic functions so very differently in your area, then what is the reason for it and why are foreigners capable of the same feats without aid of water? From an aesthetic standpoint I like the idea, I'm just not sure how well it would integrate into the world. *alright, I'll borrow something from my own setting: culture is fairly advanced: arts, natural philosophy, education, etc. are much farther along than the stereotypical D&D middle ages. Same here, at least in my major powers. The existence of magic has had no stunting effect on the rest of the sciences as magic is a science (or rather an element of it, as it is not considered to be a distinct discipline. A specialist in optics is also going to study illusion magic for example). Considering the cultural levels you are referring to, how interested in foreign trade and colonization will your people be? -- turalisj, some of your geography is going to be tough to work out as no single region will have both polar and equatorial climates. If you want a polar region then the non-polar region of the triangle will be at about 30° of latitude, making it about the same as New Delhi or New Orleans, still well outside of the technical tropics. -- And now, an updated world map http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/505183435_a6d6f00d03_b.jpg |
| LostMage05-19-07, 09:53 PM | Let me know what I can do to help you out. If you would like me to draft you a map I can, but it would be good if I had a version done in your own hand to work from. Yeah, I'll see what I can get together on Paint, and see how I can post it. My only bones of contention here are with the submersibles and the steam power, as that might cause a few too many problems with the rest of the world. Diving bells might be acceptible, but full-scale submarine boats are probably out. However, balloons I cannot object to as I too am making use of them (primarily due to the near total lack of possible flying mounts in my region). Well, diving bells I like rather better, now that you mention it. To be honest, the subs were an after thought when I was posting. As for steam power, it is localized: it's dependent on the magma in a volcano. However, I'm not terribly averse to removing it from the dwarven islands. Oddly, in another setting I am working on, it is saltwater that is the required catalyst for both magic and psionics. Casters tend to travel about with clay and glass vessels of sea water to maintain their powers. Now, I am not sure how well the water idea will work in relation to the rest of the world. If magic functions so very differently in your area, then what is the reason for it and why are foreigners capable of the same feats without aid of water? From an aesthetic standpoint I like the idea, I'm just not sure how well it would integrate into the world. Well, this is true. Still, these are all tentative ideas. I could say that the Great Mage Prospero, or whatever original name I think of later, learned magic in seclusion on one of these islands, and all of his formulas for magic required water. Due to isolation, s/he didn't learn other magic or teach his own style, though it isn't too hard to figure out if you aren't familiar with it. Same here, at least in my major powers. The existence of magic has had no stunting effect on the rest of the sciences as magic is a science (or rather an element of it, as it is not considered to be a distinct discipline. A specialist in optics is also going to study illusion magic for example). Considering the cultural levels you are referring to, how interested in foreign trade and colonization will your people be? Well, in my other setting, I'd like magic to exist apart from science (even though it is advanced there as well), but here, the way you've put it is very good, if you don't mind my borrowing it for this setting. As for colonization, probably very interested. The setting was originally just a few notes in a sketchbook, but my PCs didn't like the concept, it was supposed to in it's own little world. But, given the circumstances, trade would be very important to halflings (who travel and live on houseboats), dwarves (who could export coffee, decorative crystal, etc.) and probably gnomes. Elves and humans would be interested in commerce and colonies, and orcs would want galley slaves. I may make the elven, human, gnomish and dwarven islands a confederacy to make life easy. But, again, I have a vague notion for another world that would have a continental basis, but probably with most of the same themes I've mentioned. by the way, is there another way of making a post like this one without having to cut up and reattach the [/QUOTE] parts all over? |
| Darth Syntax05-19-07, 10:30 PM | I'll be hanged if I know how to make a "commentacopia" post without the manual entry of [/quote] tags. It would be nice, wouldn't it . . . |
| LostMage05-19-07, 10:43 PM | OK, I was just hoping there was some secret to it... Anyways, I was looking back at the thread, and saw a comment on imperialist elves...what are the odds that I (without really examining the thread yet) conceived elves as an imperialist power...weird. The other concept I had in mind was a large continent with some sort of fantastic or geographic dividing force, but a huge incentive for people to travel from their towns and villages into the wilderness. If you've ever played Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, or read Monster Blood Tattoo well, that's the inspiration for the other idea I'm bouncing around. Travel would focus on air, this time. Sciences would probably be developed in the areas of chemistry, medicine, and alchemy. The dividing force could be monsters, tracts of countryside where streams of wild magic flow, etc. Most races would probably have to cooperate with each other to survive despite isolation, and the adverse areas that would cover the land would make the peoples of the land very keen on trade with other nations or colonization. |
| DonThelonious05-20-07, 03:52 AM | DS- Great job on that world map, though I just noticed how wonderfully Araes in 19 has his islands linning up with my region, it looks like a text book example of continental drift. |
| Araes05-21-07, 12:39 PM | Now, I am not sure how well the water idea will work in relation to the rest of the world. If magic functions so very differently in your area, then what is the reason for it and why are foreigners capable of the same feats without aid of water? From an aesthetic standpoint I like the idea, I'm just not sure how well it would integrate into the world. One idea I had in looking over this comment was that a large section of the region you are working with could be a massive anti-magic zone. This would keep everyone from outside of the region from being able to use magic within it. In addition, the springs within the region could be bubbling up with some element present that either negates the anti-magic, or provides enough of an internal power source that they can circumvent the anti-magic properties. One idea in this case might be that as magic is cast, it slowly consumes the spring water that is being carried. |
| LostMage05-21-07, 10:13 PM | I like that idea: if I go for the island setting, that would work rather nicely, and we could all come up with why there is a shortage of "normal" magic around region 6. If I prefer the continent, that could be the problem that contributes to the dividing force: a large, magic-rich series of empires arose in antiquity, but for some reason, the anti-magic effect crops up, the empires crumble, and leave behind on their old boundary lines magical barriers that have warped effects in the zone of anti-magic. |
| yellowdingo05-21-07, 11:11 PM | I love the updated map darth, now if only we can pick up new DMs to fill out the globe... |
| ewancummins05-21-07, 11:20 PM | Despite being busy with the Lords of Creation thread, I am interested in helping you guys build the world you're working on in this thread. |
| Darth Syntax05-22-07, 12:22 AM | I think that filling in regions 3,4,11,16, and 20 will probably be more than sufficient to finish off the world (6 is also taken, but we haven't seen the map yet). If we occupy all the faces of the map, there will not be "enough" ocean. -- Welcome ewan, your commemorative hat and muffin tin will be dispatched shortly. |
| ewancummins05-22-07, 12:51 AM | Just a few rough ideas: My region should be near the equator, as it's mostly warm [temperate ranging to tropical]. It's mostly one landmass, running off the map. Most of the interior is arid. The seas are very dangerous to travel, being the home of sea serpents, sahaughin , and other nasty monsters. This fact, combined with the geography, makes the overland trade routes very important and widely used. The region is the source of many spices in high demand in other parts of the world. It also is home to groves of bronzewood trees and deposits of high carbon iron[ which makes quality steel weapons and armor]. The major races will be dwarves, humans, goblins, and probably some more exotic races around the margins. Dwarves are merchants, artisans, and engineers. Dwarf merchants dominate the spice trade, in particular. Goblins are tribal people of a foul disposition. Many have been enslaved, and some subsequently freed, and now live in the cities built by the other races. They aren't viewed as monsters, but as people[admittedly, not generally the sort of people you'd want as neighbors]. These urban goblins end up doing the dirty work in the cities. Tribal goblins often live by a mix of pastoralism and brigandage. Rather than great empires, many small states dot the region. Some are citystates, others small princely domains. None have established a lasting hegemony, despite multiple attempts at empire building. The Common tongue is a trade patois, with a very heavy Dwarf influence and loan words from a dozen languages. |
| turalisj05-22-07, 07:25 AM | I think that filling in regions 3,4,11,16, and 20 will probably be more than sufficient to finish off the world (6 is also taken, but we haven't seen the map yet). If we occupy all the faces of the map, there will not be "enough" ocean. -- Welcome ewan, your commemorative hat and muffin tin will be dispatched shortly. I already have 3..... I just don't have a map. |
| Araes05-22-07, 01:00 PM | I think that filling in regions 3,4,11,16, and 20 will probably be more than sufficient to finish off the world (6 is also taken, but we haven't seen the map yet). If we occupy all the faces of the map, there will not be "enough" ocean. Well, there's nothing saying that we "have" to keep this within Earthlike proportions. There could pretty reasonably be 20% water if there was enough demand, and I don't think I would mind horribly. There would still be the potential for colonialization, but just more potential groups trying to sail every which way. |
| SovietCanuck05-23-07, 02:53 AM | Just a few random ramblings to show I'm still and working on my region...however slowly it may be progressing :) Unique Materials I'm still really iffy on what kinds of unique materials my region would have access to...I was thinking of a derivative of the dragonshards from the Eberron Campaign setting. Something like magically infused crystals that showered the region as a byproduct of when the Kith's island phased in. These crystals allow the magicians and artificers of my region compete with the mages of other reasons, as the mages in my region are controlled by the church, and therefor haven't explored magic to the depths other regions have. --- Culture Cultural level in my region is 1500's. Some regions (Trade nations, Rimegaard, some portions of Castile and Vestenreich) are advancing culturally. Ideas such as reinterpretation of scriptures, reexamining arcane theories, rekindling of scientific thought. Basically, there are people trying to return the region to being a 'world power' like it was during the peak of the first Caelen Empire, and are adopting foreign ideas combined with antiquated Caelen customs to recreate this. However, most regions are mighty conservative, and the Great Elven Empire is regressive, seeking not to 'recreate' but return things to the ways they were. The boarders between the elven empire and it's human and dwarven neighbors is visible from space...on one side you have cultivated fields, bustling towns and cities, and cobbled roads, and on the other you have wild, untamed wilderness, no visible settlements whatsoever. There are some technological breakthroughs being felt by the common people. Infact, last year the crowning achievement of the Trade Nations, the Firensdamm-Deraile railway, was opened to the public. Though most cannot afford the relative luxury of the rail, it stands as a symbol of progress, and unity of belief amongst the trade nations. --- Magic As I mentioned earlier, magic in most of the nations that made up the Caelen Empire is tightly controlled by the church. There are no wizards so much as there are mage-priests. The elves see this as an abomination, as they see arcane magic and divine magic two things completely separate, like water and fire, however for Caelens, arcane magic is tapping into the latent power of Cael's creation, a counterweight for priests who tap into the power of Cael's dogma and teachings. Do and Say, Act and Think, Change and Repair, opposites that cannot exist without the other. So to with magic. There are other forms of magic, Psionics being most popular, which have been factored in to the Caelen's interpretation of magic. For some, psionics is just another form of arcane magic, while for others psionics is a third pillar of creation. Body, Mind and Soul. Proactive, Active, Reactive. Do, Say and Evaluate. Other less common forms of magic are blended in between these, such as Shamanism and druidism being Divine magic in purpose, and Arcane in act. This will present some differences with both Darth's and Araes' dealings with disease and mine. If a disease strikes my region, priests and wizards are called in swiftly to contain the disease, and cure the stricken individual. The soul of one man is far more important than understanding what sickens him. If a physical cure can be found, excellent, takes some of the load of the clerics. There are alchemists who would be fascinated with stuff like that, however most citizens don't care what is making them sick, so long as they can get back on their feet as soon as possible. Now to put in some feedback and responses :D However they may fit in is purely up to you, though I would ask for them to be pushing in some way (politically?) for the chance to reclaim their homelands. In your Elven Empire, do you mind if they are Wild Elves? Nope...and the elves of the empire really don't care about where you come from, so long as you're an elf. Their belief in the Living Gods means they see all elves and half-elves as brethren (excepting those who have sold their soul to the false god Cael), and your wood elves would be more then welcome there if they were willing to skewer a few humans, dwarves, halflings and kith. And they would definitely find some sympathetic and adventurous elves willing to strike out and reclaim land in the name of Elvenkind. Soviet, I was wondering if your God-Emperor Cael was a Titan? If so, he could just be hiding out on my lands, waiting for the perfect time to go back to his chosen people. That would make for a very interesting connection between our two regions. I could just imagine groups of adventurers on holy quests to the Savage Lands in search of their long lost God-King. Hell, they could even just think he is there since the 'Gods' of my lands walk the earth with their chosen peoples. Eh....I really don't like the idea of Cael being a titan. I much prefer he be basically an 'ascended' human. However, the rest of the idea is brilliant. There could be runes with the broken-circle iconography of Cael...leading explorers to believe this is where Cael journeyed to after he left the Empire to it's rot and decay. I could even rework it so that he brought a handful of followers with him, and whose decedents are now after 1000 years indistinguishable from the natives of your region, if that fits with what you'd like to do with your region. This could very well create a 'holy land' syndrome where several of my nations are rushing to find the 'hoy grail' or 'holy hand grenade of Samuel' or some other artifact that proves Cael's continued existence. I like where this is going :D I like that idea: if I go for the island setting, that would work rather nicely, and we could all come up with why there is a shortage of "normal" magic around region 6. If I prefer the continent, that could be the problem that contributes to the dividing force: a large, magic-rich series of empires arose in antiquity, but for some reason, the anti-magic effect crops up, the empires crumble, and leave behind on their old boundary lines magical barriers that have warped effects in the zone of anti-magic. Hmm...I have an idea that could provide for the antimagic effect of your region...an entire island flung across the muliverse that crashed just east to your region :) This could've had a major destabilizing effect on the magic of the surrounding areas...my region lost all normal arcane magic, and only the faith-based magic of the Caelens and the druidic magics of the Elves still functioned. This is just a thought! I'm still trying to fit in the time frame for this event, however I'm thinking between 1000-700 years ago. I think that filling in regions 3,4,11,16, and 20 will probably be more than sufficient to finish off the world (6 is also taken, but we haven't seen the map yet). If we occupy all the faces of the map, there will not be "enough" ocean. I agree. With these regions filled out, the rest of the regions prolly won't be more than a few scattered islands/small peninsula (Alaska/Iberian Peninsula/Arabia sized...okay, not that small). However, let's just wait to see how many folks turn out. We're getting about one a week :D Finally, I'd like to welcome ewan! Thanks for joining :ayyyy!: |
| LostMage05-24-07, 09:33 PM | Yeah, Soviet, I like your island idea a lot, and that island would become a point of interest, what with expeditions to its shores and such. Anyways, I'm leaning towards the continental scheme of things, and I still can't get maps going... copy&paste-ing a Paint document apparently doesn't work here. But it was worth a shot. Looking at your stuff: I like the railway idea, very nice. Magic is pretty good too, but I have a question: why wouldn't your mages be on par with those of other regions? Wouldn't the church, if they make use of arcane magic themselves, see it as a useful branch of study? Psionics in nicely incorporated. Maybe the clerics are theologians and psions are natural philosophers? (By the way, a wandering wizard who evades the law of the church and goes around teaching magic to all sorts of people might be an interesting hook for an adventure. Or maybe an inquisition... how tolerant is the church?) |
| SovietCanuck05-24-07, 10:25 PM | Yeah, Soviet, I like your island idea a lot, and that island would become a point of interest, what with expeditions to its shores and such. Not certain the kith would like that, though. They're sorta sensitive to folks dropping in on them...to the point of brining up a screen of fog...I was thinking about making it an Atlantis-like feature in the mythology of my region. the lost homeland of the kith, filled with riches and technological marvels, searched for by hundreds of adventurers, found by none. Seems like it can fit in well with your region's perceptions! Anyways, I'm leaning towards the continental scheme of things, and I still can't get maps going... copy&paste-ing a Paint document apparently doesn't work here. But it was worth a shot. You'll have to upload it first. I don't know which image hosting site would work best for you, but I would recommend http://tinypic.com/ (http://tinypic.com/)if you just need to get it up for a few weeks, just so Darth can make a copy of it and preform some touch-ups. Looking at your stuff: I like the railway idea, very nice. Magic is pretty good too, but I have a question: why wouldn't your mages be on par with those of other regions? Wouldn't the church, if they make use of arcane magic themselves, see it as a useful branch of study? Magic isn't as developed because it's restricted by the church. Mages can't really examine magic, or rework their theories. Think about it like astronomy in the renaissance. Most of the early evidence pointed towards a geocentric universe, and those that provided evidence to the contrary were discredited and put on trial for arguing about the popular interpretation of scripture. Now this is of course a gross oversimplification, however it represents the basic feeling of Caelens towards magic: the old theories are right, and you are expected to conduct experiments to further refine those theories, not ones that debate their factuality. Psionics in nicely incorporated. Maybe the clerics are theologians and psions are natural philosophers? Interesting idea...I'll mull over it By the way, a wandering wizard who evades the law of the church and goes around teaching magic to all sorts of people might be an interesting hook for an adventure. Or maybe an inquisition... how tolerant is the church? Inquisition sounds about right for Caelen, Castile and Qalitz. However a private mage would be payed top gold in Vestenrich, while in the more liberal Trade Nations, an unlicensed wizard would be fined or imprisoned at worst, and that's only if they've done something destructive like flinging fireballs around a town square, or dominating a member of parliament. |
| Darth Syntax05-25-07, 08:04 PM | Anyways, I'm leaning towards the continental scheme of things, and I still can't get maps going... copy&paste-ing a Paint document apparently doesn't work here. But it was worth a shot. LM, if you are having trouble getting your map up, you can send it to me and I'll post your original in this thread for you. PM me for details and all of that jazz. -- On "Magic" I like the ideas that have been floating around here. I think that our differing takes on magic and its practice will help to differentiate cultures and the like. The idea of "natural philosophy" and the like, is quite close to how both arcanists and psions view their abilities in the in the more civilized areas of my region. Indeed, in the major languages of the Republic, the League, the Empire, and Adós, there is no word to describe either magic or psionics that would be distinct from either "science" or "philosophy". Illusions and the like cannot really be separated conceptually from the sciences of perception and optics any more that the calculus can be separated from mathematics. I suppose one could craft a rather cumbersome way of referring to "magic" as a distinct entity, but it would be highly contrived and unnatural. This view would, I imagine, be very different from what would be prevalent among the Caelen and it would lead to potential cultural difficulties should a "scientist" from the Republic drop by for a visit. I can sense the plots already . . . .:plotting: |
| SovietCanuck05-26-07, 01:56 AM | This view would, I imagine, be very different from what would be prevalent among the Caelen and it would lead to potential cultural difficulties should a "scientist" from the Republic drop by for a visit. I can sense the plots already . . . .:plotting: Hmm...I think I'll let this quote speak for itself: Peasant #1: We have found a witch, may we burn her? Angry Mob: BURN HER! BUUUURN HER!! Bedevere: How do you know she is a witch? Peasant #1: She looks like one! Yes yes, this could work out extremely well:schemes: Now for the main course: A climatic map of Caelen. If anyone would like to offer feedback on the map, it would be greatly appreciated, as I want the climate to be as realistic as possible http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/514318563_e41c0d2c2a_o.gif On that map you will probably notice I made a few changes to geography as I advanced my ideas for the region here. The big change is the addition of the island nation of The Chalice (usually referred to as The Isle of the Chalice). I was fiddling around with the history and theology, and found that I needed another nation to fit in everything I needed, so I just shrunk the Kith homeland and dropped an island off the coast of the Trade Nations. Note that despite it's location, The Chalice is not a trade nation, being a feudal state that shares more in common with Caelen then with it's closest neighbors The Restored Kingdom of The Guardians of The Chalice Government: Commonwealth ruled by High King Current Rulers: High King Henry Chalicebearer IV Population: ~5,800,000 Demographics: 68% Human, 15% Halfling, 6% Dwarf, 4% Gnome, 3% Maenad, 1% Kith, 3% other Capitol: Kingsbridge Official Religion: Lady of the Chalice Alignments: LN, N, LG Quick Overview: After the collapse of the Caelen Empire, and the disappearance of their God-Emperor, the remnants were thrown into chaos. Without a strong central government and the backing of the powerful Caelen military, local governors could not maintain control over the regions they were responsible for, and local warlords and decedents of the old chieftains quickly took control. One notable individual from this time was Harold Jarlholme, who claimed to have received a vision from the God-Emperor, in which Cael explained that he was just a herald of the true God, who slept in a hidden loch on the island of Great Flans. Gathering an army of followers with this message, he lead a march on Great Flans, where in the Vale of Mists, he discovered the sleeping form of the Lady of the Chalice, grasping the artifact with which she created the world. Harold took it upon himself, his decedents, and the decedents of his followers to protect this artifact from nonbelievers, and conquered the island in the name of the Lady of the Chalice. One thousand years later, after a series of devastating civil wars, the most recent funded by the Trade Nations, the High King once again sits on the Sapphire Throne in Cascading Palace, having crushed the democratic reformers under the soles of the Knights of the Chalice. Chaliceites are a vain and arrogant folk, believing themselves to be the moral compass of the world. They favor militaristic classes such as clerics, knights and wizards, so that they can better defend their isle from those who would destroy their sleeping goddess |
| Darth Syntax05-26-07, 02:53 AM | The only real "issue" with the climate is with the positioning of the mediterranian climate. Generally speaking (and assuming earth-like winds here) M climates are found only on the western shore of a landmass (it's weird, but it's how it goes). As to the rest of it, it looks good. Given the taiga being where it is, I hope your Rimegaardir (or however you make the adjectival form of that place) have a means of dealing with the nearly non-existent growing season. |
| SovietCanuck05-26-07, 03:16 AM | The only real "issue" with the climate is with the positioning of the mediterranian climate. Generally speaking (and assuming earth-like winds here) M climates are found only on the western shore of a landmass (it's weird, but it's how it goes). As to the rest of it, it looks good. Given the taiga being where it is, I hope your Rimegaardir (or however you make the adjectival form of that place) have a means of dealing with the nearly non-existent growing season. Hmm...I didn't realize that. Sorry, I used Wikipedia for my info on climates, so I could be off. So, instead of Mediterranean scrubland, it would be a broadleaf forest then, right? As for Rimegaard, the southern coast has a growing season of between 140-160 days, that's not good enough for several crops, certain species of wheat preform extremely well. The Rimegaardsmen trade for most of their fruits and vegetables, and their diet is many of bread, dairy products, meat and fish. |
| Darth Syntax05-26-07, 03:52 AM | Oh you don't have to change anything, I was just point out a peculiarity of the climate as it appears on earth. Although a more general sub-tropical/warm temperate climate would have many of the same features, it just wouldn't have the extreme dryness of the Mediterranean summer. As to your question about broad-leaf forest, I think that would be more or less correct, although I would imagine that there would be some mixed forests as well. -- The agrarian trade makes sense for the Rimegaardsmen (Rimeish, Rimgaardir, or what have you. This name is way too much fun to adjectivize) considering their climate and so forth. I would imagine that furs, some lumber, and seafood of all sorts would be rather important trade goods. That's the beauty of the polar seas, they are rich feeding grounds for all manner of marine life and that will help to make up for the poor growing conditions on land. Whaling might also be an industry to look into. |
| DonThelonious05-29-07, 08:22 AM | Soviet: I would not mind that in the slightest. In fact it might even make for more intersting relations. I was wondering if the Caelean people are famioliar with dragons? If they aren't then the image of "Savage Peoples riding demonic monstrosities" comes to mind. And from the looks of it there will be competition in the form of the elves in search of thier homelands. I do believe we may be having a Jihad for my barbaric tribes in regards to the search for Cael. Im not sure if you want Cael here or not, but the crusade to search for him sounds awsome. Very good idea. |
| Elldorith05-29-07, 04:01 PM | http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/494458984_6d32e48efc_o.jpg Short Start The North East Land Mass of the Possible Map (Now Affirmed Map) is the Nation of Uld Realm. Uld Realm is a collection of smaller kingdoms that pay homage to the Uld King. It is a prosperous land of farm and field with the Bone tusk mountains cutting down the center. It is these mountains that hold the people of Uld. The nation is both underground and above, the major race being Dwarf. The High King is T'Tug Ironfaith. The High King has known a life of peace and his people have not seen war in many a year. The Kingdoms that T'Tug rules over are rather small, each ruled by a Duke, Baron or Marshall. They consist of the Dutchy of Gorguthron, the Kingdon of Riz, the Baronies of Cal, Drieg, and Alturvia. There are shires and Cantons throughtout the realm that are defended by knight protectors. Even though the nation has not seen a great war in many a year, that does not mean there is no danger to be had. The cult of Malice hides within the citires and bergs of the Nations of Uld. The cult whorships forgotten powers and tries to bring the down fall of the dwarven King and his people. The mountains hold lairs to the dangers of Chimera, Griffon and harpy. The worse threat comes from the sea. There the nations of Devil fish reside between the Island nation of Uld Realm and the main continent. The subjects of Dagon by no love the the surface and make frequent raids on the westren Kingdoms of Uld. Important Characters in the Kingdom of Uld. High King T'Tug IronFaith. Level 15 Dwarven Fighter/Level 3 Cleric of Moradain. Thane Rorik Shadowfold, ruler of the Kingdom of Riz. Level 8 Dwarven Sorcerer. Duchess Natalia del Lyon, Duchess of Gorgulthron Baron Kollbrandier Kolldrun, Baron of Cal Baron Wynsorg del Gryphon. Baron of Drieg Baroness Bridgett del Brigulsdottir, Baroness of Aturvia. Sorry I have not posted ina bit..was on vacation. |
| yellowdingo06-01-07, 09:28 PM | Sorcerers of the Dewa and spells MageArmor: This spell creates a translucent exoskeletal armor that causes the Sorcerer to have the appearance of an insect for the duration of the spell. |
| Darth Syntax06-03-07, 04:13 PM | I do enjoy a good insect theme. Beetles especially. -- In Cartographic news, if any of you good people who have not put up a map yet could do so in the near future that would be superlative. And as always, if you need help with any aspect of it (including image posting and the like), please let me know. |
| turalisj06-03-07, 05:48 PM | http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/Turalisj/TriRealms.jpg It's The best I could do. If anyone could touch it up with paintshop, that'd be great. |
| Araes06-03-07, 05:51 PM | As these areas are meant to be triangular, would you prefer that your area was morphed to fit into a triangular shape, or just add ocean boundaries around the edges when its integrated into the larger map? |
| turalisj06-03-07, 05:53 PM | I guess ocean boundries. I can't do much with pain(t). |
| Darth Syntax06-03-07, 06:58 PM | I have some questions on the map. According to your earlier posts, this is meant to be region 3, however your current geography doesn't mesh with the existing geography of the adjoining regions. There are tow main options here: one is to simply move your region to a different triangle, and the other is to rather drastically alter the geography to accord with the already existing regions. It's entirely up to you, just let me know what you are thinking and I'll help out as I can. |
| yellowdingo06-08-07, 10:03 AM | Adventure Ideas for the Oceans bordering the Dewa Region 1. The Boat It sailed out of the mists of the edge of the world propelled by a dozen Skeletal Oarsmen. Between them, on a raised bier, the clothbound body of some great lord lay in honor. DM Briefing: The Boat carries the corpse of the Dewa Sorcerer Gornissal. It has carried him from the Dewan Empire far across the Shallow Sea and over the edge into lands unknown. The Skeletons will attack with clubs (short Oars) and the Body has with it The Sword of BloodyBone. The Sword of BloodyBone is a +1 Bastard Sword of Abyssal Bone. It requires a Willcheck at DC30 from anyone looking upon it least they fall under its dark sway (they will attempt to acquire it for themselves and will plot and scheme to do so-they will also seek to kill with it at all times it is in their possession). |
| turalisj06-08-07, 02:52 PM | I have some questions on the map. According to your earlier posts, this is meant to be region 3, however your current geography doesn't mesh with the existing geography of the adjoining regions. There are tow main options here: one is to simply move your region to a different triangle, and the other is to rather drastically alter the geography to accord with the already existing regions. It's entirely up to you, just let me know what you are thinking and I'll help out as I can. What region would make sense for it? |
| Darth Syntax06-08-07, 05:25 PM | Regions 2 or 8 in the northern polar region might be a good fit. 15 and 15 in the south might also work (although you would have to invert your map). I'm going to be out of town for the weekend so I'll not have access to my computer with PS and all of my maps, but when I get back I start working on some draft map proposals. |
| turalisj06-08-07, 05:43 PM | I guess I can shift to 2 if that would make more sense.... >.> |
| Mafro06-08-07, 05:48 PM | Hey guys, forgive my ignorance as I'm new to the forum, but is there a place where all of your collective creativity to date can be seen? I'm having a hard time visualizing the world in its current state - what's been mapped, what hasn't, what regions have been described, what hasn't. Does someone own the overall picture of the world as each of the areas is developed and, if so, where does this map reside? I have an interest in the process of collaborative world building and I'd like to be able to periodically check in and see how you guys are coming.... =) |
| Darth Syntax06-08-07, 05:54 PM | That would seem to work out alright. Some general questions though: What do the different colors mean on your map? I am guessing that the dark green is either forest, grassland or some form of temperate climate, the grey would be mountains, the pale blue is either tundra or icecap, the light green some sort of forest, and that the yellow is desert. However, I could be wrong, so any and all corrections would be most welcome. Also, I note that you don't (as yet) have any rivers. Is this intentional (it certainly would effect the development of civilization in interesting ways) or are you planning on adding them in at a later date? -- Map Updates! We have map updates here! here is a revised version of the world map, including my edited version of region 9 based on the new map provided by the author. I still have substantial work to do on regions 19 and 7 (mostly of the cleaning up variety) and I have to add a polar continent spillover to region 12, but at least it's further along than before. If I have made any errors in mapping your regions please let me know and/or hit me with a large angry tuna. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/536515623_4d4600036f_b.jpg |
| turalisj06-08-07, 05:58 PM | http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/Turalisj/TriRealms.jpg It's The best I could do. If anyone could touch it up with paintshop, that'd be great. Blue is water Yellow is desert Dark Green is Taiga Light Green is a mix of Grassland and Temperate forest Light Blue is Tundra Dark Gray is low mountain, gray is medium mountain, and light grey is tall mountain. I had no way of sticking in rivers at the time, although I'm planning on getting paintshop to help with that. The place's where the mountains part would be the delta's of a river. |
| yellowdingo06-09-07, 09:33 PM | Turalisj's Map is probably best suited for the #2 triangle unfortunately it will be squised down into the bottom half of the triangle unless you decide to go with continental overlap into adjacent polar regions. MAFRO: Currently we are laying down the Map of the World on a contributor by contributor basis. If you have one pass it to Darthsyntax as our designated Cartographer. Firstly we laid down a description of the Planet. It is a big d20 and the world effectivly drops off the edge of a triangle into a bordering region. THat makes sea travel very difficult, Land travel precarious except through "Passes" that allow the party to travel over an edge into the land beyond without too much effort, and flight which will be very rare (except for flying dragons) easier yet suicidal. Once the Map is down there will be a good look at the regions and what is there. Some have already moved on to that as a description of the various empires that occupy their own regions. |
| turalisj06-09-07, 10:20 PM | Well, wait, what kind of region is 3 anyways? Polar? Tropical? ???????:confused: |
| ewancummins06-11-07, 04:03 PM | Love what you guys have done so far, but I'm too busy to get really involved , at the moment. Sorry. -Ewan |
| Darth Syntax06-12-07, 01:18 AM | Well, I'm back after my brief absence, so I'll be able to work on maps again (huzzah). Now then, some of my usual questioning . . . . Firstly we laid down a description of the Planet. It is a big d20 and the world effectivly drops off the edge of a triangle into a bordering region. THat makes sea travel very difficult, Land travel precarious except through "Passes" that allow the party to travel over an edge into the land beyond without too much effort, and flight which will be very rare (except for flying dragons) easier yet suicidal. . I wasn't sure that we had gone with the d20 as the physical shape yet, and I would like to put my vote in favor of a non-icosohedral world. The reasoning behind this is that many of us have regions that connect over the boarders of the faces and the rather noticeable angle that icosahedral faces create has not factored into our maps. If we were to assume such a shape, we would all have to radically alter our maps, figure out wholly new climate patterns, and probably a whole host of other things. If, however, we just assume that the d20 is a usefully projection of an otherwise spherical world, most of these geographic and geologic issues would go away. -- Well, wait, what kind of region is 3 anyways? Polar? Tropical? ??????? Region 3 is a so-called northern polar region, extending from 90°N to 30°N latitude (or roughly from the north pole to about New Orleans or bits of north Africa). So it will be really cold in the north and sub-tropical in the south. |
| turalisj06-12-07, 10:49 AM | Ok.... *checks world map* Last I checked (just a few minutes ago), there was a desert in the mongolian-china region called the gobi. And there were light forest areas around North America similar to what I have.... |
| Darth Syntax06-12-07, 08:53 PM | You are correct about the Gobi and the whole forest bit, so it is perfectly reasonable for you to have desert regions and forests. -- For some reason, and please correct me if I am wrong, I keep sensing that you have a couple of questions you want to ask about maps, but I can't quite put my finger on why that is. If you do have questions, please ask, and one (or more) of us will do our best to answer. -- Anyway, coming up soon in the world of maps: A map of region 17 that shows the distribution of language families. I'm still working on it at the moment, but it should be up in a day or so. |
| Darth Syntax06-13-07, 02:54 AM | And now, as promised, the major language families (not including sub-families, individual languages, or isolates) of region 17. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/543560162_0c29996a89_b.jpg |
| LostMage06-14-07, 08:38 PM | Sorry if I'm not getting anything up for you fellas. I've had finals, plus, I'm trying to work out something that's original, instead of from my own world. Oh, and the language family idea's awesome, by the way. I love that sort of thing. |
| SovietCanuck06-14-07, 11:07 PM | Great idea there, Darth, with the language families. I always find that stuff interesting, and it adds an additional layer to the culture of a region. However, that wouldn't work very well with my region, as it's all basically one language family...damn those empires, eh? :P I've been thinking along a similar vein here, and have been drawing up historical maps of my region from the time of the first settlers to the modern era. I have three down pat, and am working on a few more. With the first one (Caelen empire at it's height), I was not certain how far Araes and Lost Mage wanted the empire to expand into their regions, if at all...so I'll leave the decision up to you. The end of the eastern peninsula there sneaks into LostMage's region a bit, but if you don't like that idea, I can easily redraw the boarder. The first map has a significantly different geography along the northern and eastern coasts then the later two. The geography was significantly changed by twin calamities that struck the region at the fall of the empire. The first was the attempted reconquest of the land by the elves, during which Cael, in his dying breath, transformed the inland sea into a mountain range to stop the elven army from reaching the northern coast after the battle of the Fields of Ator, where Cael himself was mortally wounded by the living god Alishir Hirun. The second was the cataclysmic arrival of the Kith from their homeworld, casing massive tsunamis and earthquakes that sunk the northern islands and melted part of the northern icecap, leading to further flooding. The third calamity, the Horselander invasion, was not as damaging geographically, but the loss of life, wealth, and land (the horselanders salted countess acres of farmland and hewed down countless trees in their conquest of the empire) made it equal to the other two. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/550395835_41b378cd8f_o.gif http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/550395783_15bb313cd5_o.gif http://farm1.static.flickr.com/213/550395571_08b61934de_o.gif |
| Darth Syntax06-17-07, 01:14 AM | Soviet, those maps are excellent. It does show the development of the various countries rather well. -- On the topic of language families; I don't think you necessarily need to have only one family of languages to draw from (unless that is what you want). I would imagine that the language of the Rimegaardir (or whatever) might be entirely unrelated to that of the Caelen and so on. The Kith no doubt speak a unique language with few if any relations. So I think there is room for diversity if that is what you want. -- I am working on the history and description of the Ejantuli Empire at the moment, and it has undergone some revisions sense I last posted about it. Hopefully I'll have something up by tomorrow. |
| turalisj06-17-07, 04:00 AM | I'm still trying to get my map to look better... I am also working on the empires, and have some of the area's history done. |
| Darth Syntax06-17-07, 08:03 PM | turalisj, I've done a quick draft of your regional map, and I was wondering what corrections and the like I should make. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1142/562009970_e26934ad52_o.jpg |
| turalisj06-17-07, 09:58 PM | Hmm.... I was limited for space in the map I did. I was imagining each continent-area would be larger... >.> I'm not that good with maps, so I was hard to do one. |
| Darth Syntax06-17-07, 11:43 PM | It's fine, I understand that your map was a draft and that you were doing it in a square area. This is part of the reason that the islands are smallish; in order to get the northern island to have tundra I had to push it pretty far north which limited the size of everything given the triangular shape of the regions. I would be more than happy to work with you on another version of this map, just give me any and all details that you want and I can go from there. |
| DonThelonious07-05-07, 03:34 AM | :evillaugh:bump::bump::bump::bump: I cant let this thread die. Sorry I havn't been able to post much, I have only had snippets of time to hop online. Where is everyone???? |
| Darth Syntax07-06-07, 01:21 AM | Indeed The Project cannot die! However, that pesky thing called real life has been more than usually troublesome about here of late, which accounts for my absence. Hopefully, I'll have some more time and more focus in the next little while. -- As far as map making goes, if anyone would like my help, I'm still up for it. |
| SovietCanuck07-06-07, 10:36 AM | Indeed The Project cannot die! However, that pesky thing called real life has been more than usually troublesome about here of late, which accounts for my absence. Hopefully, I'll have some more time and more focus in the next little while. Indeed, it is the same for me. I really haven't had the spare time I thought I would this summer to do everything I planned to, so my work on The Project was one of the things I had to put aside while I handled other, more pressing matters. However, I'm still interested in participating, and I will try to get something up this month. What it is...not so sure at this moment, but I'll think of something! |
| chimpman07-07-07, 10:55 AM | Hi folks! I'd love to take a side of the die, as it were, though I'm not exactly sure which sides are still free. I'd love to take a crack at 16, 4, or 5 if any of those are still free. I'll probably use some more unusual creatures to populate my neck of the woods. I've been wanting to do something with aranea for a long time and this seems like a good oportunity. And although I would't mind a bit of land I think I'd prefer a good solid stretch of ocean as well. |
| Araes07-07-07, 01:18 PM | Hey Chimpman, I'm fairly certain that 16, 5, and 4 are all still available. The map that DS has on the 7th page is mostly up to date except for the contribution from turalisj. |
| chimpman07-07-07, 01:49 PM | Hey Chimpman, I'm fairly certain that 16, 5, and 4 are all still available. The map that DS has on the 7th page is mostly up to date except for the contribution from turalisj. Great! After looking at the map some more, I think I'm going to lay claim to #4. First draft map to follow shortly. Some questions. Who owns #10 right now? and is anyone actively working on countries and cultures located there? |
| Darth Syntax07-07-07, 02:15 PM | Welcome to The Project. Region 4 is indeed currently free and I look forward to your map. As for region 10, I am the current overlord there and I have been working a bit on its people and the like. Currently it is largely divided up into three parts: 1) strange wilderness that remains somewhat altered by the remains of the Shattered Lens Empire 2) Smallish countries of generally bronze age (and in at least one case a kind of advanced stone age) to early classical era technology. and 3) Colonies of the major powers of region 17. |
| chimpman07-07-07, 02:42 PM | Welcome to The Project. Region 4 is indeed currently free and I look forward to your map. As for region 10, I am the current overlord there and I have been working a bit on its people and the like. Currently it is largely divided up into three parts: 1) strange wilderness that remains somewhat altered by the remains of the Shattered Lens Empire 2) Smallish countries of generally bronze age (and in at least one case a kind of advanced stone age) to early classical era technology. and 3) Colonies of the major powers of region 17. Thanks! I've got another question about your maps. I'm going through the thread again pulling as many maps and as much information as I can and I'm noticing some discrepancies. It looks like one map of area ten does not have a portion of its landmass connecting with region 4. However on the world scale map (on page 7 I think) the region 10 area looks slightly different. It does connect to region 4. In addition it looks like there is a sizable island off the northern coast. Which map is correct? [By the way I would not mind connecting landmasses.] Expect my map to be a small landmass connecting to region 10 (if that is indeed correct) along with 2 major island chains. I'd also like to break from the norm and include some underwater topography. I think a nice abyssal trench extending from the middle of region 8 to the bottom of region 5 will make it in. |
| Darth Syntax07-07-07, 03:12 PM | Region 10 was revised comparatively recently and it currently does connect with region 4. So, the more recent map is currently "correct". -- As to the underwater typography, by all means make use of it (I haven't go around to it myself yet, but I was considering it). While on the topic of underwater civilizations, I earlier in the thread introduced a rather specific origin for the Sahuagin; namely that they are the descendants of a particular elven group who, through some strange arcane process, transformed themselves into their present aquatic form. I would like to keep this origin story as it has ties to the political and social history of the Jaurna region and to the Ejantuli Empire. |
| chimpman07-07-07, 03:17 PM | While on the topic of underwater civilizations, I earlier in the thread introduced a rather specific origin for the Sahuagin; namely that they are the descendants of a particular elven group who, through some strange arcane process, transformed themselves into their present aquatic form. I would like to keep this origin story as it has ties to the political and social history of the Jaurna region and to the Ejantuli Empire. Cool. I read your backstory before and I really like it. For my undersea races I'm planning to focus more on the kopru, and anguillians (from Stormwrack). Perhaps throw in some undersea giants (or coral giants, as I like to think of them). Above sea I'm going to focus on the aranea (who are descendants of a shattered empire). They have split into several distinct cultural groups at this point. Some of them even making their homes beneath the waves... but more on that later. |
| chimpman07-07-07, 03:23 PM | Here is a rough draft of my map area. This was just done in paint with my finger and a touch pad, but I'll come back a little later and redo it with my e-tablet in photoshop elements, so that I can get some more details in there. Anyway, for now it should provide a rough idea of what I want. http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4_chimpman.jpg |
| Darth Syntax07-08-07, 01:20 AM | Above sea I'm going to focus on the aranea (who are descendants of a shattered empire). They have split into several distinct cultural groups at this point. Some of them even making their homes beneath the waves... but more on that later. I am greatly intrigued by this. I am imagining silken diving bells and the like . . . . Also, will you be using some of the other odd spider-themed creatures in the MM such as the ettercap? |
| chimpman07-08-07, 04:03 PM | I am greatly intrigued by this. I am imagining silken diving bells and the like . . . . Also, will you be using some of the other odd spider-themed creatures in the MM such as the ettercap? Thanks. I'm thinking along similar lines for the aranea (at least one of the cultures I'm developing). Some of the aranean cultures will be heterogenous, containing other spider-like creautres. I'm thinking phase spiders may play some role in their society. I'm not sure yet about what kind of ecosystem I want, but spidery monsters will play some role. -- Topography The Acies This chain of islands is formed under a subduction zone near the Iilagu Trench. As a result, many of the islands are volcanic in nature. For the most part, the western shores tend to be craggy cliffs while the eastern shores are gentler and may provide adequate coves for ships to make port. The sands are not as red as those further out to sea and many times range in color from orange to light pink. The mountainous regions of the island chain extend beneath the waves as well as above them, and passage between islands is fraught with peril for those without adequate maps. Many ships have run aground on the islands rocky shores and been smashed to splinters by the power of the waves. Blood Isles Nestled amongst the Ribcage Reefs, these small islands are welcome refuges for those brave or foolish enough to try and reach them. Over the years sailors have seeded the islands with various fruit bearing plants and wild game with which to supplement ship stores on long voyages. Fire Reefs The Fire Reefs are a stretch of coral reefs that dominate the southeastern border of the Tela Ring. They were named such for the brightly colored coral that grows there as well as for the fact that volcanic rifts litter the area. The bright red, yellow, and orange corals twist and turn in shapes that almost resemble raging flames underwater. Often they reach very close to the surface and during low tides, especially near the Tela Ring, they can be seen piercing the surface of the water. Iilagu Trench Thermal vents on the floor of the trench provide heat and nutrients for a vast and sunless wilderness that extends most of its length. Volcanic vents spew black smoke into the abyssal floor and valleys, around which all manner of bizarre sea life draw sustenance. Colorless and sightless these creatures rely on the heat of the vents and the chemical broth that they disgorge to sustain their dark ecosystem. Chemosynthetic alga lies at the bottom of this food chain. It is eaten by small fish and crustaceans who are in turn eaten by larger life forms. The environment changes dramatically further from the floor. Cold ocean currents disperse the nutrients of the black smokers across the seas. It is in these cold shores that the anguillians make their homes. The banks of the Iilagu Trench are barren underwater wastelands. Ribcage Reef The sandy reefs known as the Ribcage are a bane to travelers in these seas. The shallow waters are home to blood red sand bars upon which countless ships have run aground and lost their lives. The bones of ships and creatures of the sea alike lay scattered about puncturing the seas surface and bleached white by the sun. Scavengers of the sea frequent this region looking for a quick meal or some recently unlucky vessel to plunder. Maps of the area do little good, since the sand bars are constantly changing. The sands can be shifted to easily reveal some long lost treasure, and then just as quickly moved to cover it back up again. Sea of Blood The Sea of Blood is so named because of the black and red volcanic sands that spread out across its sea bed. It stretches from the Acies chain to the Tela Ring. Shallower waters in the sea can actually appear blood red in the right light, and sailors often steer clear of these areas for fear of grounding their vessels. Sea of Fire The Sea of Fire occupies the oceans immediately around the Tela Ring, and its borders are often considered to begin where the Fire Reefs meet the Sea of Blood. Its name comes both from the fiery corals that populate its shallow sea bed as well as the many volcanic vents and chimneys that constantly spew forth smoke and steam. The Tela Ring The island chain known as the Tela Ring was once a much larger, single island. Its creation was caused by a hot spot under the ocean floor, a hot spot that contained a huge vault of magma. Over the millennia that magma seeped out, slowly building up the near continent sized island. Unfortunately Tela’s luck would not hold. The magma vault became plugged, unable to release its energy over time. Eventually it could hold no more and exploded, destroying the island and all around it in one of the most violent catastrophes in this region of the sea, if not the entire world. Now the blasted remains of the once great Tela Island form the Tela Ring. The oceanic crater still teams with volcanic activity, and the seas around the islands actually steam. The Dead Giants This large "forest" is composed of the husks of hundreds and thousands of giant tube worms. Some of the tubes have been shattered and toppled, but most remain upright. The worms themselves are no more, and none knows the exact nature of their fate. They may have been hunted to extinction, or perhaps were the victim of some malicious plague. Regardless, their shells remain, and have become havens for all types of sea creatures, intelligent and otherwise. Silver Sea The Silver Sea is actually a sea beneath the sea. Deep beneath the Sea of Blood, on the bottom of the ocean floor, the Silver Sea is the largest brine pool in the world. What looks like liquid silver is in actuality water that is super saturated with salt. The surface is cold and viscous to the touch. Many creatures find it hard to penetrate the brine sea's surface. The site is a pilgrimage for many undersea races since it is the preported domain of the oracle Shashaine, a water wierd. -- I'm making some changes to the map. The trench will of course be a little narrower (I didn't have much control with the mouse so it ended up being quite wide). It will also be much closer to the western shores of the Acies Chain (spanning the distance from the northeast of the triangle to the southwest. The Acies may also extend a little further to the southwest. There is also a peninsula in the northeast that I'm not quite sure what to do with yet. I haven't decided whether or not to remove it or leave it there for the time being. |
| chimpman07-10-07, 02:14 AM | I'm working on some of the histories of the various races in my neck of the woods and have some questions (mostly for Darth Syntax and Elldorith I think). 1) Darth, you mentioned that the sahaughin evolved from the elven race in this area. How long ago did they take to the seas, and do you think any of them would have made their way to region 4? If so, how long ago do you think that would have been? 2) I believe that there are some darfellans listed in the population of the Esuin League. Were did they come from? Did they originate in that area, or did they migrate in from somewhere else? 3) For Elldorith - you mentioned devilrays somewhere between region 7 and the mainland (which I'm assuming is regions 9, 19, and eventually 16). However there are 2 "betweens" with region 7 being almost on the other side of the world. ;-) So from which direction are the devilrays coming? Would they be near area 4 and something that my civs would have seen and interacted with, or are they restricted to the other side of your continent? |
| Darth Syntax07-10-07, 02:49 AM | On the Transformation of the Sahuagin The proto-sahuagin began their transformation some three thousand years ago. The process itself occurred over the course of many generations and it is still not complete. This accounts for the relative instability of the sahuagin morphology; variations in arm number, atavistic throwbacks (malenti) and so forth. As to the purpose or origins of the transformation, they do not often speak for it is a kind of religious secret, although their are hints at strange pacts with the creatures of the deep sea as well as rumors of some arcane gift, or perhaps a punishment. As to some of them migrating to region 4, it could very well have happened, and I would imagine that such Sahuagin would be culturally quite different from their Jauric forbearers. Of the Darfellan The Darfellan are originally from the archipelagos of the southern polar ocean and now are found in a variety of cold oceanic regions. Some darfellan communities (such as those in the Esuin League) are "resident" groups: they generally make their living as fishermen, stevedores, or in other civilized maritime occupations. There are also nomadic or "transient" groups who travel from place to place, sometimes raiding, sometimes coming to trade. These latter groups are generally much more predatory in outlook and are rightly feared as pirates and as hunters. The largest concentration of these transients is found around the Mrinaun Confederation and the treacherous southern latitudes. For all their viciousness (generalized canibalism is widely attested, especially of their fallen foes; and there are darker tales of transients hunting other sentients for sport) there are no finer harpooners upon the ocean, and should one befriend a pod of transients, one will find no more loyal friends and allies. I doubt that many darfellan would be found in region 4 as they are a cold-water people and dislike the tropics. |
| DonThelonious07-10-07, 10:54 AM | I am so glad this thread won't die:w00t:!!! I plan on having a bit more on my region up either tomarrow or the next day. -- Chimpman: I really like the idea of your whole undersea topography. I am curious as to what your plans were in relation to undersea empires. Also I was curious what you were going to have going on with the Kopru, I have always been interested in this race. Is its civilization in decline like it says in the MM2 or will you be doing something different? |
| Endless_Helix07-10-07, 05:53 PM | Well, this, is a ridiculously cool and incredibly awesome idea. I'm jealous. :D Is there room for one more cook in the metaphorical kitchen? If so, is side 14 open? If not how about any of the equatorial areas? I've got a crazy idea for an entire "division" of swamps... some slightly different magic system... Possibly a slightly modded true naming out of ToM... or maybe Pact Magic w/Warlocks... Not sure yet. I think I'll use Goblins, Humans, Ratlings from OA, Maybe Ogres and Minotaurs, Gotta have Mindflayers and Yuan-Ti, Gotta have some cool fey, some crazy undead, Orcs would fit well, but everybody uses them, and I haven't got any original ideas for them... |
| chimpman07-10-07, 07:51 PM | Well, my plans aren't finalized yet, but here are some general ideas. 1) Aranea dominate the area, especially above the waves. There are however some who have adapted to living beneath the sea - albeit in shallow waters. They aren't aquatic, since they still need air to breath, but they have developed techniques for living life under water. The aranea around the Tela Ring (in the west) are mostly tribal, however I'm toying with the idea of having a more advanced civilization living off the coasts of the Acies (in the east). 2) I'd like for there to be at least one more shallow dwelling aquatic race around the western islands for the aranea there to interact with (possibly two more), but I haven't figured out who I want those to be yet. 3) I'm thinking that the western coastal (below waters) aranea will have a slightly more cosmopolitan civilization, and have been toying with the idea of having Darth Syntax's sahuaghin having colonized regions of that area. I'd like for there to be another race as well (preferably different from the one to the west), but again I haven't decided what yet. 4) The Anguillians are deep sea dwellers, and they will dominate the sea along the Iilagu Trench. There will be two major kindoms there, and possible several smaller fringe tribes. I had though about interactions with sea giants and krakens, but I'm not sure about the extent of those interactions. The Iilagu Trench dwellers though will be sufficiently advanced to be a major underwater player, however because of sea temperatures I doubt they would ever expand to the east or west. The seas are just too warm there. They may however, follow the trench north or south and become nuisicances in the polar regions. I'll leave that up to others to decide. 5) Sea giants are going to be the nomadic sea bottom desert dwellers. They mostly congregate in small family units, I'd say none over 50 in size. You have the occasional recluse who tries to dominate tribes of lesser (aka smaller) creatures, but those types never last long enough to forge a lasting empire. 6) I also like the idea of devilray, and would love to bring some interaction in from them, however I'm not planning anything myself in that regard. 7) An now we come to the kopru <muhahaha>. Kopru populations are going to be very small. I don't see them as being "in decline" as much as I see them as being parasites on other cultures. Their "empire" will extend both above and below the waves, however they prefer to control from the shadows. I would imagine that one could live their entire life in kopru dominated lands without ever even having heard of a kopru. Most simply wouldn't know what one was, or even that they existed at all. I also like the idea that the kopru are themselves being controlled by some greater power. Perhaps some otherworldly cthuluoid god or some such. Not really sure yet. Wow, that response turned out to be longer than I though it would. Oh well, it's helped me to solidify some ideas so it's all good. Before I leave though, I'd like to ask you some questions as well. Your region of the sea seems very interesting as well (what with all of the islands and that big whopping vortex in the middle ;-) ). What is the undersea terrain around the vortex like? And where does the vortex lead? Also, what kind of creatures are living in your oceans? |
| Darth Syntax07-10-07, 08:03 PM | Greetings Endless_Helix, As far as I know region 14 is currently open and I think there is still room for another member of the project. -- As to "everyone uses orcs" I can say with near 100% certainty that there are no orcs in my region (unless they very recently moved there from somewhere else). |
| chimpman07-11-07, 01:36 AM | I spent some time on my map tonight. This is much closer to what I want. Enjoy. Oh, and welcome Helix. Can't wait to see what you come up with. http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4_chimpman_2.jpg |
| Darth Syntax07-11-07, 02:43 AM | chimpman, I really like your map. I should probably figure out my marine topography (goes off to do this). As to your terrestrial regions, what sort of climates/biomes are your envisioning? I know that there are likely to be rainforests or some other sort of tropical environment (mangroves perhaps? mangroves are always a good idea). |
| Darth Syntax07-11-07, 04:41 PM | Well, I've done a brief draft of region 17's oceanic topography. I still have some kinks to work out and so on, but I think it might be a step in the right direction. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/778992913_ef05301a58_b.jpg |
| Araes07-11-07, 06:23 PM | Like both of your renditions of the underwater features of your areas. Hmm, although I guess this means that I'll need to do so as well here in a little bit. Perhaps I can continue the trends of underwater creatures and borrow a few from one of you guys to populate my area with some underwater nations. |
| chimpman07-11-07, 10:10 PM | Hi folks, I've taken Darth Syntax's world map and added mine just to see what it would look like. The sea color is different, and the edges don't quite match up (but it's pretty close). http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/Entire_World.jpg Darth S, I love your map. I'm using Photoshop Elements (which I think is a watered down verson of Photoshop). How do you guys get the 3D look (for mountains and such)? Araes, grab what you need! Let's fill these oceans :D. |
| Darth Syntax07-11-07, 11:27 PM | To get the "effects" such as on the mountains, I've been using the Photoshop styles; things like embossing, gradients, and textures. -- If you don't mind, chimpman, I'd like to do a draft of your map in the style I've been using (so as to create a uniform global map) once you have a firmer idea of the terrestrial environment. And for the rest of you, If you could present the thread with a draft of your oceanic topography, that would be superlative. |
| DonThelonious07-12-07, 03:06 AM | Okay: D_S Im not to clear on the submerged features of my region, probably VERY similar to the surface landmasses. I do know that the area around my vortex is a barren 'Deadmans Land' due to the suction of the vortex. -- Chimpman: My topography is the way it is because long ago in the golden ages of Starfel, near the peak of that ancient and glorious civilization, a meteor of epic proportions crashed down in the center of the continent. The Demon Star came to ground with such force it punched a hole through the crust into a completly new realm called the the Under Lands. The swirling vortex now in the middle of the Starfel Sea is the only known passage into the Under Lands. -- Guys, I think its time one of us compiled the various images and region info into one easy to read post. I will do so if no one else wants to or is much better qualified. -- Finally I have more information on the Dragon and Titan Welkin and thier barbaric tribes. TTFN |
| chimpman07-13-07, 12:31 AM | If you don't mind, chimpman, I'd like to do a draft of your map in the style I've been using (so as to create a uniform global map) once you have a firmer idea of the terrestrial environment. Thanks DS, that would be cool! Give me a few more days to play around with it. I still need to tweek the undersea stuff a bit. As for the terrestrial stuff I think most of it will be rocky mountainous terrain or tropical island paradise like ;). Volcanos sprinkled around liberally of course. Oh, by the way, is there a larger map for region 10? I'd love to see more details for that region. |
| Darth Syntax07-13-07, 01:35 AM | chimpman, please take you time with the map. It's far better to have them right than to have them fast. -- As for region 10, I do have a more detailed map, however it is not as done as I would like it to be. That being said, here it is: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1038/795906692_f0fa03c988_o.jpg |
| DonThelonious07-15-07, 11:02 PM | The Project This was the beginning... The Planetary Globe is to be mapped on a D20 Polyhedron. You the DM may select with your party any single face of the polyhedron and create the region within the confines of a single triangle (all sides of a given triangle are 4000 miles long). The task is to fit your campaign region onto the globe. Develop history for the region, achieve some sort of DM Briefing for the entire region as well as story to brief the PCs as they attempt to help develop it. Stuff it all in a folder. There are five such regions touching each of the poles, and there are ten equatorial regions. Once twenty regions have been developed, we will put them together. No class restrictions. 1.yellowdingo (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=396391)He started it all. 2.Darth Syntax (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=317241): Official Cartographer Royal. 3.DonThelonious (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=539199): Not much to say 4.Araes (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=403848):Maker Of Economies 5.SovietCanuck (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=478212):Creater of the Imperial Elves 6.Elidorith (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=538655): Helped us to understand the breadth of The Project. 7.LostMage (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=513149): Climatoligist 8.Turalisj (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=320603): Some funny forms of magic. 9.ChimpMan (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=168443): Arachnid Farmer I will add more as it gets compiled, I would Really like some help on that fron from the respective authors. -- DS- Any chance you could email me the official map? I would really like to post it with all the information from everyones region. |
| Darth Syntax07-16-07, 12:23 AM | I can e-mail you anything you want Thel, just PM me and we'll go from from there. -- I've been working on an explanation of some recent politics in my region; namely the long and tumultuous Fifth Trade war which not only greatly altered the map (the current map of region 17 is post Fifth Trade War) but set into place a rather precarious system of alliances, defense pacts, and trade organizations. I hope to have an outline of this done soon. I also plan posting some on the Jaur (the elves of my region) including some information about their cultures, history, religions, and current place in the region. So this will cover some of the general cultural background of the Ejantuli and the Nyerans as these are the major Jauric/Jauric derived cultures. Hopefully, I can have something up later tonight (or tomorrow morning). |
| chimpman07-16-07, 02:07 AM | I will add more as it gets compiled, I would Really like some help on that fron from the respective authors. Just let me know if you need anything. I'd love to see some kind of thread index make it on the front page so that we can have an easier way of finding all of the data and information that's been created so far. It might make sense for yellowdingo to put that in one of his first posts, but I'd be happy to help collect the info. I also plan posting some on the Jaur (the elves of my region) including some information about their cultures, history, religions, and current place in the region. So this will cover some of the general cultural background of the Ejantuli and the Nyerans as these are the major Jauric/Jauric derived cultures. This sounds cool and I can't wait to see it. Work on my map still continues. I've changed the scale of some things, and moved and added others. It's getting closer to what I want, but not quite yet. In the meantime, I have 2 more underwater locales: The Dead Giants This large "forest" is composed of the husks of hundreds and thousands of giant tube worms. Some of the tubes have been shattered and toppled, but most remain upright. The worms themselves are no more, and none knows the exact nature of their fate. They may have been hunted to extinction, or perhaps were the victim of some malicious plague. Regardless, their shells remain, and have become havens for all types of sea creatures, intelligent and otherwise. Silver Sea The Silver Sea is actually a sea beneath the sea. Deep beneath the Sea of Blood, on the bottom of the ocean floor, the Silver Sea is the largest brine pool in the world. What looks like liquid silver is in actuality water that is super saturated with salt. The surface is cold and viscous to the touch. Many creatures find it hard to penetrate the brine sea's surface. The site is a pilgrimage for many undersea races since it is the preported domain of the oracle Shashaine, a water wierd. |
| Darth Syntax07-16-07, 02:23 AM | In the meantime, I have 2 more underwater locales: The Dead Giants This large "forest" is composed of the husks of hundreds and thousands of giant tube worms. Some of the tubes have been shattered and toppled, but most remain upright. The worms themselves are no more, and none knows the exact nature of their fate. They may have been hunted to extinction, or perhaps were the victim of some malicious plague. Regardless, their shells remain, and have become havens for all types of sea creatures, intelligent and otherwise. Silver Sea The Silver Sea is actually a sea beneath the sea. Deep beneath the Sea of Blood, on the bottom of the ocean floor, the Silver Sea is the largest brine pool in the world. What looks like liquid silver is in actuality water that is super saturated with salt. The surface is cold and viscous to the touch. Many creatures find it hard to penetrate the brine sea's surface. The site is a pilgrimage for many undersea races since it is the preported domain of the oracle Shashaine, a water wierd. I see you are a fan of the weirder deep sea environments. I've always found them fascinating. By chance have you seen Blue Planet? Also, if you're interested, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has an excellent website that details all manner of new discoveries concerning the world's oceans. |
| DonThelonious07-16-07, 02:42 AM | Just let me know if you need anything. I'd love to see some kind of thread index make it on the front page so that we can have an easier way of finding all of the data and information that's been created so far. It might make sense for yellowdingo to put that in one of his first posts, but I'd be happy to help collect the info. Thank you and I appreciate the assistance. If you could just gather all the info you have for your region and PM me with it it would help tremendously. -- I kind of want everyone to keep their style when it comes to the info of thier respective regions, so I'm not requesting a specific format. However you want to put together the region will be awesome. -- I have a post on the first page of the thread, #3 I believe that will work great for this list. The only real pain in the @ss parts is gonna be some of the fluff info on whats going on between realms. |
| chimpman07-16-07, 10:50 AM | I see you are a fan of the weirder deep sea environments. I've always found them fascinating. By chance have you seen Blue Planet? Also, if you're interested, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has an excellent website that details all manner of new discoveries concerning the world's oceans. I have. Discovery Channel influences me alot. ;) I'm going to check out the website you recommend. Thanks for the info! Thank you and I appreciate the assistance. If you could just gather all the info you have for your region and PM me with it it would help tremendously. No problem (since I don't have much posted yet). I'll do that tonight. I do also have a word doc that I put together when I started reading this thread that seperates out posts per region. I simply cut and pasted relevant posts starting from page 1 all the way down. It was a tremendous help when trying to figure out exactly what i wanted to contribute. It's not formatted pretty or anything, but I think it does contain most of the important world posts. I could pass that along to whoever is interested as well. |
| LostMage07-16-07, 10:54 AM | Just to let you know, I may withdraw from the Project. I'm finding it difficult to come up with ideas that are separate from the setting I'm working on now, and I would like to contribute something new rather than rehash ideas I've been working on already. Although I doubt my absence has caused any problems, this is to let you know that if anyone would like to use my triangle, it's up for grabs. I think it's a great idea, and I'll be sure to watch it's progress! Good luck to you all :D |
| Araes07-16-07, 03:14 PM | Alright, here's the next section of my map for the world below the waves. Basically copied DS's stylization and texturizing. As of right now, don't have much for actual story or campaign setting info to go with it, but have at least some areas that look like they have potential to build things around. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection19_Araes_Wat.jpg |
| DonThelonious07-16-07, 06:13 PM | Chimpman: I wouild be ecstatic if I could get the word doc from you. I will send a PM with how to contact me. |
| Darth Syntax07-16-07, 08:33 PM | I appologize for the lateness of my responses, but as I was writing on the Jaur, I discovered I "knew" a lot more about them than I thought, and so the information began to spiral out of control. Here is the first part of my description of them, focusing mostly on their origins, some aspects of common Jauric custom and social practice, and a bit on language. I will be delving into religion, material culture and all of that good stuff in a later post, but for now, enjoy the Jaur . . . . The Jaur The elven population of Ilaros is dominated by two major ethnic groups, the Jaur and the Nravo. Of these two groups the Jaur are the most widespread and have had the greatest effect upon the history of the region to date. What follows is a kind of overview of the Jaur as a whole with some reference to the modern Jauric cultures (the Nyeran's and the Ejantuli). Physical Description Physiology The Jaur are a distinct looking people, being somewhat taller than other's of their species, and noted for their copper-colored skin, blue-black hair (straight or wavy), and amber or topaz colored eyes. The nose is generally somewhat prominent and high-bridged with either an aquiline or convex shape and the nostrils tend to be somewhat wide. The mouth is generally wide and the lips range from thin to medium fullness. Hands and feet tend to be somewhat elongated with pronounced joints on the fingers and toes, giving them a somewhat gnarled appearance in old age. Cultural Elements concerning appearance It is a pan-Jauric cultural trade to dress as elaborately and as sumptuously as one's wealth and social position will allow. Often, garments are made of many layers of cloth of different patterns and colors. In the Empire, high elaborate collars are currently in vogue and among the Nyerans these are also common although they are almost universally paired with enormous scarves. Hair styles are likewise elaborate, and often are intended to encode some ritual or symbolic meaning. Hair that mimics the shape of cephalopod arms (a complex arrangement of either braids or dreadlock studded with stones and held with ornate metal bands) is not uncommon. Origins The first physical evidence of elves in the region dates back some 20,000 years and consists mostly of advanced stone tools, stone and bone carvings, and the odd bog-body drawn up from the peat. Unfortunately, the unique material culture of these early elves cannot be traced to any of the other continents of the world, making pinpointing their ultimate origins somewhat difficult. That the Jaur came from elsewhere is certain, but that is as much as archaeology can tell. Several theories have been put forward, liking the Jaur with populations of elves to the north and east, or to some now-lost land but these have proven to be inconclusive at best. Even their languages give no real clue as to their origin for no successful connections have been made between the Jauric languages and any know language family spoken by elves or indeed any other sentient group. Whatever their ultimate origins, as a culture, the Jaur are native to the Nyeran archipelago and the history of the region is bound up with them. Languages The Jauric languages comprise their own family and while the internal relations among the several Jauric languages are well documented, there have been no successful, widely accepted, theories of any higher order connections. Some linguists have attempted to related the Jauric and Vodnan languages, but due to a long history of contact it is difficult to determine what words might be borrowing, and what words might show a common relationship. Typologically, the Jauric languages are rather unique as they combine several unusual features found rarely in the world's languages. Jauric languages tend to be of the analytic type and possess very complicated syntactic rules on account of their relatively weak inflectional markings. The languages are also either tonal or possess a pitch accent system which interacts with both the morphology and phonology in a number of ways to alter meaning and sound. All Jauric languages are syntactically ergative (an uncommon feature in most mortal languages) and possess a complex means of clause coordination (switch reference systems and anti-passives along with alternations in word order). These and other notable features of the Jauric languages are not found together in any other language family which only serves to further the mystery of their origins Social Organization Traditionally, Jauric cultures are extremely socially stratified with limited social mobility. All modern Jauric cultures make use of an elaborate caste system which determines many of the social and cultural norms that one adheres to. Diet, religious affiliation, language, manner of dress, and general social standing are all determined by one's caste, but professions are not necessarily determined in the same way. There is no "warrior caste" or "fisherman caste" but there are castes that tend to gravitate towards a particular profession or group of related profession. For example the igaj caste is generally considered to be a "working class" caste and in coastal communities many igaj find work as fishermen, clam diggers, and sailors whereas in an inland community it would not be uncommon to find igaj potters, weavers, or smiths. Caste is determined by birth and is tracked solely though the female line like all Jauric familial relations. A child is born into the same caste as its mother regardless of the caste of the father. Similarly, inheritance is generally matrilineal in nature. Property (land, houses, and certain good, but not ships) can only be owned by females and is handed down mother to daughter. Goods (ships, carts, books, and tools concerning the building of ships and the like) can only be owned by males, but are not passed down from father to son. Rather, they are passed down from maternal uncle to nephew. In modern Nyeran custom, these sorts of property arrangements remain essentially unchanged, whereas in the Empire inheritance laws are based partly on blood-relatives and partly on a complex system of patronage. The political organizations of settlements too have had great effect upon Jauric culture. In the settled communities the internal political life is dominated by two major groups, a council of old and powerful females, and the hereditary priesthood called the hvalgo. The old females generally act as a kind of panel of magistrates, mediating disputes between various people and groups within the settlement. The hvalgo priests find themselves acting as perpetual advisors, whispering in the ears of those with public titles and keeping the records of community. The external politics of a community (how it relates to other settlements, issues of trade, war, and the like) are usually governed by one or more nlor, or ‘princes’. The nlor combine aspects of a hereditary nobility and a merchant class into their function acting as both a political and military leader and as a sort of central bank, trade advisor, and chief economist. Originally it seems that the nlor evolved out of a rather peculiar “pariah” caste that was free of the social codes that forbid members of certain castes from interacting with others. They acted as a kind of perpetual middleman and go-between, for they were neither seen as sacred or profane and thus could freely move from the highest circles of power to the depths of untouchability with unparalleled ease. Eventually, the nlor had become indispensable to the functioning of Jauric society and attained their present status as a political and economic force. As always any critiques, questions, rotten tomatoes, or songs of praise, are welcomed. -- Lost Mage: I'll be sorry to see you go, but I understand that working on several projects at once can be creatively draining. Good luck with your setting and all of that. -- Araes: Very nice aquatic map sir. Hopefully along with the map will come ideas on how to use it (I know making the sea-floor map has helped me out in some of my musings) -- Thel: I would be more than happy to send you any info that you want for your index. Currently my setting info is a bit fragmented and undergoing some internal revisions as my understanding of my region becomes more certain. As a result of this, things are subject to change; but they are taking shape. |
| SovietCanuck07-16-07, 09:09 PM | Don't really have alot of time here, but I figured I would do up the map of my underwater geography here. I'm not all that good at oceanography, so if anybody wants to offer some advice of suggestions, it would be appreciated. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1118/833176028_7878b21b79_o.gif I hope to have caught up in this thread later tonight, and will hopefully have more to add here. Oh, and though I am a little late, welcome chimpman! |
| Darth Syntax07-16-07, 09:12 PM | Canuck, would it be possible for you to remove the grid-lines from the map? They are obscuring the oceanic geography. However, what I can see looks alright. |
| Araes07-16-07, 09:24 PM | Luckily, from what I can see, me and Canuck appear to have once again made our underwater maps fairly compatible in terms of the initial drafts. It is slightly hard to see with the grid, but it looks like they could mate with 2 or less changes on either map. |
| SovietCanuck07-16-07, 09:47 PM | Ask and you shall recive! :D |
| DonThelonious07-16-07, 10:52 PM | Soviet! Long time no see:P |
| LostMage07-16-07, 11:16 PM | Well, I really don't want to leave, it's just I'm still working on how to get maps going, nor am I terribly confident in my ability to create cultures with any level of verisimilitude. What I've seen here is very carefully thought out, so I'll do my best to be on par with that. I looked back a few pages, and some of the ideas I had been bouncing around were distinct from the setting I'm working on. I think a northern archipelago of islands is gonna be the one I'm going for. 'Sides, if I have some overlap between ideas and themes, that's not too big a deal, is it? Anyways, I'll see what I can scrape up in Paint...I would have liked to use a hand drawn map, but since the odds are good that a scanner would be needed to post that, Paint will have to suffice. |
| chimpman07-16-07, 11:29 PM | Thel, I've sent you all the info that I've compiled. As soon as I sent it I realized that info from my own region is missing ;). Thanks Canuk, for having me! I've got some questions for you. 1) You've written about human migrations northward. What were they caused by? 2) The Kith fled to this world after their own was destroyed. I've been looking for a nice corupting force for some of my aranea. Do you think it is possible that some of these entities may have followed the Kith to this world? |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 12:02 AM | Chimpman: I don't know exactly what format you sent the document to me in, but my computer seems to want to put it into code for me. Any chance you could change it over to a .txt file for me? Or just copy and paste it directly into the email. -- D_S: I didn't get all the component images for the various regions. Whats up with that? |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 12:25 AM | ACK!!! How in the name of Ted do I get my damed photos from flickr loaded up on here? |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 12:31 AM | Araes: IS your post #36 that lists your kingdoms accurate and up to date? Does it have any relavent economic information regarding any other regions? |
| Darth Syntax07-17-07, 12:33 AM | Thel: which images are you lacking? I might simply have misplaced the ones you need. |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 12:38 AM | Regions 7 and 13, also could you do a quicky version of Chimpmans in the style of the main map so that I have a little something to show for his region? :cool: Peeps Likes Da' Eye Candy.:cool: Oh and I have the front page links started. Its #3. |
| Darth Syntax07-17-07, 12:43 AM | I could do chimpman's undersea area, but until he figures out his surface features I don't want to do too much as I don't want to step on his toes. As for why you don't have region 13 and 7 I've no idea. I thought I sent them, but apparently something went goofy (cursed internet gremlins), so you should be getting them shortly. -- Lost Mage: Welcome back? If there is anything I can do to help with mapping I would be more than happy to do so. |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 12:51 AM | D_S: Just got them, now if I could just get them to load up from flickr. What do you use? I remember asking this but since your here its just easier. --As for Chimpmans undersea maps that would be great since his region is more focused on the submerged anyway. |
| Darth Syntax07-17-07, 12:56 AM | when using flickr, just copy the URL in the box at the bottom of the image (you may have to "zoom" on the image to find this) and then paste that URL between [IMG] tags. -- As for Chimpman's undersea map, I'll get going on that in a bit. I've some mundane things I have to get done first. |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 01:31 AM | Had to repost this, sorry The Lands Of Fallenstar Races: -All core races from the PHB -No monstrous humanoids with LA greater than +1 There are no actual gods in overseeing the realm. Great Wyrm dragons and Titans are worshipped instead. These pseudo-deities, or on the common tongue of the land ‘Welkin’, are the driving force of the land. The primitive peoples of Fallenstar believe the Welkin to be the embodiments of their ancestors. They are all very spiritual, with ancestor spirits being an everyday part of life. Totems play a huge role as well, with each person having a specific totem animal acting as representative in the spirit realm. The huge hand in the sky is called the ‘Taker’ and to the good races it is a sign of the impending doom. They believe that one day the hand will come for “Dwenty’ (the name they have for the overall world). The evil races see the coming of the hand as a time of power, heralding the fall of the good races. -Dragon Welkin- Tyrant lizards worshipped by the evil races and several human and elven tribes. The beast riders from these lands charge into battle on ½ dragon versions of regular and dire animals. The most notorious being the Adjeort Goblins on backs of vicious ½ Green Dragon/ ½ Dire Wolf monsters. -Titan Welkin- The good races of Fallenstar pay homage to the great and powerful titans. The beast riders from these lands sit proud upon the backs of Griffon, Pegasi, Hippogriffs, Dinosaurs, and celestial creatures. The most stalwart and noble Beastkin are the Theronian Dwarves and their ferocious Pygmy Triceratops allies. Legend has it that about 600 years ago The Taker cast one of the stars into the middle of this once great and prosperous continent as punishment for the good races dominance over the land. Where the star fell it created a huge ocean, with a vortex in the center that swallows any boats that come near dragging them down into the depths of the Takers Realm. The good people of the land were cast down from their great seats of power, becoming equals with the evil races. Much of the ancient arts of arcane magic and metallurgy, science and engineering were lost in that troubled time. Memory of those brighter days faded away quickly as survival became increasingly important. Thick clouds dust and volcanic-ish ash swept the land, killing those that breathed it and choking the crops before they could grow. After the Fallenstar struck most of the region was cast into an ice age that lasted for over 400 years. In the chaos that consumed the once beautiful lands came the Welkin, awoken from their eons of slumber. The Welkin drew the various tribes to them and tought them how to survive and thrive. Weaponcraft and armormaking were learned, and with the divine help of the Welkin made stronger through magic. Most weapons are made of stone or bone, though occasionally ‘Godbone’ (IE: metal) weapons and armor are found. Only the Chosen are allowed to wear or wield these ancient relics. Border clashes for hunting grounds are not uncommon, and raids on neighboring good or evil tribes for plunder and slaves is a regular sport. A great war is brewing though, between the cruel Dragon Welkin and the noble Titan Welkin, a war that may change the destiny of Fallenstar forever. |
| DonThelonious07-17-07, 01:40 AM | OK guys, check it out and tell me how you think of it so far. The Project Table Of Contents (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12145943&postcount=3) -- Thats about all I can do for tonite, but tomarrow I should be able to get all the maps up and as much more info as I can. |
| Araes07-17-07, 03:35 AM | In reply to Thel in post 255: Yes, the information in post 36 is up to date for my kingdoms and cities within those kingdoms. As far as economic ties to other regions, no, I don't have any of the economic relations to other regions as of yet. So far, I believe Canuck, DS, and I are the only people with complete economic tables, and you yourself have claimed at least some goods as specialized trade items for your area. I'll see about working something up in a little bit, as my people are obviously relatively mercantile. Also, as a note on my water rendering, due to the large vortex in the center of Thel's region, it was my thought that there were probably fairly large ocean currents circulating even in the areas to the side of the vortex. As such, I drew most of my terrain with eddy erosion corresponding to a clockwise rotation of the vortex. |
| chimpman07-17-07, 12:59 PM | As for Chimpman's undersea map, I'll get going on that in a bit. I've some mundane things I have to get done first. I'd hold off for a little bit more. I've actually made some drastic changes to the map. Overall the landmasses and their placements are very similar, but size and shape have changed dramatically. I'm almost to the point where I like it, so expect an updated map in the next couple of days. So far, I believe Canuck, DS, and I are the only people with complete economic tables, and you yourself have claimed at least some goods as specialized trade items for your area. I'll see about working something up in a little bit, as my people are obviously relatively mercantile. I've been thinking it might make sense for me to claim silk production (what with all the spiders and all ;) ). So far I've got the idea that there will be two different qualities of silk. A lesser grade available from the Acies (the island chains on the east of my map) and a higher grade from the Tela Ring (the islands on the west of my map). That gives some incentive to cross the blood sea. Of course I haven't given much though to trade coming from the west (across the other side of the world, but that could happen too. Once my nation ideas firm up a little more, I'll delve further into economics and resources. |
| chimpman07-17-07, 01:10 PM | Well, I really don't want to leave, it's just I'm still working on how to get maps going, nor am I terribly confident in my ability to create cultures with any level of verisimilitude. What I've seen here is very carefully thought out, so I'll do my best to be on par with that. ... Anyways, I'll see what I can scrape up in Paint...I would have liked to use a hand drawn map, but since the odds are good that a scanner would be needed to post that, Paint will have to suffice. LostMage, I hope that the map making is not the thing causing you to consider leaving. By all means throw something together in paint, and I'm sure that either DS or myself (or possibly some others) would be more than happy to help out with it. Anyway, I'd love to see what you come up with, so I hope that you have the time and energy to stick around. If not, I'm sure we'll all understand (I've been there myself), but I really do hope you can contribute to the project. I know I'm having a lot of fun with it. |
| Darth Syntax07-17-07, 02:09 PM | I'd hold off for a little bit more. I've actually made some drastic changes to the map. Overall the landmasses and their placements are very similar, but size and shape have changed dramatically. I'm almost to the point where I like it, so expect an updated map in the next couple of days. No worries about the map; I understand the need to tweak things. And speaking of map tweaking, the portion of region 10 that connects with yours is fairly nondescript at the moment and I would be more than happy to alter it to meet your geographic needs. I've been thinking it might make sense for me to claim silk production (what with all the spiders and all ;) ). So far I've got the idea that there will be two different qualities of silk. A lesser grade available from the Acies (the island chains on the east of my map) and a higher grade from the Tela Ring (the islands on the west of my map). That gives some incentive to cross the blood sea. Of course I haven't given much though to trade coming from the west (across the other side of the world, but that could happen too. Once my nation ideas firm up a little more, I'll delve further into economics and resources. I know that several of my major powers (the Republic, Adós, The League, and so on) would be very interested in the silk trade and I imagine said trade would be lucrative for all parties concerned . . . |
| Kelmourne07-17-07, 08:04 PM | I was thinking of adding a little of my imagination into this cool concept but I need to know this first, what are some of the programs you guys are using for your maps, because I obviously cant make mine on paint :( |
| xXLyzoldaXx07-17-07, 10:43 PM | I would also like to know what programs you are using for mapping if their is still open space for me to work with. |
| Araes07-17-07, 10:58 PM | Me and DS both use Photoshop, which is obviously an expensive option. There are open offers to handle more refined versions of maps if you don't have access to commercial software and would just like to whip up a draft version in something simple like Paint. On the other hand, chimpman managed to make a pretty respectable map in nothing more than Paint (I think) and I've seen the Mona Lisa painted to frightening accuracy in Paint as well. |
| chimpman07-17-07, 11:20 PM | On the other hand, chimpman managed to make a pretty respectable map in nothing more than Paint (I think) and I've seen the Mona Lisa painted to frightening accuracy in Paint as well. Actually, my first revision was done in paint, but I switched over to Photoshop Elements (which came with my digital pad). It's fairly old, but has some great features. I think it's just a watered down version of Photoshop. Anyway, like Araes said, don't let the map qualities deter you from joining. Darth Syntax has already been nominated World Cartographer so I assume he'll be taking whatever we do and putting some kind of pretty face on it ;) to make a complete world map. |
| Darth Syntax07-18-07, 01:10 AM | Welcome xXLyzoldaXx and Kelmourne. I'd like to begin by echoing the comments of my esteemed colleagues and formally extend my hand in a gesture of cartographic benevolence. Yeesh, apparently I'm feeling verbose and pompous today . . . Anyway, I would be more than happy to lend you any help you might want with your map. At the same time, I want to make sure that it is your map and that it has all the right features and doodads, so I'll try not to get too much in the way. |
| DonThelonious07-18-07, 03:11 AM | Also, as a note on my water rendering, due to the large vortex in the center of Thel's region, it was my thought that there were probably fairly large ocean currents circulating even in the areas to the side of the vortex. As such, I drew most of my terrain with eddy erosion corresponding to a clockwise rotation of the vortex. I noticed that and was a little curious, I kind of figured that with the HUGE space of miles it wouldn't impact you. At most I figured there would be something like the South Australian Current(sp?) going on. But I like how its all coming together:) |
| NorthWind07-18-07, 07:06 PM | Would it be possible for one to contribute input and ideas to the posters with a triangle without actually taking on a part here? It looks like a fun project, but I'm finding myself with little creative insight in the way of world design these days, so I'd be content helping out a little. |
| chimpman07-18-07, 07:24 PM | Would it be possible for one to contribute input and ideas to the posters with a triangle without actually taking on a part here? It looks like a fun project, but I'm finding myself with little creative insight in the way of world design these days, so I'd be content helping out a little. I can't speak for the others, but I certainly don't see a problem with that. One of the reasons for doing a project like this on the boards, as opposed to privately, is just so that others can comment and give input. It's one of the things that make this board a community. So by all means, post away. I don't think you need to take on a triangle to participate in this effort. |
| chimpman07-18-07, 07:44 PM | Here is a preliminary tretise on the races that dwell in my region. I'm also thinking that there are humanoid populations on the Acies Islands and the mainland, however I haven't put much thought into what those are or how they fit in yet. So for now, I'll leave you with this. Of course comments are welcome. -- Races Several different races inhabit this portion of the world. Anguillians The anguillians emerged from the icy depths of the Iilagu Trench, and that has been their homeland ever since. They owe their success to the abundance provided by The Murk, a thick soup of nutrients that issues forth from cold seep points all along the bottom of the trench. Few other intelligent races thrive in waters so cold, so the anguillians have been isolated from the rest of the ocena's civilizations throughout most of their history. Aranea An age ago, the aranea were a powerful force on the seas. They ruled over an island empire centered on Tela. They arrived on the island thousands of years before, though their ancient legends are unclear on the how of their arrival. Some tales proclaim that the aranea sailed there on flimsy silken ships, while others tell of the spider folk floating through the sky on massive silken balloons that crashed on the mountaintops. However they arrived, the aranea thrived on Tela. There was vast power locked beneath the mountains, and the aranea drew it forth for their own purposes. Their mages became experts in the elemental crafts of fire and water and air. Their silken ships grew larger and stronger, and aranean captains sailed across the seas of the world and brought back holds full of treasure for their growing trade empire. Elves Not sure how they fit in yet, but there are probably populations on the mainland. Giant, Sea The Sea Giants originated in the Sea of Fire as slaves of the Kopru. Not a naturally ocurring species, the giants were crafted by the kopru to serve as their shock troops underneath the waves. They are more temperature tolerant than their creators, and that fact has allowed a sizable population of giants to exist outside of the kopru sphere of influence. Gnomes Not sure how they fit in yet, but there are probably populations on the mainland. Kopru The kopru dominate the northwestern Sea of Fire along the northern continental divide, although tales tell that this is not their original home. Some say that they fell from the stars, while others say that they emerged from deep withing the fiery core of the planet, through the thermal vents that they so love. Crafters of flesh, as well as shapers of mind, the kopru have many servitor races. Their society is structured, yet they have no formal government. It is almost as if each kopru is a player in some vast game. They move pieces around the board and play to rules that only they are aware of. Other lives, even those of other kopru, mean next to nothing to them. Kraken Legend holds that the karken are descendants of three ancient tako emperors who were exiled by their own people for unspeakably evil acts. During their exile, the tako emperors changed. Corrupted by dark forces, they gained in size and malevolence, and wandered the sea destroying all in their path. Where the original three kraken are, or if the even still exist, none know. However all living kraken can trace their lineage back to those three. Sahaugin The sahaughin are recent additions to the Sea of Blood region. Tako One of the more ancient races in the Blood Sea, the Tako have always made a home in the Blood Sea. An octopus-like race, the tako have eight tentacles, a single eye, and a parrot-like beak. The communicate using both movement and color change. Tako history tells of a time when they were the only creatures inhabitting the seas. Whether this is true or not is uncertian, but their histories are quite extensive and span millenia. [Tako are detailed in OA] |
| Araes07-18-07, 09:44 PM | Added in undersea features and terrain labeling to my undersea map. Also, been thinking about races in a similar way to Chimpman, just for the races under the sea only. I'm going to go with two races for habitation under the sea in my section of the world - one which exists in the band of surface to mid depth, and one which exists at mid depth to deep ocean floor. There will be no races which are naturally capable of existing in the deepest portions such as the Mir or Corianis trenches. The Chiisin The first race existing at upper depths will be an offshoot or subrace of the aracnea proposed by chimpman. Even in our world, there are several varieties of spiders that exist underwater, and these will simply be even further adapted for such habitation. As they can exist at up to surface depth (and possibly leave the ocean with proper gear / magic), there will be some conflict of the Chiisin and the surface dwelling races, as fishing and trade routes of these races interfere with the Chiisin. Particularly bad will probably be the relations of the people of Covino, who inhabit / own all the islands of the Angry Tears and who are probably my most extensive seafaring people. The Eoko The second race will be a deep surface dwelling race of crab-like people, with a hard exoskeleton. As mentioned, they will have communities which extend across all of the deep ocean floor. However, they will be physically incapable of reaching the surface due to the depressurization. As such, their main conflict will actually be with the Chiisin in areas such as the Mishom Plateau and the Tikona Shelf, which provide good aquaculture and fish husbandry terrain. Territories, cities, trade, and more cultural aspects coming up. |
| Darth Syntax07-19-07, 11:40 PM | I've done some rather substantial work on my oceanic topography and I am much happier with it at the moment. Have a map. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1178/856525016_417b7ddad5_o.jpg I'll work a bit on aquatic cultures and the like and hopefully have something up soon. -- Chimpman, I am intrigued by your outline of species. I do have some questions about your gnome and elf populations; namely from where did they come? -- Northwind, I certianly would not mind your input on certain aspects of my region; so feel free to join in. |
| chimpman07-20-07, 04:15 AM | Chimpman, I am intrigued by your outline of species. I do have some questions about your gnome and elf populations; namely from where did they come? Wow! First I have to say that I am really impressed wih the map. This is beautiful! As to the demi-human populations - well I'm not quite sure. Here is the delima that I'm having. Aranea have 3 distinct forms, that of a giant spider, that of a hybrid spider/humanoid, and that of a humanoid. So specifically to the issue of the humanoid form, the question becomes how (did this come about)? And what purpose does it serve? I have severa possible answers to the second qustion. What purpose does taking humanoid form serve? It could definately be some form of disguise. In the natural world disguises usually server one of two purposes - to hide yourself from potential prey (so as to better hunt them), and to hide yourself from potential predators. However this would have to mean that there are humanoids around the aranea in order for this ability to be advantagious. Deciding upn elves was easy. There are so many elven empires around that I figure elves have to be a common occurance in the vicinity. And I think I read somethin about a gnomish empire in your (Darth's) region, so I settled on gnomes as well. Now to answer your question I was thinking that some gnomish populations could have migrated up from region 10. The elves could come fom just about anywhere. I'd actually like to ask for input from those of you that have cultures with these races. Where did my elves and gnomes come from? And should there be other humanoid populations in region 4 that the aranea would be able to mimic? |
| SovietCanuck07-20-07, 09:01 PM | Welcome Kelmourne and xXLyzoldaXx! The program I use is AutoREALM (http://autorealm.sourceforge.net/index.php). It's a little complicated to use, and the end result isn't as nice as Araes' and Darth's, but it works, and hey, it's free! To answer your questions Chimpman, and sorry about the wait: The human migrations occurred over a period of about 1000 years, from aroud -3000 years to -2000 years (0 being the collapse of the empire, 1091 being the present). The reasons that caused it were the common reasosns: food, land and shelter, particularly the last two. The Caelen region had a pleasant climate, bountiful recourses and wide open spaces. People moved there because they could. Dwarves, gnomes and halflings also moved up to the region for much the same region, but in much smaller numbers. Humans only became the majority race because their birthrate is much higher then elves, dwarves and gnomes, and their initial population was larger then the halflings and the kith. That is a very good possibility. I haven't really detailed what it was that destroyed the kith. I was thinking along the lines of neogi, mind flayers, beholders or some other aberration, but you don't have to go with that. I'd be interested to see what you come up with. There are dozens of languages spread throughout the Calen region, and hundreds of dialects thereof. However, most languages can trace their roots back to the language of the Caelen Church, a language Cael himself helped to create. Though language was the official language of the empire, most communities continued to use the language of their forefathers, and over time these historical languages blended with Caelen to form entirely new languages. Though a dwarf from Izzard Krak and a man from Andaria speak different languages, many words share a common root, and with effort they can understand each other. Some outsiders may even find it difficult to differentiate between Andarian and Izzardtarn, let alone between Headlandic and Dorsh. The languages of the Caelen region can be grouped into larger language families, languages whose vocabularies are mostly similar, with only pronunciation and intonation being different. Speakers of these languages have an easier time understanding other languages in their families, but it can still be a challenge, particularly when the speaker is speaking quickly, or even at normal speed. The map shows the most prominent language in a region. For example, even though on the west side of Great Flans, the Flansh languages of Geric, Flans and Normic are widely spoken, there is still a significant population that speaks Chalic, a Roenic language. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/861547038_96ad4e79c3_o.jpg The Imperial language family is really only one language, Caelen. The people of this region, the heartland of the Caelen empire, speak as close to pure, unaltered Caelen as could be after fifteen hundred years of everyday use. There are several local dialects, and even a few derivative languages, such as Ba-Caelen on the northeastern plains, but even so, the language has remained fairly homogeneous after all these years. Ilastian languages are the most diverse of the Caelen languages. The largest individual languages are Sorenish and Gallic in Deraille, as well as in the Elven Empire, Torenish and Vallenish in Caelen, and Orian, Stillian, Noranian, Istan, Dorellian, and Histish in Castillia. These languages are the closest to Caelen, and are derived from the Ilistian languages originally spoken in the Caelen valley and the southern Castillian valley Roenic languages originated from the languages spoken by the human settlers of the northern coasts. The languages tend to be rather adaptable, and evolve quickly into many local dialects and even separate languages. For example, Chalic, the language spoken in The Chalice, is a fusion of the original Marx spoken by the followers of Jarlsholme, the Holt of the neighboring Holtlanders whom they warred with for many years, the indigenous Flansh languages, Kithspeak from the nomadic traders, and a bit of Gallic, again from one of their common wartime foes. Other Roenic languages inclue Holt in Holtland, Headlandic and Dorsh in The Elven Empire, Vesten in the Vestenreich, Jarl in Caelen and Castillia, along with Valespeak, Bard, Kirgen and Stromald, while Marx and Gaardir are spoken in Rimegaard. The Dasnac family is derived from the human languages around the Gulf of Blades, and spread to northern Qalitz and central Castillian over the years. Over a dozen Dasnac languages, including Heinshem, Trill and Calon, have ceased to exist after the elven invasion, and their systematic elimination of human languages. However, in the Vestenreich and Castillia, the languages still thrive. In Vestenreich, the most common Dasnac languages are Yulic, Rostem and Gerian, while in Qalitz Bi'ilsh is the largest. In Castillia, Triash and Arak are the Dasnac language with official representation. Qaelic languages are a fusion of Caelen with the languages of the horselands. It is spoken mostly in Qalitz and her former territories. These languages are the hardest for a non-speaker to understand, with many of it's words still sounding Barbar instead of Caelen. However, it's sentence structure and alphabet are distinctly Caelen, therefor it is considered a Caelen language and not a Barbar. The largest Qaelic language is Qalitz, however there are several others spoken in both Qalitz and Castillia, such as Sulam, Halic, Orenish, Aif and Yalish. Andarian is a small family of languages spoken in the historic nation of Andaria, in south eastern Castillia. Ardaria is possibly the oldest human nation in the Caelen region, and Andarian is believed to be the language on wich Cael based the language of his church, or at least that's what the Andarians say. The only Andarian languages of note are North and South Andarian, though there are several smaller languages, rarely spoken by more than a thousand souls. The Flansh languages were the original human languages of the Thalish peninsula, spoken by the humans who submitted to elven rule. Modern Flansh languages are a blend of Elven and Caelen, and though they are not a majority in any nation, they do posses sizable minorities in Holtland, Khazad Roen and The Chalice. There are a huge number of Flansh languages, so it is impossible to determine the largest, but some of the larger ones include Flans, Normic, Urric and Eir. Durnic languages evolved from the language of the dwarven and gnomishsettlers on the northern Thalish peninsula. It is the only Caelen language that did not originate from a human one. Durnic possesses many local dialects, the largest being Izzardtarn, the language of the Iron Citadel. Local Durnic dialects pop up wherever there is a substantial dwarven or gnomish population. Alstanish, like Andarian, is a small family of languages native only to the southern end of the Thalish peninsula. The Alstanish people, however, did not arrive until after the elves were defeated, and they settled in the former heartland of the elven empire. Their languages, much like Qalitz, contains many non-Caelen words, and is considered the most difficult Caelen language to learn. They do not even use the Caelen alphabet, preferring a system writing more easily converted to arcane spells. The majority of Alstan has been reconquered by the elves, and the language is being replaced, slowly but surely, with Elven. Elven is the largest non-Caelen language, and has many local dialects. It is slowly replacing Caelen languages in the reconquered regions, as the elves have barred the speaking of non-elven dialects within territories they control. Though in the recently conquered regions Caelen still dominates, in the regions that have been under elven rule for 90 years, humans and gnomes are growing up speaking elven as a first language. Barbar is a broad term used to describe the languages of the Horselands. Barbar is actually the language of the largest tribe, though most of the Horselander languages are similar to the language of the Barbars. Kithspeak is the most common non-Caelen language within the human and dwarven nations. Each kith caravan seems to have it's own accent and catch phrases, which seem to change with the seasons. The kith are fairly open with their language, and it is not a difficult language to learn. However, as kith make an effort to learn a large number of Caelen languages, there is really little initiative to learn kithspeak. The Ithu'kut are the exact opposite of the kith. They do not eagerly share their language with outsiders, and on the off chance one is given the opportunity to learn the language of the ice nomads, they will find it challenging in the extreme. It is usually best to rely on magic to communicate with the Ithu'kut, instead of interpreters who are very capable of causing dangerous, or even deadly, miscommunication. And great job on the table of contents Don! Just a little note: Information for the Caelen region is on post #77. I will prolly end up reposting the complete information with a few modifications sometime in the near future however. |
| Darth Syntax07-21-07, 04:46 AM | Nice work on the language map SC, I would love to know what the kith languages are like (what with them being something of an unknown quantity in the world). -- Chimpman, to answer your question about a "gnomish empire" in my region; there has never been a gnomish empire in the purely technical sense of the term, however both the Esuin League and the Republic of Orothos have been heavily influenced by the native gnomish cultures. Indeed, the Republic is culturally the most "gnomish" of countries as the economic system (merchant capitalism) the political system (a dizzyingly complex non-egalitarian meritocratic republic) general social practice, and language all have their origins in gnomish culture and thought. The other races of the Republic generally adopted the native culture long ago and it is now simply the Orothoi culture. I've been trying to come up with a good way of explaining Ilaroi gnome culture in a concise fashion and I seem to be failing. However, I promise I'll come up with something soon. |
| SovietCanuck07-22-07, 01:50 PM | Nice work on the language map SC, I would love to know what the kith languages are like (what with them being something of an unknown quantity in the world). I've been working on that a little bit here. Kithspeak is a form of Common from the kith's world, a trade jargon that takes bits and pieces from the languages of different clans. The language is very simple, as it was not intended to discus complex topics. The 'High Kith' languages still exists, but most kith choose not to learn them, as they may only need to use them once or twice in their lives. Kithspeak evolved into a full language by stealing words and concepts from the Caelen languages, but each clan has a slightly different vocabulary, depending if their speech borrowed from a Roenic language or a Dunrnic language, and so forth. Kithspeak has no irregular verbs, or even tenses. Instead of tenses, they use prefixes on their verbs to indicate if it will happen, could happen, has happened or may have happened. For adjectives and adverbs, they use suffixes. For example "The fools ran away", would be "d'Haad't na'kiir'maha", na' being prefix for past tense, and 't being the suffix for plural. Now, this is just a rough draft of course, as I have only been working on it for a day, but the kith language really is the only one I have to write up, as elven has been done for me innumerable times, and I'm just going to steal Indo-European languages for the Caelen languages (I'm lazy...so shoot me). I've also worked up a numbering system for them. As they have four digits instead of five, their numbering system is based off 4,8,16 and 64 (Roman style numbering, as the roman system used 1, 5, 10, 50 and so forth to represent their numbers. VI is equal to V+I, ect.) Well, there was a days work for me. Don't expect me to finish this off any time soon though!:P |
| Darth Syntax07-22-07, 03:30 PM | So, if I understand you right, the kith languages rely heavily on aspect, mood, and possibly evidentiality to convey the time and manner of events. I've done a bit of work with languages that do this to varying degrees, and went so far as to begin the construction of one (although it is far from finished). Also, given what you've said about said languages "stealing" from caelen would I be right in assuming that the kith languages might be classified as creole languages (with a Kith superstarum and a caelen substratum)? If this is so, what did the kith speak upon their arrival (High Kith?) as their day to day language? One major question before I go on too much: How is your knowledge of linguistic jargon? Additional linguistic questions about Kith in no particular order - do the apostrophes mean anything? Perhaps they are markers of clitics or grammatical particles? - You say that Kith is very regular and "simple". Is the language analytic (which might complicate the syntax a bit) or might it be agglutinative (this would lead to some very long but analyzable words)? - What other physiological factors might contribute to their language? do they have really huge noses that make them sound very nasal? How similar are their vocal apparatus to our own? |
| SovietCanuck07-22-07, 05:22 PM | Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, Darth! You took out all the stops on those ones, didn't you?;) I'll try to answer the questions to the best of my knowledge, however my experience with language is the evolution of it, and not the grammar. So, if I understand you right, the kith languages rely heavily on aspect, mood, and possibly evidentiality to convey the time and manner of events.Also, given what you've said about said languages "stealing" from caelen would I be right in assuming that the kith languages might be classified as creole languages (with a Kith superstarum and a caelen substratum)? If this is so, what did the kith speak upon their arrival (High Kith?) as their day to day language? You are right in that Kithspeak is technically a creole. They stole many proper terms for which they had no reference to from Caelen languages (names for animals, place names, ect.). Kith spoke several languages before they arrived. Kithspeak was the language of trade between nations, or clans, while there were hundreds of local languages. As the part of their homeworld that crashed into Dwenty (I think that's what Don informally named our globe here) was basically the center of learning and government (United Nations style), there were several languages that were spoken upon arrival. However, over the 1000 years since they arrived, these languages, collectively termed High Kith, have fallen by the wayside as the kith focused less on preserving their culture, and more on just preserving themselves. As kithspeak facilitated communication between tribes, and there was little bias against changing it to suit changing needs, it became the de-facto language. The High Kith languages have stayed pretty much static due to the efforts of preservations who stay on Nohn and attempt to preserve the cultural artifacts (The original dictionaries are still locked up under the ruined cities, as the kith were at about nuclear-age tech when the calamity occurred, they devised ways to keep their knowledge base intact, such as computers powered by arcane generators, and the such. Of course, most kith aren't privy to that technology, as letting that technology spread would mark Kith and their homeland as immediate targets for most nations. And even machine guns don't do that well against 500 knights barreling down at you) One major question before I go on too much: How is your knowledge of linguistic jargon? I know a bit...as I said, I have studied more into why languages evolved instead of how they evolved. Additional linguistic questions about Kith in no particular order - do the apostrophes mean anything? Perhaps they are markers of clitics or grammatical particles? They are present only in writing, used to indicate different affixes. It's like the apostrophes in the English language, used to indicate where a two words have been shorten into one. We don't annunciate the apostrophe, but it is there in writing, and it is the same with the kith. - You say that Kith is very regular and "simple". Is the language analytic (which might complicate the syntax a bit) or might it be agglutinative (this would lead to some very long but analyzable words)? I'd say it is more on the agglutinative side of the equation. The root noun and verb do not change, only the prefixes and suffixes do. The kith verb 'rah' does not change even when the subject does (I run: Ir kiir; They ran: Ael't po'kiir; He/she will be running: Ael nu'kiir) - What other physiological factors might contribute to their language? do they have really huge noses that make them sound very nasal? How similar are their vocal apparatus to our own? Their faces are longer, they have more points of articulation (Humans have 3, if I remember my band years correctly: ta-ka-la), so they have an additional point (indicated by r) that is a cross between articulation and a guttural stop. Due to their facial structure, they favor articulations and soft vowels. As I said, I only drew up a rough draft of the language last night, so eh, it still has a lot of kinks to work out. |
| DonThelonious07-22-07, 06:50 PM | Wow! As to the demi-human populations - well I'm not quite sure. Here is the delima that I'm having. Aranea have 3 distinct forms, that of a giant spider, that of a hybrid spider/humanoid, and that of a humanoid. So specifically to the issue of the humanoid form, the question becomes how (did this come about)? And what purpose does it serve? I have severa possible answers to the second qustion. What purpose does taking humanoid form serve? It could definately be some form of disguise. In the natural world disguises usually server one of two purposes - to hide yourself from potential prey (so as to better hunt them), and to hide yourself from potential predators. However this would have to mean that there are humanoids around the aranea in order for this ability to be advantagious. Deciding upn elves was easy. There are so many elven empires around that I figure elves have to be a common occurance in the vicinity. And I think I read somethin about a gnomish empire in your (Darth's) region, so I settled on gnomes as well. Now to answer your question I was thinking that some gnomish populations could have migrated up from region 10. The elves could come fom just about anywhere. I'd actually like to ask for input from those of you that have cultures with these races. Where did my elves and gnomes come from? And should there be other humanoid populations in region 4 that the aranea would be able to mimic? Chimpman: I have a pefrect answer to your delimma: They could have come from my region pre-cataclysm. I have incorporated most of the demi-human and humanoid races into my region and before the great star falling into the middle of things they6 had a pretty advanced and cosmopolitan culture. The gnomes could have easily been the hardy seafaring gnomes I had and with the elves, well, you already got that one pretty well clinched. Just my :twocents: but dude this could work well. BTW- How do your spider-folk feel about dragons and/or titans? And are you going to make use of a non-traditional Drider race? |
| Darth Syntax07-23-07, 03:31 AM | Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, Darth! You took out all the stops on those ones, didn't you?;) I'll try to answer the questions to the best of my knowledge, however my experience with language is the evolution of it, and not the grammar. Historical linguistics is always an excellent subject although not one with which I have spent as much time as I would have liked. I've mostly studied phonology, syntax, semantics, and typology. If I get overly "grammatical" please let me know, I do sometimes get a bit carried away with this sort of thing; but that's what happens when you have a degree in this stuff . . . You are right in that Kithspeak is technically a creole. They stole many proper terms for which they had no reference to from Caelen languages (names for animals, place names, ect.). Kith spoke several languages before they arrived. Kithspeak was the language of trade between nations, or clans, while there were hundreds of local languages. As the part of their homeworld that crashed into Dwenty (I think that's what Don informally named our globe here) was basically the center of learning and government (United Nations style), there were several languages that were spoken upon arrival. However, over the 1000 years since they arrived, these languages, collectively termed High Kith, have fallen by the wayside as the kith focused less on preserving their culture, and more on just preserving themselves. As kithspeak facilitated communication between tribes, and there was little bias against changing it to suit changing needs, it became the de-facto language. The High Kith languages have stayed pretty much static due to the efforts of preservations who stay on Nohn and attempt to preserve the cultural artifacts (The original dictionaries are still locked up under the ruined cities, as the kith were at about nuclear-age tech when the calamity occurred, they devised ways to keep their knowledge base intact, such as computers powered by arcane generators, and the such. Of course, most kith aren't privy to that technology, as letting that technology spread would mark Kith and their homeland as immediate targets for most nations. And even machine guns don't do that well against 500 knights barreling down at you). A thought occurs: Sense the Kith seem to be largely ignorant of their arcano-technology might they, as culture, have forgotten how to make it work properly? They might be able to keep it working after a fashion but remain incapable of fixing all but the most basic things and certainly incapable of creating new ones. Just a thought really, but it would help to explain why they've not conquered the world yet, and why they are so secretive about these things. Apostrophes They are present only in writing, used to indicate different affixes. It's like the apostrophes in the English language, used to indicate where a two words have been shorten into one. We don't annunciate the apostrophe, but it is there in writing, and it is the same with the kith. Ok. So most of your grammatical information is stored in clitics (the fancy term for this particular sort of affix) that attach to the verb. Cool. I'm glad to see that your apostrophes mean something (they are often just scattered about like so much hen-feed it seems). I'd say it is more on the agglutinative side of the equation. The root noun and verb do not change, only the prefixes and suffixes do. The kith verb 'rah' does not change even when the subject does (I run: Ir kiir; They ran: Ael't po'kiir; He/she will be running: Ael nu'kiir) Considering your extensive (and possibly exclusive) use of clitics I would venture that the kith languages are not known for morphologically super-complex words as clitics cannot normally "stack" in the same way that more "normal" affixes can. However, the kith aren't human, so they needn't follow all the same rules . . Their faces are longer, they have more points of articulation (Humans have 3, if I remember my band years correctly: ta-ka-la), so they have an additional point (indicated by r) that is a cross between articulation and a guttural stop. Due to their facial structure, they favor articulations and soft vowels. As I said, I only drew up a rough draft of the language last night, so eh, it still has a lot of kinks to work out. I must say, I am unfamiliar with the definition of point of articulation (hereafter POA) that you are using. In general linguistic jargon there are numerous POAs which refer to where in the vocal tract the tongue is making contact. The POAs are generally as follows, starting at the lips and moving back in the mouth from there: bi-labial, labial-dental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, velar, uvular,pharyngeal, epiglottal, glottal. I would love to know what system you are referring to, as it seems to be describing something somewhat different. On the topic of longer faces, are they longer vertically or are they more protruding (a bit more like having a snout)? The former sort might make the oral cavity somewhat larger which might give them a deeper sound to their voice, while the latter would allow for potential additional articulation points and the creation of some non-human sounds. -- If there is anything I can do to help (point you in the direction of some resouces that I have found useful in this sort of thing, shut up and leave you alone, dance the tarantella very badly, etc.) please let me know. |
| Throdin07-23-07, 12:33 PM | Can you guys check out my thread at http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=891459 thanks |
| SovietCanuck07-24-07, 01:22 AM | A thought occurs: Sense the Kith seem to be largely ignorant of their arcano-technology might they, as culture, have forgotten how to make it work properly? They might be able to keep it working after a fashion but remain incapable of fixing all but the most basic things and certainly incapable of creating new ones. Just a thought really, but it would help to explain why they've not conquered the world yet, and why they are so secretive about these things. Aye, that is what I was planning. The preservationists may have access to some of the ancient kith technologies, however the majority of said tech is of little value to the rest of the society (who needs television when homes don't even have electrical lighting?). However, the majority of military technology is far beyond even the preservers limited knowledge. Another reason as to my the kith couldn't conquer the world is that they are very distrustful of authority. That is one of the reasons they failed to conquer their original region. When one clan got to powerful, the others would work to undermine their efforts. The kith were by and far the most technologically and magically advanced species on their world, but at their height they ruled maybe a quarter of it. Ok. So most of your grammatical information is stored in clitics (the fancy term for this particular sort of affix) that attach to the verb. Cool. I'm glad to see that your apostrophes mean something (they are often just scattered about like so much hen-feed it seems). Agreed. In most of the language-building guides I've read, they all strongly recommend against using apostrophes, because they are both overused, and have a plethora of meanings. However, I felt that they worked in kithspeak as it's supposed to be a relatively simple language to both speak and read, and dividing up words into their composite parts can only make it easier. Considering your extensive (and possibly exclusive) use of clitics I would venture that the kith languages are not known for morphologically super-complex words as clitics cannot normally "stack" in the same way that more "normal" affixes can. However, the kith aren't human, so they needn't follow all the same rules . . Well, I don't know about that. I'm thinking several clitics can be added onto the base word, however when you start adding on too many it sounds as cumbersome as it would in English or French. I must say, I am unfamiliar with the definition of point of articulation (hereafter POA) that you are using. In general linguistic jargon there are numerous POAs which refer to where in the vocal tract the tongue is making contact. The POAs are generally as follows, starting at the lips and moving back in the mouth from there: bi-labial, labial-dental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, velar, uvular,pharyngeal, epiglottal, glottal. I would love to know what system you are referring to, as it seems to be describing something somewhat different. Sorry...your definition is most likely the proper application. I took point of articulation out of context and used it as a point where your tongue temporarily interrupts airflow within ones mouth...when playing a brass instrument, there are three places within one's mouth where one can articulate notes. Similar to linguistics, but not quite, eh? However, as I am currently uncertain how the kith's mouths translate over your points of articulation, I'm going to have to work on that before moving any farther. On the topic of longer faces, are they longer vertically or are they more protruding (a bit more like having a snout)? The former sort might make the oral cavity somewhat larger which might give them a deeper sound to their voice, while the latter would allow for potential additional articulation points and the creation of some non-human sounds. Snout! Haha! I was looking for the proper word last night, and couldn't think of it. But that describes it pretty well. I'm still not certain how drastically it would change their speech, but I'm going to try and figure that out here. I have a picture I drew up and was waiting until I had a bit more written up on them before posting, but hey, as getting their language figured out seems to be my #2 priority here (#1 being history of the region, #3 being further devolving the religions), a picture could serve as aide for you helping me to figure out where their points of articulation differ from ours. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/877726732_00150850a2.jpg If there is anything I can do to help (point you in the direction of some resouces that I have found useful in this sort of thing, shut up and leave you alone, dance the tarantella very badly, etc.) please let me know. Thanks for the offer (the tarantella was very temping) but you've given me quite enough advice to mull over for a while. I'll mull it over, and come back once I've got a slightly more concrete idea here. |
| Darth Syntax07-24-07, 03:55 AM | Another reason as to my the kith couldn't conquer the world is that they are very distrustful of authority. That is one of the reasons they failed to conquer their original region. When one clan got to powerful, the others would work to undermine their efforts. The kith were by and far the most technologically and magically advanced species on their world, but at their height they ruled maybe a quarter of it. So the kith are almost self-destructively anarchic and engaged in a constant war against their arch-enemy: the kith. Interesting, and it certainly does help to explain why they haven't taken over the world yet. Agreed. In most of the language-building guides I've read, they all strongly recommend against using apostrophes, because they are both overused, and have a plethora of meanings. However, I felt that they worked in kithspeak as it's supposed to be a relatively simple language to both speak and read, and dividing up words into their composite parts can only make it easier. If you don't want to use apostrophes to do your morpheme separation, then I recommend the use of the dot. It is horribly underused, and (I think at any rate) looks rather cool. Example: Ael•t po•kiir "they ran away" However, as long as you are consistent with your use of apostrophes and they remain meaningful, I see no real problem with them. Well, I don't know about that. I'm thinking several clitics can be added onto the base word, however when you start adding on too many it sounds as cumbersome as it would in English or French. The trouble with clitics is that they are phonologically dependent upon their host word and as such don't tend to play well with other clitics. Imagine a man who needs crutches to get around, now imagine a whole room-full of such men and only one crutch: it can get a bit messy. However, there is no real problem with having a large number of affixes that don't happen to be clitics, as you can string them together until the cows come home. And, if your apostrophes really just refer to morpheme boundaries, you can keep your current orthography without any tweaking. Sorry...your definition is most likely the proper application. I took point of articulation out of context and used it as a point where your tongue temporarily interrupts airflow within ones mouth...when playing a brass instrument, there are three places within one's mouth where one can articulate notes. Similar to linguistics, but not quite, eh? However, as I am currently uncertain how the kith's mouths translate over your points of articulation, I'm going to have to work on that before moving any farther. Snout! Haha! I was looking for the proper word last night, and couldn't think of it. But that describes it pretty well. I'm still not certain how drastically it would change their speech, but I'm going to try and figure that out here. I have a picture I drew up and was waiting until I had a bit more written up on them before posting, but hey, as getting their language figured out seems to be my #2 priority here (#1 being history of the region, #3 being further devolving the religions), a picture could serve as aide for you helping me to figure out where their points of articulation differ from ours. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/877726732_00150850a2.jpg Hmm. They're far more draconic in appearance than I imagined them to be. For some reason I had them looking like bluish-greenish sagacious looking, gnarled, somewhat fungusy beings. With weird tangled hyphae-hair. I have no idea where I got that image. Moving on then Given the jaw shape, I would imagine that the palatal region is somewhat larger than it is in humans, and that the oral cavity itself would be somewhat larger (proportionality of course as I haver no idea of the absolute size of the kith). The size of the palate might allow them to have a considerable variance in how their palatal sounds sound. Indeed, they might divide the palate into several POAs (front, mid, and back). How are their teeth by the way? If they are sharp and "draconic-esque' then they might have trouble with dental and alveolar sounds as well lateral ("L"-like) sounds due to the air being able to escape around the teeth. They might sound somewhat "hissish" or indistinct. Also, do they have flexible lips? If they don't then rounded vowels (u, o, and so on) and sounds like [m], [f], [v], and [w] could be nearly impossible. However, they might be able to use their tongues to approximate lip-rounding by rolling them as they pronounce sounds. For grins, I've mapped the human POAs to a possible cross section of a kith head. i warn you, I'm no great artist and this is only a very rough diagram, but it might help some. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/883517358_1f3cbed7e3_o.jpg Thanks for the offer (the tarantella was very temping) but you've given me quite enough advice to mull over for a while. I'll mull it over, and come back once I've got a slightly more concrete idea here. I promise to quit my broadside of questions, I just find this sort of thing interesting. Good luck with it all. -- Now then, back to my own region . . . . |
| Darth Syntax07-25-07, 04:30 AM | I've been working on some of the political relations between my countries, and I offer up some of the relations of the Republic of Orothos International Relations of The Republic of Orothos The Esuin League: A somewhat tense working relationship formed in the aftermath of the most recent trade war. Many cultural similarities ease this relationship as does their shared dislike of the Ejantuli Empire. Trade is relatively free between these two nations, although they compete for foreign trade routes and colonies. The Ejantuli Empire: Currently in a state of undeclared cold war. Relations are very strained as the Republic and the Empire have a long history of mutual distrust and animosity. The Dodjai Protectorate: There are no formal relations between the Republic and the Protectorate as the Republic refuses to recognize their government. A recent war (The Phirisian war of 1630 CR) created the current non-relations between the countries as the Republic, much to it’s embarrassment, lost the territory of Phiris (on the coast of the Rotting Sea) to the Dodjai have a bloody war of attrition. Lagarnos: Cordial if a pit patronizing on the part of the Republic. The Orothoi tend to view the Lagarnans as a bit backwards and quaint but they also know that much of their imported grain comes from Lagarnos, and so will do whatever they can to insure a continued favorable relationship. Adós: The Republic has little in common with the theocracy of Adós, and relations between them are generally confined to formal matters of trade and business. Neither party quite understands the other and this has led to it’s share of conflicts, but Adós and the Republic have never yet fought each other in open war. Sronid: Beyond the basic diplomatic contacts, the relations between the Republic and Sronid are all but non-existent. The Sron, being distrustful of foreigners and secretive by nature carefully regulate their contact with outsiders which has kept their relationship with the Republic (and the rest of the world) minimal at best. The Mrinaun Confederation: Given the extremely volatile and decentralized nature of the governance (such as it is) in the Confederation, the Republic prefers to deal directly with specific merchant princes, pirate captains, and transient Darfellan pods. More than once, the Republic has meddled in the internal politics of the Confederation to ensure the supremacy of one of their allies. Vodna: The tensions between the Ejantuli Empire and Vodna prevent the Republic from officially recognizing the Vodnan government. Any recognition of the Vodnans by the Republic would no doubt lead to the Empire declaring open war. However, the Republic has a number of unofficial contacts with the Vodnans and used them to aide them financially during their fight for independence from the Empire. Nyera: Over the years, relations with Nyera have fluctuated wildly, sometimes the Nyerans were allies and at other times implacable foes. The current standing between the Republic and the Jauric homeland is one of somewhat chilly indifference. Srotte: Of the Three Kingdoms, Srotte is the most receptive to trade and the Republic has a cordial relationship with several of the lords. Although king Aluwos II keeps the republic merchants and ambassadors at arms length in order to maintain face with the kings of Escthein and Rowyar, he privately does everything he can do to keep the Republic pleased and line his pockets with their wealth. |
| DonThelonious08-01-07, 10:55 AM | Sorry I haven't posted in a little while, my online access has been very limited for the last couple weeks. I have had a chance to come up with a new prestige class for my region its called the Beast Rider (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=13265551#post13265551). Tell me what you all think. I'll post more as soon as I can, and hopefully get all the information up that I got from Chimpman (96 pages total!!!). Oh and :bump:, gotta keep this thing up on the first couple pages:) |
| Darth Syntax08-02-07, 09:53 PM | I too must apologize for the scantyness of my posting of late. I've become caught up in the minutia of Jauric custom and culture and it has taken me down some interesting (if very odd) roads. Getting it all down in written form is also presenting me with problems as the English language is failing me utterly in describing some of their social and cultural relations (such as the fact that they recognize six non sex-based genders in their society). However, I seem to be getting somewhere slowly. In the meantime, here is some basic infromation on the Dodjai Protectorate: The Dodjai Protectorate Government Type: Confederation of nomads under a nominal ruling council of chieftans, elders, and the like Ruling Bodies: The Dyen Jol (the Great Protectors), the council that rules the Protectorate Current Leaders: Jol Temruq Pal (TN male human ranger 8) Economic Type: Mixed Currency: no official currency Population: about 10 million Species Demographics: 50% Human (40% Dodjai ethno-linguistic group, 60% other), 15% Dromite, 15% Gnome, 10% Goliath, 10% Thri-Kreen, 10% Other Capitol: Paractsh Largest City: Aeolen Religion: Lengchaga (a shamanistic religion), various others Major Languages: Orga (called also Dodjai) Nominal Alignment: TN A century ago the Dodjai were considered to be just another of the semi-barbaric peoples of the upland steppes. They made their living by herding their alpacas and llamas across the high, windy plateau of the interior, harvesting their wool and their meat, and making raids into the lowlands to steal goods from more settled communities. All of this changed when the Dodjai managed to finally domesticate the indricothere, the towering beats of the scrublands. The Moving Cities The great size and strength of the indricotheres allowed the Dodjai to carry significantly more supplies with them as they traveled across the steppe. Eventually, the Dodjai began to use the animals to pull a kind of wooden platform-cart which would become the basis for one of the most remarkable features of Dodjai culture: settlements that be easily moved from one place to another. These traveling settlements allowed the Dodjai to exploit some of the advantages of sedentary life while still maintaining the nomadic traditions of their ancestors. Upon the backs of the indrioctheres the Dodjai have constructed a wholly unique culture, town-dwelling nomads. The Formation of the Protectorate Roughly a century ago the Jol Ib Balgze united the Dodjai clans through shrewd political manipulation and ruthless military conquest. The newly united Dodjai were charged with a new sense of purpose and desire for conquest and they swept across the steppe, conquering substantial territories. Unlike previous nomad conquerors, the Dodjai were not simply on a glorified raid. The Dodjai proved themselves to be not only excellent light cavalry , but adept in the art of siege warfare (an unusual trait in nomads). This military prowess, combined with the Dodjai gift for logistics (both in maintaining supply lines and operating free of them) made them a formidable foe. The initial conquests of the Dodjai under Jol Balgze were wildly successful but they were hemmed in by the larger, more established powers and did not have the resources or the manpower to conquer much more than they had already taken. The Dodjai underwent yet another cultural transformation, from militant conquerors to political administrators and the ruling elite. The Dodjai have never had must interest in the minutia of the cultures of the people they conquered. They are remarkably tolerant of such things as religion, language, and custom, so long as no great crimes are committed and the taxes are paid on time. They do not demand that their subjects become nomads, indeed they prefer it if they do not so that their agrarian and industrial production can serve the Protectorate as a whole. Governmentally, the Protectorate is ruled by a council of chieftains, nobles, and warriors which meets in the moving city of Paractsh. This riotous assembly is oddly effective, despite the occasionally violent debate and the odd murder. In matters of civil law the council remains relatively neutral, but they are heavily involved in matters of criminal law and economic policy. The council also acts as a kind of high court trying and sentencing criminals, oath-breakers, and other troublemakers. Justice is swift and harsh in the Protectorate, and many crimes carry death sentences. Despite the harshness of Dodjai law, it is fairly evenly applied and not even members of the ruling council are exempt form its justice. |
| chimpman08-03-07, 12:36 PM | Hi folks! I'm still around too, but Real Life is getting a bit hectic. Hopefully it will calm down in the next week or so, and I can post more spidery goodness ;). -- I like the write up on the Dodjai, DS. Here are some questions: 1) Species Demographics: 50% Human (40% Dodjai ethno-linguistic group, 60% other), 15% Dromite, 15% Gnome, 10% Goliath, 10% Thri-Kreen, 10% Other From this I'm assuming that the original Dodjai core population was human, and that the non-humans listed here probably represent cultures that they have conquered and assimilated. Is this the case? Do these populations mix at all, or do they stay relatively isolated in their own regions? 2) Also you have listed the Dodjai as being (nominally) TN, however after reading your write-up I would have assumed that they were more along the lines of LN. Justice is swift and harsh in the Protectorate, and many crimes carry death sentences. Despite the harshness of Dodjai law, it is fairly evenly applied and not even members of the ruling council are exempt form its justice. 3) No question here :) I just really love the city pulling indricotheres. Keep this goodness coming. I'm really enjoying it. -- Here's another stray thought that I had last night while going over Paizo's blog for their new adventure path world, Pathfinder. Wouldn't it be cool if we could come up with an adventure path that spanned our world. Each region owner could be responsible for furthering the plot and developing an adventure in their own neck of the woods. The adventures wouldn't have to be full blown and complete. I think a general story line/plot and a rough outline of each adventure would be enough to get people interested. Later we could flesh things out if we had enough time. So for example I could start out the path with an adventure on the Blood Sea. The conclusion of that adventure would leave the PCs in Dodjai lands and Darth Syntax could pick up the plot from there. The conclusion of that adventure would leave the PC in another region, and so on. And yes, I realize I'm getting ahead of myself... seeing as how I still haven't even posted my final map yet, much less anything else. But I though I would toss the idea out there while it was still fresh in my mind. |
| Darth Syntax08-03-07, 02:13 PM | I like the write up on the Dodjai, DS. Here are some questions: 1) From this I'm assuming that the original Dodjai core population was human, and that the non-humans listed here probably represent cultures that they have conquered and assimilated. Is this the case? Do these populations mix at all, or do they stay relatively isolated in their own regions? You are right in thinking that the ethnic Dodjai are human group. Very much your classic steppe nomad population only they don't ride horses (due to there being no such animal on the continent ) but rather a species of domesticated antelope. As to the conquered people, many of them were former citizens of the Republic and thus lived in a fairly cosmopolitan society with lots of species mixing. The coastal region of the Protectorate are essentially still culturally part of the Republic, they just changed landlords. Here you will find all manner of sentient beings living in close proximity, often with little segregation. The dromites are a bit of an exception as their peculiar biology requires them to live in hives. In the coastal cites and towns there are often dromite enclaves but even these populations are very much part of the society. 2) Also you have listed the Dodjai as being (nominally) TN, however after reading your write-up I would have assumed that they were more along the lines of LN. The Dodjai legal code is fairly haphazard and is not a comprehensive body of laws. It really only deals with major crimes and keeping the revenue flowing. The Dodjai generally view laws a useful tools to keeping themselves in power rather than as essential to the workings of a society. The rule of law is not something the Dodjai value all that highly in and of itself hence the TN nominal alignment. Granted they are really impossible to peg as any alignment, I've just been including them to give a very loose idea of what sort of ideas I'm playing with. 3) No question here :) I just really love the city pulling indricotheres. Thanks. The idea came to me while I was out walking and it was such a strong image I came home and began trying to figure out how it would all work. I'm still figuring it out. Here's another stray thought that I had last night while going over Paizo's blog for their new adventure path world, Pathfinder. Wouldn't it be cool if we could come up with an adventure path that spanned our world. Each region owner could be responsible for furthering the plot and developing an adventure in their own neck of the woods. The adventures wouldn't have to be full blown and complete. I think a general story line/plot and a rough outline of each adventure would be enough to get people interested. Later we could flesh things out if we had enough time. So for example I could start out the path with an adventure on the Blood Sea. The conclusion of that adventure would leave the PCs in Dodjai lands and Darth Syntax could pick up the plot from there. The conclusion of that adventure would leave the PC in another region, and so on. And yes, I realize I'm getting ahead of myself... seeing as how I still haven't even posted my final map yet, much less anything else. But I though I would toss the idea out there while it was still fresh in my mind. This is an interesting idea, and I think that it would be worth pursuing at some point: once we all get some clearer ideas of our own regions. I am thinking that politics would play a major part in this as well as overseas expansion and the tentions brought about by the expanding colonial powers. Hell, we could conceivably have an impending world war as a backdrop . . .:plotting: |
| chimpman08-03-07, 10:03 PM | Chimpman: I have a pefrect answer to your delimma: They could have come from my region pre-cataclysm. I have incorporated most of the demi-human and humanoid races into my region and before the great star falling into the middle of things they6 had a pretty advanced and cosmopolitan culture. The gnomes could have easily been the hardy seafaring gnomes I had and with the elves, well, you already got that one pretty well clinched. Just my :twocents: but dude this could work well. BTW- How do your spider-folk feel about dragons and/or titans? And are you going to make use of a non-traditional Drider race? Arrggghhh... First let me apologise for not getting to this sooner. I had intended to answer this earlier, but real life got in the way and then things progressed and I totally forgot about it. Anyway, I did have some things to say here, so I'll go ahead and say them. I like the idea that seafaring gnomes have been in contact with the aranea for quite a long time. I'm thinking that there might have been several different migrations throught aranean history (and pre-history) and I think this story might work. One of the "creation myths" I've been toying with for the areane has something to do with foriegners crashing on their island and the aranea taking on their humanoid form. This would have been sometime in the ancient past, well before my own catastrophe happened, and probably even before your star crashed. Later after the aranean civilization recovered I see more demi-humans migrating into the area as well, so perhaps there have been several different migratory waves throughout time and perhaps they have even come from different origins. I have also been pondering the idea of a displaced titan making its home in my region. I kind of like that idea. So why would the titan be around? What was the reason for their leaving their home country to settle in this new land? What would their goals be here? As for dragons I am less sure, but I won't rule the idea out. I just have to think about it some more. Now on to you last question about driders. This is actually something I had not considered, but after giving it some thought I do have a couple of places that they could live. Forst of all the kopru of the region are known flesh crafters. They are responsible for creating the race of undersea giants, and they have had conflicts with the aranea in the past, so it is concievable that they could craft drider-like creatures. The other possibility is that driders may be servants of the Krik'tkrk aranea (who are themselves a pretty bad lot...). In either case I don't think they would be very widespread, but still, you could find them on the occasional "deserted" island, and maybe even on the mainland doing an errand for their masters. |
| yellowdingo08-04-07, 01:31 AM | Campaign Ideas 2. The Dead Sea Agrin clambered up the mast to watch it. The ship swayed beneath him as it positioned on suddenly exposed reef. He could see the distant shore gaining width as the ocean retreated from it. The reef rapidly became an island running much of the length of the land. "So much for getting in the fish." Agrin smiled down at his fellow fishermen. DM Briefing: The Sea begins to pour into a Chasm that has opened deep in the bottom of the sea. It effectivly lowers permanently by 200 feet before leveling off. This is a cyclic event occuring once every fifty thousand years. Now over the next fifty thousand years the sea will be ejected from the chasm as steam until the sea is restored. At which time it will happen again. |
| Darth Syntax08-05-07, 12:03 AM | I like the idea that seafaring gnomes have been in contact with the aranea for quite a long time. I'm thinking that there might have been several different migrations throught aranean history (and pre-history) and I think this story might work. One of the "creation myths" I've been toying with for the areane has something to do with foriegners crashing on their island and the aranea taking on their humanoid form. This would have been sometime in the ancient past, well before my own catastrophe happened, and probably even before your star crashed. Later after the aranean civilization recovered I see more demi-humans migrating into the area as well, so perhaps there have been several different migratory waves throughout time and perhaps they have even come from different origins. It would be possible for one the migration of gnomes to have come up from the south as the gnome population of the south is very much a nautical culture. Depending on the era of their, hypothetical, arrival they might still resemble the "home cultures" in a number of ways. Politics would be highly emphasized, hereditary rule considered barbaric and disgusting, the economy would be monetary and baked on credit rather than a physical commodity, and philosophy would be considered serious business. These are fairly basal traits of the major gnome cultures of my region and they would be unlikely to abandon them if their arrival in region 4 was comparatively recent. Also, if their is a sizable gnome population from either regions 10 or 17, they are likely to have almost no experience with divine casters other than Archivists, as clerics, paladins, and most other divine casters do not exist. Indeed these people are incapable of being clerics and this is thought to originate in something that the Shattered Lens Empire did to the regions. They would probably regard divine magic with the greatest suspicion and be more than a little disturbed by the concept of priests healing. So that could be a potential source of cultural tension. |
| yellowdingo08-05-07, 12:17 AM | Gnomes Not sure how they fit in yet, but there are probably populations on the mainland. Nomadic Gnome Gypsy-Artisans sail the coastal waters in Clay fired and glazed ceramic Sailing Ships that look like giant poppy kettles...They dont venture too far from the coast and trade in wool. |
| chimpman08-05-07, 11:18 PM | Hi folks, I think I'm finally happy with my region's map. Here it is. I still need to redo the underwater topography. Region 4 Land Toography Map http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4.4_chimpman.jpg Region 4 Sea Topography Map http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4sea_chimpman.jpg Region 4 Land Nations http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4_LandNations_chimpma.jpg Region 4 Sea Nations http://chimpman.geo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection4SeaNations_chimpman.jpg |
| chimpman08-06-07, 03:27 PM | Timelines Right now this is more of an event sequence, since there are no actual dates involved. I'm thinking that Recent History are events that occurred in the past several hundred years, Ancient History occurred in the thousands of years timeframe, and Pre-History happened earlier than 10000 years ago. I'll continue to add to the timeline here as I develop other nations. The current focus has been mostly undersea civs, however the ones above sea will get some attention next. Pre-History ( > 10000 yrs) - The tako, an octopus-like race are the most abundant species on the ocean floor. Though most of their populations are nomadic, some few begin to settle down and construct permanent dwellings. - The Tela island chain is formed by a volcanic hot spot just underneath the planet crust. As the continental plate moves eastward, the island chain grows. The largest island is the most active while those islands further away are less active or dead. - Tako cities suffer increasing attacks from their nomadic cousins on the sea floor. This is a violent time in their history, with much bloodshed. - Tela island is a vibrant but isolated ecosystem where spiders have become the dominant species. - The tako culture has developed through centuries of warfare. Several kingdoms spring up with the city dwellers forming the backbone of the bureaucracy while the formerly nomadic tako become the military might. The kingdoms fight amongst themselves for resources and territory. - One of the spider species develops sentience. It is the ancestral form of all other intelligent spiders that evolve here. - After more centuries of fighting, the tako kingdoms are finally united under a single banner and the First Tako Empire is founded on the bottom of the sea. Legend holds that the empire was ruled by eight brothers, however tako scholars debate the voracity of this claim. Some theorize that the brothers were in fact military generals who usurped power across the several kingdoms. - The anguillians emerge from the dark places of the earth as scavengers. They roam the ocean floor near the great trench in nomadic bands. The tako provinces near the Iilagu Trench put up a fight against this new threat but are ultimately overwhelmed. - Three of the eight tako emperors turn on dark paths. They plot to kill their brethren but their attempts are foiled. The remaining five brothers exile them to unknown waters. From this event comes the tradition of five joint tako emperors (known as the pentumvirate) . Despite the emergence of the anguillians, the tako empire enters into a golden age. - A small band of demi-humans arrive at Tela. It is unknown where they came from, but they were probably castaways from some far off place. Through a magical accident one of the spider species physically merges with the demi-humans. This group will become the aranea. Ancient History (10000 yrs - 1000 yrs) - The First Tako Empire crumbles as the pentumvirate fights one another for total control. - Sea giants emerge from the northern volcanic regions and make war on the tako. In fact the giants are slaves of the kopru, who wish to expand their territory. One of the pentumvirate uses these attacks to consolidate his own power base. The Second Tako Empire is founded, this time with a single emperor to rule over it. - Aranea tribes dominate Tela proper and begin to expand their influence outward to other nearby island groups. They have their first run-in with the kopru, who enslave select tribes. - The Tako empire begins to crumble both from without and from within. Giant attacks are gnawing away at their defenses and kopru begin to dominate government officials in the outer provinces. - Several tako provinces revolt and join with the giant attackers. These unfortunates have fallen under the sway of the kopru. - Aranean tribes are united under a single king. They subjugate the other intelligent spider species on the islands and expand their influence. Their silken ships reach the shores of nearby landmasses and they create colonies there. Some of the far reaching colonies fall under kopru domination. They become a thorn in the side of the aranean government. - The Acies colonies grow and begin to insert their own influences against the motherland. Some of the colonies are influenced by kopru, but they dislike the Iilagu Trench, and so avoid that territory. - In a sudden catastrophe, Tela Island explodes as its central volcano erupts. The eruption is so violent that it shatters the island, leaving a vast caldera open to the sea. None on Tela survive. In addition there are very few survivors on nearby islands either. Tsunamis crash against the Acies and a cloud of ash covers the skies for weeks. - Shortly after the catastrophe, hoards of devil rays swarm into the region from the west leaving a wake of death and destruction. The plunder the area and then return home. Undersea civilization is crippled by the attacks and recent devastation. The kopru are caught off guard by this new threat and many of their forces are decimated. They loose control over the Acies colonies and retreat to their abodes northwest of Tela. Many giants break free from their domination and begin a nomadic lifestyle on the ocean floor. They avoid the warmer waters and thermal vents. Their former tako enemies grant them the less desirable land in the northern provinces (mostly to serve as a buffer between themselves and the kopru). - The tako empire is fractured, with several claimants to the throne, however with the kopru threat removed (at least for the time being) they are slowly able to reclaim what is theirs. Civil war ensues and the outer provinces are reconquered. The tako throw off their emperor and return to the tradition of rulership by pentumvirate (with the five most powerful tako rulers of the time banding together). The Third Tako Empire is founded. - The Acies aranea try to recover their civilization. Several groups return to Tela in an attempt to re-colonize their homeland. One of these groups becomes the Vurkik divers, while another is corrupted and becomes the Krik't'krk. The rest live primitive lives on the island chains and become the Tela Islanders. Fearing the kopru still dwell in these waters, the more advanced aranea take adequate precautions agains their manipulations. Recent History (1000 yrs - present) - Kraken migrate to the Sea of Blood and begin wresting control of portions of the tako empire and the anguillian kingdoms. It is rumored that the kraken are descendants of the three exiled tako emperors. - The last golden age for the tako ends as their empire is once again cast into civil war. One of the pentumvirate uses the kraken threat as a chance to seize power for himself. He has the other members of the pentumvirate murdered and assumes command of all armies. The Fourth Tako Empire is borne. - Civilizations of the Acies grow and flourish. Those aranea on the mainland merge cultures with demi-human tribes living there. Those on Acies chains are more isolationist. The island nations compete with one another for control of the seas. - Due in large part to continued struggle with the kraken, several tako communities are able to break away from the Tagrinoori Empire and establish their own independent nations. Many tako consider the fourth empire to have ended at this point, though the current emperor obviously disagrees. - Sahuaghin migrate into the region from somewhere south. Many are integrated into the tako cultures dominating the ocean floor, and are used as shock troops in the never ending battles taking place there. Others manage to incorporate their settlements with the coastal nations of the area. - Various tribes of Tela Islanders fall under the corrupting sway of the kopru once more. They are shunned by their brethren and become savage cannibals. - The northern anguillian kingdom breaks free of kraken domination. A queen arises among them and assumes power (unheard of in their culture). She kills the kraken god and consumes its flesh, and sends its priesthood packing to the southern kingdom. |
| DonThelonious08-06-07, 07:37 PM | Wow Chimpman, I really like your timeline there. The whole... kills the kraken god and consumes its flesh, and sends its priesthood packing... was a charming touch. I think I might need to build up my timeline finally as well as finish off the Welkins of my region. -- Sorry I have been out of the loop for a little while, I finally got my internet back so I should have more up in the next week or so. |
| DonThelonious08-06-07, 10:28 PM | Alrighty then, I updated a little bit more on the front page, got ChimpMans region up for the public. I will have more done tomarrow night. -- Also D_S: Do you think you might be able to update the world map for me? Now that ChimpMan has his surface map in order it would be sweet. Totally Sweet. |
| Darth Syntax08-06-07, 11:53 PM | Chimpman, I like the maps (although I was slightly more fond of the previous incarnation, but that's just me and it's your map), and I plan to get cracking on them soon. |
| Darth Syntax08-07-07, 04:04 AM | I've been working a bit on the native fauna of my regions, and I have here a very incomplete list of the common domesticated animals as well as some slight references to others. Some notes concerning the Fauna of Ilaros The continent of Ilaros is home to many unique species of animals, some which have no analog elsewhere on the planet. Here are found the rather perplexing insectile- mammals which have a biology that combines many of the features associated with insects (compound eyes, segmented bodies, exoskeletons, eusocial behavior, and the like) with those more often seen in mammals and other amniotes (closes circulatory systems, internal skeletal support, kidneys, lungs, and complex nervous systems). The Dromites and their relatives are excellent examples of this class of animals. In addition to these unique animal groups, Ilaros is also notable for the animal lineages that it lacks. Animals common to the rest of the world that are not to be found within the native species of the continent include: canines, felines, sheep, equines, deer, pigs, and lagomorphs (rabbits and their relatives). As a result of this “lack” of certain animals, other lineages have adapted themselves to fill similar ecological niches; in addition it has had a profound impact upon the domesticated animals of sentient species. The Domesticated Animals of Ilaros The lack of true canines has had some rather interesting consequences for domestication. Oddly, many species of bear and their closer relatives have been successfully domesticated and serve functions similar to dogs in other places. The Common Domestic Bear: The common black bear of Ilaros was domesticated some approximately 30,000 years ago in various regions of the continent. There are now dozens of varieties of domestic bear, some bred as hunting animals and for other utilitarian purposes, and some bred specifically for sentient companionship. This long history of domestication has led to the development substantial morphological variation across varieties and some of the more unusual domestic bears show only a passing resemblance to their wild relatives. Red Pandas: The red pandas of the southern slopes of the Anthele mountains (the southern-most range on the continental mainland) have been partially domesticated and are kept as pets and status symbols by people throughout the region. They are somewhat more difficult to care for than other domestic bears due to their specialized diet needs. However, they make excellent companions and those who can afford to keep them healthy and happy generally claim that there are no finer animals to be had. Raccoons: The raccoons have been domesticated sense well before the advent of writing and are prized for their curiosity and playfulness. Unlike their wild cousins, the domestic raccoon is a relatively docile animal and is often used as a companion animal for the blind. It has been suggested that the raccoon was originally domesticated for the harvesting of fur, but any more they are generally bred as companion animals and for use as aides. Ferrets: These members of the weasel family fill a role similar to cats elsewhere: they are pest control. Ferrets are also kept as house pets especially in Swoyai and other inland countries. Antelopes: The numerous antelopes of the grasslands are used as food animals as well as beast of burden and as mounts. The larger species of antelope are used much as light or medium horses would be and are a common sight. There are no direct analogues to heavy horses among the antelopes and this is the primary reason why the Ilaroi peoples never developed heavy cavalry or similar forms of combat. The riding antelopes, however, are more maneuverable than horses and are prized for the acrobatics and their speed. Llamas and Alpacas: The primary herd animals of the region are llamas and alpacas. Both are raised for the fleece which is used to make a variety of garments. Llamas are used as beasts of burden in many parts of the region while alpacas are generally raised for their coat and meat. Capybarra In the sub-tropical wetlands of northern Ilaros, these large rodents are commonly raised as food animals and are herded much like the alpacas of the grasslands. Tapirs: tapirs have had a long history of domestication and are used rather like pigs are elsewhere (Water) Buffalo: The ox (or common cow) being extinct on Ilaros, the ‘gap’ in domesticated animals was long ago filled by the buffalo. Buffalo, which occur in numerous domestic breeds, are used for everything from meat to milk to labor. Chickens and other galiform birds: Chickens, pheasants, quail, and peafowl are all raised for food and feathers much as they are (I assume) elsewhere. -- I hope to have some of the wild species worked out soon, but suffice for the moment that a great number of animals native to South America (both living and recently extinct) will be included. Sloths (giant and regular) anteaters, terror birds, chinchillas, macrauchenia, and armadillos will certianly be a part of things. |
| chimpman08-07-07, 12:16 PM | Chimpman, I like the maps (although I was slightly more fond of the previous incarnation, but that's just me and it's your map), and I plan to get cracking on them soon. I know what you mean. There were things on the old map that I liked better, and then there were some things I didn't like so much. Well, that's part of the creative process I guess. It's funny how once I had the map down other ideas just started coming in. Some things changed (and I added others) based solely on the map, which I think is kinda cool. Anyway, DS, I've been doing the maps in photoshop elements, complete with layers and everything. I'm not sure if having that file would help you or not, but you are welcome to it if you want it. Just PM me and I can send the .psd to your private e-mail. Edit: By the way, I'd love to get access to whatever map files you generate when you are done with them. |
| chimpman08-07-07, 01:15 PM | Here are found the rather perplexing insectile- mammals which have a biology that combines many of the features associated with insects (compound eyes, segmented bodies, exoskeletons, eusocial behavior, and the like) with those more often seen in mammals and other amniotes (closes circulatory systems, internal skeletal support, kidneys, lungs, and complex nervous systems). Yay! I want to hear more about these animals! Actually after reading this I was expecting to see some domesticated insectile mammals... The Common Domestic Bear: The common black bear of Ilaros was domesticated some approximately 30,000 years ago in various regions of the continent. There are now dozens of varieties of domestic bear, some bred as hunting animals and for other utilitarian purposes, and some bred specifically for sentient companionship. This long history of domestication has led to the development substantial morphological variation across varieties and some of the more unusual domestic bears show only a passing resemblance to their wild relatives. The idea of domesticated bears is intriguing. With a lack of canines and felines, one could assume that bears would move in to fill some of the niches. They need not be the big burly animals that we know and love today. Some could be quite small and lythe. Are there any pack bears filling in for example the role of wolves or lions? Raccoons: The raccoons have been domesticated sense well before the advent of writing and are prized for their curiosity and playfulness. Unlike their wild cousins, the domestic raccoon is a relatively docile animal and is often used as a companion animal for the blind. It has been suggested that the raccoon was originally domesticated for the harvesting of fur, but any more they are generally bred as companion animals and for use as aides. This is cool, and reminds me about the experiment to domesticate foxes in Russia. :cool: Antelopes: The numerous antelopes of the grasslands are used as food animals as well as beast of burden and as mounts. The larger species of antelope are used much as light or medium horses would be and are a common sight. There are no direct analogues to heavy horses among the antelopes and this is the primary reason why the Ilaroi peoples never developed heavy cavalry or similar forms of combat. The riding antelopes, however, are more maneuverable than horses and are prized for the acrobatics and their speed. For some reason the image of gnomes bounding across the plains on antelope races through my mind. -- I hope to have some of the wild species worked out soon, but suffice for the moment that a great number of animals native to South America (both living and recently extinct) will be included. Sloths (giant and regular) anteaters, terror birds, chinchillas, macrauchenia, and armadillos will certianly be a part of things. From what I've read so far these make perfect sense to me. Anyway, keeps these coming. I'm hoping to take a few of your ideas and warp them sufficiently to work in my neck of the woods ;). What do you think about animal dispersal throughout the continent of Ilaros? Is it a fairly uniform dispersal, or are there isolated portions of the continent that would harbor different animal forms? |
| Darth Syntax08-07-07, 02:17 PM | Yay! I want to hear more about these animals! Actually after reading this I was expecting to see some domesticated insectile mammals... I too would like to know a bit more about these things, but I've not gotten very far in creating them sadly. I believe I mentioned one of them earlier, a long-limbed creature inspired by the landstriders in the Dark Crystal, but other than that I'm still currently in the dark. I've also got some ideas for domesticated arthropods: perhaps a species of colonial spider that is raised to produce silk and several others that are kept as food animals. The idea of domesticated bears is intriguing. With a lack of canines and felines, one could assume that bears would move in to fill some of the niches. They need not be the big burly animals that we know and love today. Some could be quite small and lythe. Are there any pack bears filling in for example the role of wolves or lions? I'm not yet sure about pack-hunting bears as that role is generally taken up by terror birds in many places, but that isn't to say they don't exist somewhere. This is cool, and reminds me about the experiment to domesticate foxes in Russia. :cool: I wasn't actively thinking of the Russian domesticated foxes when I decided on domesticated raccoons, but I can see why it sprung to mind. The idea is actually my girlfriend's and came about during a conversation about the history of animal domestication and general anthropology. For some reason the image of gnomes bounding across the plains on antelope races through my mind. Gazelle riding gnomes are certainly going to occur (I like the image). Of course the larger species of antelope are ridden by humans, elves, and other such medium humanoids, which also makes for an interesting change of pace. Even after contact with horse-riding cultures and regions, the horse just never caught on and so the antelopes remain the primary mount for many of the cultures of the region. From what I've read so far these make perfect sense to me. Anyway, keeps these coming. I'm hoping to take a few of your ideas and warp them sufficiently to work in my neck of the woods ;). What do you think about animal dispersal throughout the continent of Ilaros? Is it a fairly uniform dispersal, or are there isolated portions of the continent that would harbor different animal forms? By all means, take whatever ideas you wish to populate your region. I would imagine that some of your island chains would have some very interesting native species. As to general dispersal of species throughout the continent, I would imagine that it varies from group to group. Some, like antelopes and terror birds, are probably found (in several species) all over the grasslands and light forests, while others, such as the giant ground sloths, are relatively isolated (ground sloths are native to the islands of Nyera and to the Island of the Three Kingdoms). Considering the extremely rough terrain in central and southern Ilaros (where it seems that the word 'flat' would be all but unknown) I would imagine that there would certainly be other pockets of isolated animal and plant life. The Aktójaa too would probably contribute to some degree of isolation (what with its central and southern portions being a bit like Tibet and other high plateau-deserts). -- As to maps, I'll make sure that when I am done with your region that you get a copy of the photoshop file. |
| chimpman08-08-07, 03:27 PM | Hey folks, I updated my maps last night. You can find them here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13319025&postcount=298 |
| SovietCanuck08-09-07, 03:49 PM | Sorry about not posting lately, been bussy. But as promised, here's my latest contribution folks! A historical timeline from the first elfheim to the Voyage of Cael. This only goes to -991 years (0 AD), so most recent events arn't covered (The resurgence of the elves, the rise of the trade nations, the settlement of Rimegaard, the reformation of the Caelen Empire, et al), that I hope to get at later. Any critiques would be useful! -11,000 AD: First elfheim established on the southern coast of Ael Best'ithal., near the mouth of River Dawining. Before this, only scattered fragments, elven legends and folktales, exist. This elfheim, Best'ithil (Promise/Gift to our Children) is the first of it's kind in the region, and this concepts spreads through the elves of the Best'ithals and the surrounding mainland. -5000 AD: First human civilizations spring up in the northern horselands. -4700 AD: First record of halflings, living in the upper Torien valley, made by the elves. At this time, the halflings were apparently nomadic herdsmen. The next record of the small folk is not for 1100 years, by which time the dwarves find several small, independent halfling city-states, or steadings. -4500 AD: The legendary Danotol general, Archippos Lysimachus, unites the humans of the ancient northern horselands, after staging a military coup. Though his dictatorship last for little over seventy years, he had a huge impact on the region, and even today the lands he conquered are named after him Archipposia, the Horselands. -4300 AD: Human and Xeph nomads emigrate to the plains the Andarians and Archipposians abandoned 700 years ago. These nomads are much more warlike then their predecessors, and within decades enter into conflict with the Archipposians. -4200 AD: The First Horde is formed, and the Horselanders crush the human kingdoms of Archipposia with relative ease, pillaging and looting to their hearts content. Only the Andares Strait, and the Horselanders lack of maritime skills, save the Andarians. -4100 AD: After seeing how the divided human kingdoms of Archipposia stood little match to the Horselandsers, Andarian king Timaeus Theodosius sets out to unite the Andarian kingdoms. Though he fails, his grandson, Paramonos Theodosius, eventually succeeds in uniting all of Andaria under his banner, though a combination of diplomacy, military strength, and economic dominance. Within a decade, Paramonos becomes Paramonis I Czar, first emperor of Andaria -4000 AD: The Flansh people, migrating north from foreign lands, arrive in elven lands, and though originally nomads, become semi-agrarian people under the tutelage of the elves, being granted the lands along Veraelfel, the great inland sea. It is in this era that the first half-elves are born. -3800 AD: The first dwarves migrate north through the Dragonrest Mountains, driven north by some internal dispute between their peoples. The dwarves form their first clanholds in what would one day be the nations of Rosten, Gerhelm and Vallenia. -3500 AD: Under the rule of Roens the Great, the great Roenic fleet lands on the northern Castillian peninsula, in Jarlshome and Bardim and Stromald. The Roens had been visiting the coast of Castille for a few hundred years, but they hadn't settled the region until the unnamed cataclysm struck that forced an entire nation to uproot itself and move across the sea. -3470 AD: After a series of minor skirmishes between the Roens and the Andarians, the Roens form up a massive fleet and sail on the Andarian Empire. The conquest is quick and devastating, as the Andarian ships were no match for the Roenic ships. Without a powerful central government, the Andarian people splinter into several small city-states, which are vassals of powerful Roenic warlords -3400 AD: First contact between the Roenic people and the dwarves of the Skyreaches. Though the relationship begins with a minor war, lasting little under a year, by the end of the century the Azend dwarves and Roenic humans have struck up a great friendship, characterized by much drinking, yelling and brawling. All in all, the perfect relationship for both a dwarf and a Roens. -3000 AD: The first of the Dasnac peoples migrate north along the eastern side of the Dragonrest Mountains. Though the causes for their migration is unknown, it is very gradual. Eventually, they form communities in along the coast of the Iren Sea and in the rich mountains valleys that feed the great river Toren. -2800 AD: The elves, furious at the dwarves for mining their sacred mountains, commit to war against them. Through a series of alliances and friendships, the entire region is brought into war. The elves and their Flansh allies fight the combined forces of the Roenic, Dasnac and Andarian humans, the halflings of Toren Vale and almost all of the dwarven clans. The final result is a slim victory for the allies, though they are unable to push the elven folk past the barrier of the Vesten River. -2700: The first humans settle in what would one day become the Vestenreich, harvesting the rich, elven forests they had just recently conquered. These people are largely Dasnac, though some roens do settle amongst them. Roens also settle near the northern coast, along the River Doriem. -2600 AD: The immense loss of life caused by the Elfheim war opened the door for a new wave of settlers. These people, the Ilastians, settled in land vacated by the decimated Dasnac people. By the time the other peoples had regained their former strength, the Ilastians had laid claim to most of the Toren river valley, as well as a huge swathe of central Castillia. These lands were only nominally part of the old kingdoms, and the loss was felt more as an insult to national pride than anything hostile, but the stereotype of the greedy Ilastian taking advantage of their kin's misfortune took many years to dispell. -2500 AD: Though it had existed in name only for nearly 300 years, the final blow is levied on the Roenic kingdom when Bardrim leaves in a peaceful succession. Over the next few years, the Roenic kingdom, long united, divides itself up peacefully into four kingdoms: Stromald, Jarlsholme, Bardrim and Doriem. However, these nations cannot hold themselves together as well as the united kingdom, and eventually they too split. -2300 AD to -1900 AD: Commonly known as the 400 years of war. It is unknown who struck the first blow. But the eastern nations spent this period in a state of perpetual warfare. The reasons were many fold initially, but eventually they fought primarily for revenge, reclamation, and just because it was all they had known. It was at this time the kobolds native to the Skyreaches became involved in the conflict as well.. However, this state of seemingly perpetual warfare was mostly an illusion. At most, there were two small wars involving armies of a few hundred people during any one year. Most of the region was in a tense peace. -1900 AD: The elves, united after a long civil war, strike back, reclaiming lost land and conquering new territory. The divided and war-weary human nations cannot stand against them, and the elves claim the entire region. The humans, dwarves and halflings live as slaves to the elven empire, unable to practice magic or worship their old gods. -1700 AD: The First Rebellion, where Bardrim, Jarlsholme and Stromald try to shake off elven oppression, is mostly sucessful. However, the elven army returns and crushes the recently restored human kingdoms a few years later, and kill off many of the human leaders. The experience gives hope to the subjugated peoples, however, and several furthur rebellions are planned in secret -1750 AD: The Second Rebellion, this one in Andaria, is successful. The elves quicky crush this one as well -1700 AD: The Third Rebellion causes the humans and halflings of Vesten to declare independence right under the elven noses. The rebellion succeeds in destroying elven cities and flansh settlements from the Vesten river all the way to the inland sea. In retaliation, the elves kill almost half of the humans, dwarves and halflings on the east side of the Dragonrests, and force the rest to move to the Castillian peninsula. Many more die on the journey, and the stories recited by the survivors of the Third Rebellion put hope into the hearts of the subject peoples. -1650 AD: The Elven Rebellion: The losers in the elven civil war, commonly known as Wood Elves, rose up in protest against the massacre. However, they had little influence politically in the Elven Empire, so they protested the only way they could, through violence. The Elven rebellion causes the northern shores of Veraelfel to become an independent nation, though again this is only temporary. -1600 AD: The Fifth Rebellion: The humans of Andaria and Archipposia rebel again. Though the elves are able to reconquer Andaria for a second time, the Archipposians are able to resist invasion sucessfuly. The Second Archipposian Empire is founded. -1550 AD: The Archipposians begin to form alliances with the horselanders. They move along the shore to the mouth of the River Tbris, where they build their capitol of Kalis. -1378 AD: Cael is born in the town of Athon, in Andaria, to the decedents of nobles of both the Roenic and Andarian kingdoms. As he grows up, he joins the rebellion, and proves to be a brilliant strategist. He is put in charge of several cells. -1354 AD: The subjugated people of the Castillian peninsula, with aide from the Archipposians, preform a mass rebellion. Though some of the eastern regions were unsuccessful at gaining independence, the western kingdoms were. -1350 AD: The humans of the Castillian peninsula fall to waring amongst themselves again, due to the elven influences, playing up the nationalist tendencies of the Castillians. -1349 AD: Cael overthrows the newly-appointed king of Noreno, who had just declared war on the nations of Montblanc and Bas Arak. He appoints one of his long-time friends, Manuel, as duke of the region. Through careful maneuvering and diplomacy, he is able to convince Montblanc, Bas Arak and Alt Arak to enter into an alliance with Noreno, promising mutual defense and free trade amongst all nations. -1345 AD: Cael's alliance grows steadily over the next several years, growing to encompass most of the region from Andares to Northron. When the elves finally attack, the alliance armies, under the command of Cael, successfully drive them back, and succeed in liberating several nations along the shore of the Iren Sea. -1344 AD: Cael, with support of the united militaries of eastern Castille, proclaims himself Emperor of Castille. Though there is some opposition, it is generally subdued as Cael doesn't remove the various kings, dukes and princes from power, only takes control of their militaries. -1340 AD: Cael begins his campaigns of reconquest. He was extremely successful in his campaign, winning battles with only minimal casualties. Some members of the millitary begin to believe that Cael is blessed by the gods, while a few others believe that he actually is a god. -1335 AD: Cael's army successfully liberates all of Castille. Many of his followers expect him to stop there. But Cael declares that it is his intention to drive elves from all human lands. This begins the March of Cael. -1328 AD: Cael liberates Citta Sulla Collina, a small trading city by the Toren river once known for it's temples, and declares it his capitol, the heart of his Empire -1320 AD: The decisive battle of the March of Cael, the battle of Waterhead, occurs. Cael successfully drives elven forces from the Headland marsh, giving his forces access to the Veraelfel sea. This battle is also notable because it was here that a small number of Wood Elves rebelled against the Imperial Elves and joined Cael's army. The defection of the wood elves shocked the imperial elves, and lent legitimacy to Cael's cause in the eyes of the Flans -1310 AD: Cael, now 68 years old, is finally successful in his lifelong quest to drive the elves from the mainland. Now, the number of people worshiping him as a god had reached respectable numbers. -1308 AD: Cael is now 70 years old, an age few humans in that time reach, and yet he still appears as though he is in his 40's, and his children are much the same, appearing as men and women in their prime. Even though the eldest, Maerth, is 47. It is at his coronation as Emperor of the Great Northern Empire that Cael makes the proclamation of his divinity. This marks the start of the First Caelen Empire, and the Caelen Church. -1200 AD: The Qalitz, decedents of the Horselanders who settled along the Iren sea, sucessfuly convert to Caelen Church, after a great shining stone, sent from the heavens, lands in Kalitz. This brings all the Caelen Region under the control of the empire. This is the last major conquest of the Caelen Empire. Though there are a few more expansions to the west, east and south, they are small or temporary. -1200 AD to -150 AD: The Caelen Empire enters a golden era of civilization. Great cobblestone roads link the peninsulas from tip to tip. The arts flourish, as does trade, both facilitated by the introduction of the Caelen languages. The mysterious, dark skinned southerners, the Alstan, arrive, claiming to follow a vision of a living god. They settle the former elven regions, and help tame the wild magics still present in those areas. The Dwarves begin mining the Roenic mountains, and begin construction on Izzard Krak, the great citadel. It is at this time the majority of monsters are driven from the region, though some find refuge in the wild woodlands, hills and mountains of the region. -150 AD: The end of the golden era. This is generally considered to occur when the island of Istland, a prison colony for the past 800 years, disappears in a bank great fog. Cael retreats into his cathedral, brooding, for almost 100 years. Durring this time, his twelve children rule the empire equally in his stead. It is at this point that nationalist ideals begin resurfacing, as each of the children begin to play against each other. This is most true between Yhove and Sulmaen in the east, and Dunik and Mark in the east. -45 AD: The feuds of the children cause parts of the empire to stop communicating with each other. It is because of this that the message that the elves were invading took over a year to travel from Cote d'Ore and the Cittia Sulla Collina. The elves were able to reclaim the majority of the coast near their twin islands, though both Olmbatir and Vestria were holding out. Cael promptly readies the army and marches on the elves. Cael is able to drive the Elves back through Trisland to Dalm. It is there that Cael saw the great fleets the elves were portaging over into Veraelfel. He commanded his armies to burn the ships, to prevent the elves from having easy access to the undefended northern provinces. The elves draw the armies into a cleverly laid trap, which leads to the first major defeat Cael ever experienced. Cael decides to enter battle himself, to bolster his troops and to strike fear into the hearts of the elves. However, the elven diviners had predicted this, and upon the field of Hiren, once a sacred site to Alishir Hirun, the elves summon the avatar of their god of war. The two gods face off between their two armies. Their battle is legendary, and repeated in a thousand different tales. The end result, however, is undisputed. Alishir struck down Cael, driving his blade through a gap the armor of the god-emperor. However, as Cael fell, he denied the elves victory. He expended most of divine energy, and transformed the Veraelfel sea into a great range of hills and mountains. The elven army was crushed under the resulting flow of water, but Cael's army was spared by the ground rising under their feet. With the death of his followers, Alishir could no longer maintain a corporal form, so he was drawn back into whatever realm the Living Gods reside in. Cael's soldiers head to the side of their stricken god, and there Cael appoints his fourth child, Samuel, emperor. Cael, between life and death, is then entombed in a shrine on the fields where he fell, surrounded by the prayers of an order of priests devoted to his resurrection. -44 AD: Sulmaen, Maerth and Mark all declare they are the true heirs of Cael. They return to their capitols with their armies, only to march out once again. The Caelen Region is in civil war. -41 AD: The Caelen Civil War is over. Samuel was slain by Maerth, and Mareth claimed his position as Emperor of Cael. Qalitz declares it's independence as the Empire of Qalitz, while the death of Dunik causes the dwarven clans to fracture, each one being lead by a different descendant of the half-dwarven demigod. -35 AD: Yhove declares independence for Andaria, as does Olman for Alstan. -20 AD: Nohn crashes into the North Sea, carrying the last of the kith. Pieces of Nohn crash into Stromald, destroying the island, killing most living there, including Marx, and creating the large, shallow Stromald Sea, along with the thousand islands that now make up the Stromalds. Smaller parts of the island crash all over the region. It is only by the divine efforts of the remaining demigods that the sun is not blotted out. However, after that, the children of Cael find themselves mortal. -15 AD: The Horselanders, following an ancient prophecy regarding a great flame in the sky, unite into a Great Horde and ride on Cael. The Qalitz, who are their kin, also know of the prophecy, and are able to bargain with the Horselanders, and avoid the destruction that hits the rest of the eastern Caelen Empire. The horselanders ride up the Torien River Valley, destroying many towns along the way. They then settle on Cittia Sulla Collina, and burn it to the ground. They also publicly execute Maerth in front of the citizens of the imperial capitol. The Central Empire falls. -10 AD: An unknown assassin kills Alaine and Boren as they meet for a peace conference. Believing the assassination was carried out by the Andarians, the Castillians assault Andaria, and succeed in killing Yhove, as well as the capitol city of Strathen. -9 AD: Dominic, the last remaining Child of Cael in the eastern region, attempts to unite the region under him. However, as he prepares to invade Portoro, an unknown force causes half of Orello to fall into the sea, leading to death of Dominic along with his forces. -8 AD: The descendants of Manuel try to follow Dominic in conquering Portoro. This causes a chain reaction leading to widespread war amongst the Castillians. The Eastern empire officially falls. -7 AD: Kaevan is found by the Horselanders hiding in Doriem, and is again publicly executed, and it is then that they publicly declare that the spirits of the horselands called them to slay the children of the false-god, or they would bring destruction to the horselands. Little over a week later, Sulmaen is found dead in his bed. -6 AD: The surviving Children of Cael; Olman, Mark and Lareth, unite their armies and move on the Horselanders. In the battle, Olman is killed, but the horselanders are driven from central Cael. Lareth then has Mark murdered, and declares herself sole heir of Cael. She resettles Cittia Sulla Collina. However, without their godheads, the western regions rebel against the rule of Lareth. Only her followers in Lorsten and Deraille remained in communication with the empire, though that was with great difficulty -4 AD: All of the Caelen region is in war. The decedents of Sulmaen unify the Qalitz empire, and proclaim that they are the true heirs of Cael, not Lareth. The Caelens and the Qalitz become the major players in the war, but all around the continent, provinces are splintering into small duchies and princedoms. -1 AD: The Caelens reach Tibris, and capture the capitol of the Qalitz empire. However, when Lareth arrives in the city to crown herself empress of Qalitz, she is slain by a kobold assassin, despite her layers of magical protection. 0 AD: Cael awakes, and takes the priests of the Hiren shrine with him to the sea, where he creates a great ship out of stone. They then sail off to lands unknown. As this news is spread amongst the people of the region, the bodies Cael's children are exhumed. Their corpses had vanished, leaving only crystal. This crystal is the first mention of Resonance crystals, and they allowed magic, which had fled the Caelen region after the arrival of the Kith, to be cast once again. This is the final year of the Living God, and marks the beginning of the Years of the Lords. I know that was not very detailed, but it's just an outline at the moment. I tried to pick only the most important events, particularly the ones that would affect neighboring regions. I'll try to read up on what you guys have posted over the past week later, but at the moment, I'm impressed! |
| chimpman08-10-07, 03:01 PM | Canuk, I've just finished reading through your timeline, and I'll just say that I love it for now. I need to re-read it and will probably post some questions later. As far as the amount of detail involved, I think it is perfect. I will definately be weaving some of these events into my own timelines and histories. |
| chimpman08-10-07, 03:13 PM | I've been compiling information on many of the nations of my region and although it is far from complete I thought i would share what I have so far. Of course anything is subject to change at this point. Nations of the Blood Sea Arimech (The Free City) Government Type: Oligarchy Current Leaders: Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 30% aranea, 25% elf, 15% gnome, 5% other humanoid, 10% sahuaghin, 7% tako, 2% sea giant, 1% other aquatic Capitol: Arimech Nominal Alignment: CG Built in the bay of Ari there are almost two cities. The first is around the shores of the bay (often times referred to as Bayside City), with many docks and warehouses. Roads lead in all directions to many nations across the land. The second is the city proper built on (and inside of) a giant natural pillar that juts out from the center of the bay. Called Karjen's Tooth, the pillar itself is a mystery. It is a single stone inscribed with ancient runes all around its girth. The city of Arimech has existed here in some form or other for centuries, and perhaps for millenium. Wooden dwellings ring its circumference at the water's edge, and stone stairs carved into its side lead to sturdier stone structures further up. Though named the Free City, Arimech feels a constant pressure from each of its neighbors. The only thing preventing its conquest is the defensibility of Karjen's Tooth. Although Bayside City has been sacked and pillaged several times in the past century, Arimech proper has only been taken once in recorded history. Carrthabob Government Type: Deiarchy Current Leader: Kraken Overgod Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% tako, 15% sahuaghin, 2% sea giant, 3% other Capitol: Nominal Alignment: CE "Should the Three have been put to death instead of exiled, so much would have been better in the world. Mercy is a sign of the weak. It's a lesson the Three learned well..." - Tako warning Ancient legend tells of three tako kings being exiled for their depravity and wickedness. It is said that these exiles roamed the seas gathering up their power and stoking their desire for revenge. It is said that the kraken are the inheritors of this legacy, and that they have come back to reclaim their empire. Whether or not these legends are true is unknown, though all kraken take great pride in tracing their lineage back to those three tako kings. Regardless of their origin, the kraken appeared in the Blood Sea several centuries ago and brought with them a reign of terror. Several have forged an alliance, joining together under one banner to subjugate the southern Tagrinoori provinces. This is Carrthabob. The tako under their rule have suffered over the centuries and many have been twisted by dark ways. Though powerful, the kraken are their own worst enemies. The alliances holding Carrthabob together are thin, however the recent death of the renegade Quailjayn has done much to strengthen them. They have turned their eyes from Tagrinoori to the Orluian Kingdoms and the anguillian puppet lords, and their resolve for conquest is growing. Abyssal Guard Aptly named for more than one reason, the Abyssal Guard are a group of elite tako warriors who are personally trained by their kraken overgods. Based from the depths of the lightless sea in Carrthabob, these fanatics undertake missions of the greatest importance for their overlords. Many are large specimens of their race, and some say that they have inherited (or been granted) a portion of their masters powers. Eureii (Blood Sea Nomads) Government Type: Tribal Current Leaders: (many others) Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% sea giant, 12% tako, 5% anguillian, 3% other (sahaughin, devil ray, etc...) Capitol: None Nominal Alignment: TN "We no longer even remember the world of the sun. Once we were enslaved and imprisoned by the depths themselves. Now we have made our prison our home." - Eureii lament Long ago, the Eureii sea giants were surface dwelling creatures. They walked on land and breathed in the air like any other surface dweller. Then the Tralib came. From where, none know, but the kopru were swift in their conquest, leaving none of the Eureii free from their grasp. But the Tralib had other enemies, enemies from beneath the waves. They used dark magic on the once peacefull giants and bred them to serve as shock troops under the waters. The land dwelling Eureii are no more. Now their ancestors live in the sea instead of upon it. It was only after the destruction of Ancient Tela that the Eureii once again gained their freedom. Those furthest from the Tralib were serving as advanced forces in the fight against the tako kingdoms, and were able to break free of their domination after the catastrophe. Rather than destroying these former enemies, the tako instead took them under their tentacles and helped them to regain some semblance of free civilization. Now the Eureii roam the desolate seascape at the bottom of the Sea of Blood, eeking out an existance as nomadic herders and sometime scavengers. Heliorest Government Type: Magocracy Current Leaders: Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NG "They say the sun sets in Heliorest, but for me, it also rises." -Alhilak Szarm, Lord Regent of Coastal land near Lakrimal The aranea here have developed flying balloons made of silk. Iliagulla (Lower Iilagu Kingdom) Government Type: Deiarchy Current Leader: The Kraken god Yalejaq Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 95% anguillian, 5% other (sea giant, tako) Capitol: Nominal Alignment: LE The history of Iliagulla is much like that of its upper neighbor, however the Lower Kingdom has always been less active geologically and therefore less abundant. It still retains its god-king, Yalejaq, who has ruled over the anguillians since it and its brother first found the tribes centuries ago. Yalejaq has no intention of relinquishing its control or of being vanquished like Qualjayn was. His brother’s priests, fleeing persecution in their own lands, have now sworn fealty to him. They foment unrest in their own lands, swelling Yalejaq’s ranks with more traditional anguillians, not willing to submit themselves to the rule of a female. Illoanallia (Upper Iilagu Kingdom) Government Type: Monarchy Current Leader: Queen Illoanallia Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 95% anguillian, 5% other (sea giant, tako) Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NE “I am the fires of the depths, and the pearls under shell. I fill the nets and bring the tides. I have feasted on the flesh of gods. Worship me.” - Queen Illoanalli Built upon the cliffs of the Iilagu Trench, Illoanallia is a verdant underwater region. Over the centuries primitive anguillian tribes that populate the area have coalesced into a single, if fractured, kingdom. The kingdom owes its existence to the abyssal trench around which it was formed. Anguillian serfs foray into the cooler lower regions of the trench to forage and farm for food. They have become adept at cultivating the algae that grows around the cold seeps at the bottom of the trench, and use it to feed themselves as well as to feed other animal crops. Though many anguillians spend most of their time near the abundant cold seeps on the floor of the abyss, their civilization has been built along the cliff faces of the Iilagu Trench. The eel-like creatures carve their homes into the living rock of the trench itself. Holy sites, temples, and other places of power are built from stone quarried from the sea floor outside of the trench. During its initial formation the Upper Kingdom was little more than several dozen anguillian warlords competing with one another over choice farming areas of the trench. That changed once the kraken Qualjayn appeared in these cold waters. It unified the warring tribes and set itself up as the anguillian’s god. For hundreds of years Qualjayn ruled the Upper Kingdom with iron tentacles. It made war on the anguillians of the Lower Kingdom, and its brother who ruled them as a god. Not more than five years ago all of this changed. An anguillian leader rose up against Quailjayn and overthrew him. Illoanalli, Queen of the newly renamed kingdom of Illoanallia, slew Qualjayn and devoured its flesh. She drove its priests from her waters and now prepares to solidify her position as her people’s first and strongest queen by conquering the Lower Kingdom and uniting it with her own. Quailjayn's Deep Quailjayn's Deep was once the capital city of the kraken's empire. Now it is a vast ruin, destroyed by civil war and deep sea magic. Ajiolluii Quarry Many temples have been built from the stones of this quarry. The Queen's Maw The group of elite warriors known as the Queen's Maw are all savage specimens of the anguillian species that answer directly to the new Queen. Many fought with her in the struggle to overthrow Qualjayn, and some say that the queen rewarded each of them with a portion of the creature's flesh to consume. Itharon (Talirost - capital) Government Type: Theocracy Current Leaders: Draconic heritage aranea Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 47% aranea, 20% elf, 20% gnome, 10% dwarf, 3% draconic heritage Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NE Itharon is a hot, dry land that encircles the south eastern portion of the inner Hoarfrost Sea (names so because of the salt deposits that build up on its shores and look like frost or ice). The territory has seen several waves of immigrants over the years, from elves and gnomes, to aranea, to dwarves. The latest batch were wryms from XXX who arrived several centuries ago. Since that time the dragons, and their offspring, have been shaping Itharon into a nation of their own design. The dragons themselves are rarely seen, preferring to sleep away the years in their vast treasure chambers, however they rule through their offspring, half-breeds of draconic heritage. Many of these creatures devote themselves to the worship of their draconic ancestors, and a few among them can derive substantial power through their devotion. These select individuals become the priest kings that rule over this arid land. Unlike most other aranea in the Blood Sea region, those of Itharon prefer their hybrid form to that of their humanoid form. Here aranean heritage is never hidden, and oftentimes the arachnid folk are favored by their draconic patrons. Kraymia Government Type: Meritocracy Current Leaders: Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: Capitol: Nominal Alignment: TN Krik't'krk Government Type: Magocracy (non heriditary) Current Leaders: Wizard King, and Ruling Council Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% aranea, 10% other (any intillegent spider), 5% humanoids, 5% aberrations Capitol: Krik't'krk, the City of Webs Nominal Alignment: CE Corrupted aranea, phase spiders, other aberrations “Most people in the world spend their lives worrying about the end of things. The end of loneliness, the end of despair. The end of the world. We will bring these things to them.” - Krik’t’krk saying This strange island has never been named in a non-aranean tongue. It sits in the very center of the Tela Ring, and from a distance appears to be a craggy island covered in a constant shroud of fog. The reality is that Krik’t’krk consists of dozens of rocky shards jutting from the ocean, all connected by a blanket of wispy white webbing. Tall funnel towers are anchored to rocky pinnacles by silk web strings that are stronger than steel, and swaying white bridges link one tower to the next. Rather than be bitter about the fate of their ancestors as the Tela Islanders are, or working to prevent similar disasters in the future as the Vurkik do, these aranea have not only accepted the fact that the world will come to a tragic end, they have embraced it. Krik’t’krk is a nest of some of the vilest magic in the world, and from this fortress of webs, the aranea spread their poison throughout the rest of the planet. Inhabitants of Krik’t’krk are at once savage and sophisticated. Drawn to the heart of ancient Tela after its explosion, these twisted aranea became obsessed with forbidden lore and dark secrets. Many worship either Kellis the Poisoner or the Ravager, whose purpose is to devour the world. Agents from Krik’t’krk roam across the world, poisoning those near them, and always seeking new ways to foment unrest. The Web City The web city holds many wonders. Volcanic forges - These forges lie deep within the shards of Ancient Tela where magma still bubles to the surface of the world. Steam collectors - In some areas magma is directed into the sea, and over these the aranea have built giant webs to collect the resulting steam. This steam is then funneled into vast silk resourvours as it condenses, storing enough water to meet all of the city's needs. Blood Pirates A small band of Krik’t’krk aranea make their home in the Ribcage Reef, preying on unsuspecting passersby or those unlucky enough to find themselves stranded on the sand bars. They have taken an empty ship hulk as their base of operations and fortified its insides with silken walls to keep out the water. Under the wreck, the aranea have burrowed into the sandbanks themselves, creating silk lined passages beneath the blood red dunes. The blood pirates attack on a ship taken from XXX traders who were unfortunate enough to encounter the nasty spiders while on a silk run back from the Tela Ring. The pirates always appear as humanoids until they are sure that the battle is theirs, at which time they shift into hybrid or full spider forms. The Blood pirates never leave any prisoners. Orluian Kingdoms (Urrenori, Qulurra, Yillenoo) Collectively known as the Orluian Kingdoms, these are actually several related nations that at one point were all a part of the Tagrinoori Empire. Little more than city states, each with its own ruler, these kingdoms have been able to retain their independence from the rapidly crumbling empire. This is due in many respects to the nation of Carrthabob that sprang up a few centuries ago on Tagrinoori's southern borders. Qulurra (Northern Orluian Kingdom) Government Type: Feudal Current Leader: Queen Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% tako, 10% sea giant, 7% sahuaghin, 3% other Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NE The queen sent functionaries and advisors to help the anguillians free themselves from kraken rule. Though Qulurra feels fairly safe from kraken reprisals, this act has sent Carrthabob into a frenzy, and may have already triggered a war between that nation and the rest of tako civilization. Urrenori (Eastern Orluian Kingdom) Government Type: Fuedal Current Leader: King Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 85% tako, 5% sea giant, 7% anguillian, 3% other Capitol: Nominal Alignment: TN Yillenoo (Southern Orluian Kingdom) Government Type: Republic Current Leader: Pentarchs (5) Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% tako, 10% sea giant, 7% sahuaghin, 3% other Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NG Tagrinoori Empire (Mid Sea Octopus empire) Government Type: Empire Current Leader: Emperor Alliagri Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 80% tako, 10% sea giant, 7% anguillian, 3% other Capitol: Nominal Alignment: LN The Fourth Tagrinoori Empire is a shadow of its former self. In ancient times the empire stretched across the entire Sea of Blood, and every tako, anguillian, and every other sentient race under the waves owed fealty to it. Now only the core of that once great nation remains. Tagrinoori has suffered much through the years. Throughout its history it has suffered battles with the kopru and Eureii, countless civil wars, and more recently depredations by so called kraken overgods. [Previous Empires 1st = Takoorui Empire 2nd = Yeljurna Empire 3rd = Orloorian Empire] Tayjien Government Type: Feudal Magocracy Current Leader: Dokufu (OA) Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 83% aranea, 5% other intelligent spiders, 12% humanoids (slaves) Capitol: Nominal Alignment: NE Isolationist Empire (single island) Tela Cannibals Government Type: Tribal (Druidic/Theocratic) Current Leaders: (many others) Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 70% aranea, 30% other (any intillegent spider) Capitols: Nominal Alignment: CE Some Tela tribes are more sinister in nature. Many visitors to the island ring never leave its shores again, having picked the wrong island to visit. Some aranea are more visible about their habits, leaving desiccated humanoid husks to dangle from the treetops. Many are also cannibals and will raid neighboring islands in silken outriggers. Tela Islanders Government Type: Tribal (Druidic/Theocratic) Current Leaders: (many others) Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 85% aranea, 15% other (any intillegent spider) Capitols: Nominal Alignment: CG “Our lives are simple. We live the way we were meant to. To take too much from this world is to invoke the Ravager. My people know this. That is why our lives are simple.” - Chief Var’ouk of the Bird Catchers tribe Most of the aranea perished with the destruction of their island home. Those that survived were either away from their homeland at the time or extremely lucky. Descendants of the few that returned to their shattered homeland became the Tela Islanders. To most visitors the Tela Islanders appear to live a simple and carefree existence. They are isolated and appear fairly primitive. Indeed, the Tela Ring would get far fewer visitors if it weren’t for the fact that the islands are the lone producer of Tela Silk. Many have tried to pry the secret of the silk’s creation from the islanders but none have succeeded. Nearly everything that the villagers own is made from silk. They use it for clothing, and in the construction of their huts and tribal dwellings. A waterproof silk is used in the construction of canoes and outriggers where it is stretched tautly around a rigid wooden frame. When dealing with visitors the islanders always appear in humanoid form, and in most cases the pleasant façade that the islanders put on is accurate. A few tribes enjoy playing with their visitors and will try to identify their racial makeup from a distance. Only aranea with a matching form will then greet the newcomers, while all of the others stay hidden in the island’s interior. Ship crews of different races who have both visited the same island will argue over hours over the racial stock of the native population. More than one bar has been destroyed over the matter. Tralib Dominarchy Government Type: Dominarchy (ruling council) Current Leaders: Kopru Dominarchs Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 15% kopru, sea giants, tako, aranea, surface humanoids (all slaves) Capitol: Nominal Alignment: CE "The Great Game must be played out, and unfortunately for you, you are just a pawn." - kopru mantra Where the kopru came from none can say, but the unpleasant fact is that they are here now, and they have no intention of leaving. Since ancient times the kopru have ruled a secret empire from the depths of the northern thermal vents. They have crafted servants and enslaved thralls to do their bidding. Before the destruction of Ancient Tela, the Tralib kopru were open in their domination of other races. They openly made war upon the take to the south-east, and the devil rays to the west. After Tela exploded however, their empire suffered, and the kopru have spent the time since then recovering their former power. Now they play their Great Game in secret, moving pawns around the globe in an effort to accomplish goals known only to themselves. Vurkik Republic Government Type: Republic Current Leaders: Population: Economic Type: Species Demographics: 97% aranea, 3% other (any intillegent spider) Capitol: Nominal Alignment: LG “To hide from the world would be to live a lie. To work from secret though… That insures the work is finished.” - Striver philosophy Not all of the aranea that returned to their destroyed homeland were content to live in the shadow of their former glory. Some began to dive into the depths, in search of sunken treasures from the past. As the divers grew in skill they found that they could weave watertight silk bubbles that could sustain them for several hours beneath the waves. The aranea became proficient with the sea, and were able to extract all the necessities of life from it. Eventually their silken diving suits turned into diving bells, and then into full scale dwellings. Now the Vurkik aranea live almost entirely beneath the sea. They attach spacious silk tents to the shallow sea floor and then fill them with air. The topsides of the tents are then camouflaged with all manner of sea life, including coral. The oldest of the tent dwellings have actually been covered by living, growing, coral reefs. Over the years the Vurkik have actually been able to reclaim a portion of their past. Their underwater dwellings are quite advanced and are able to support large and growing communities. In recent years the industrious spider folk have begun to expand their influence beyond the borders of their submerged kingdom. They have infiltrated many aranean tribes on the surface, and through them have managed to place agents throughout much of the world. Only recently have the learned of the existence of Krik’t’krk and many of the Vurkik actively work against them in the world. Vurkik Silk Domes For the Vurkik, living beneath the waves is a way of life. Their cities consist of many silk bubbles anchored to the seabed and filled with air, all of them connected by silk tunnels. By necessity, these underwater abodes are always built near the surface, and their highest points always have access to the air above… at least during low tide. It is at these times that the bubbles are opened and fresh air is cycled throughout the communities. Many of the domes are camouflaged with native sea life, including the fire coral that grows in the area. In fact the Vurkik encourage the coral to grow over their domes, providing them with a hard outer covering and increased safety. If at all possible their communities are built between real coral reefs in order to provide protection from any ships that may pass too closely by. Vurkik Silk Ships The ships of the Vurkik are constructed entirely from a waterproof silk stretched over a light wooden frame. As the Vurkik are a secretive people, most of the time the silks of the hull are dyed a deep color of blue to provide camouflage against the backdrop of the ocean, while any silks used for sails are dyed to match the color of the sky. In addition to being camouflaged, the Vurkik ships are constructed to be easily disassembled. Aranean crews are adept at assembling and disassembling their vessels, even in the middle of the sea, and often do so to avoid detection when vessels of other countries come into view. After disassembly the crews hide beneath the silk until the crisis is averted. In the warmer Blood Seas this tactic works well, however in colder waters the aranea need magic in order to survive the temperatures. |
| SovietCanuck08-13-07, 04:22 AM | Okay, finaly had a few seconds to get around to reading through the thread... Sorry I haven't posted in a little while, my online access has been very limited for the last couple weeks. I have had a chance to come up with a new prestige class for my region its called the Beast Rider (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=13265551#post13265551). Tell me what you all think... Great idea Don! I wish I could offer more help, but I am pretty poor at the game mechanics part, and the fluff for your region provides ample background for the class. But from my inexperienced eye (comparing it to the Mounted Warrior prc from Warcraft CS), it seems a viable class:thumbsup: Here's another stray thought that I had last night while going over Paizo's blog for their new adventure path world, Pathfinder. Wouldn't it be cool if we could come up with an adventure path that spanned our world. Each region owner could be responsible for furthering the plot and developing an adventure in their own neck of the woods. The adventures wouldn't have to be full blown and complete. I think a general story line/plot and a rough outline of each adventure would be enough to get people interested. Later we could flesh things out if we had enough time. ... Great idea...I agree with Darth, it is a very interesting idea. It would provide a huge variety of adventure options, from religious intrigue to wilderness survival, to full blown wars (now, all we need is for somebody to make a horror-based region, and we're set!)...this would be a great thing to start seriously thinking about when we have a few more bodies and a few more regions drawn up! Chimpman: I have a pefrect answer to your delimma: They could have come from my region pre-cataclysm. I have incorporated most of the demi-human and humanoid races into my region and before the great star falling into the middle of things they6 had a pretty advanced and cosmopolitan culture. The gnomes could have easily been the hardy seafaring gnomes I had and with the elves, well, you already got that one pretty well clinched. Just my :twocents: but dude this could work well. Don, depending on when said falling-star occured, do you think it would be okay for me to steel some of said sea-faring gnomes, and have them settle in the Caelen region. I'd like to try to get set origins for the races of my region, and so far the only 'native' races are Maenads and Kobolds (either that, or they've been in the region for so long, they don't have any record of where they came from, but the same is true with elves and halflings). If your cataclysm occurred ~9000-3000 years ago, it would work perfectly, if it happened earlier the gnomes could be decedents of the original gnomes who finally decided to form settlements on land. This could also work for the Roens, but I'd prefer if they came from another northern-latitude region, as they are supposed to be early Norse/Slavic-style raiders and nomads. Campaign Ideas The Dead Sea ... The Sea begins to pour into a Chasm that has opened deep in the bottom of the sea. It effectivly lowers permanently by 200 feet before leveling off. This is a cyclic event occuring once every fifty thousand years. Now over the next fifty thousand years the sea will be ejected from the chasm as steam until the sea is restored. At which time it will happen again. Like the idea, Boss, but doesn't 50,000 years seem a bit too long? In my humble opinion, something like that should occur every 5000 years in the least, probably slightly more often. This would allow there to be legends of the occurrence passed down from generation to generation of humanoids, instead of only geologic records and/or draconic memories. I've been working a bit on the native fauna of my regions, and I have here a very incomplete list of the common domesticated animals as well as some slight references to others. Some notes concerning the Fauna of Ilaros The continent of Ilaros is home to many unique species of animals, some which have no analog elsewhere on the planet. Here are found the rather perplexing insectile- mammals which have a biology that combines many of the features associated with insects (compound eyes, segmented bodies, exoskeletons, eusocial behavior, and the like) with those more often seen in mammals and other amniotes (closes circulatory systems, internal skeletal support, kidneys, lungs, and complex nervous systems). The Dromites and their relatives are excellent examples of this class of animals. In addition to these unique animal groups, Ilaros is also notable for the animal lineages that it lacks. Animals common to the rest of the world that are not to be found within the native species of the continent include: canines, felines, sheep, equines, deer, pigs, and lagomorphs (rabbits and their relatives). As a result of this “lack” of certain animals, other lineages have adapted themselves to fill similar ecological niches; in addition it has had a profound impact upon the domesticated animals of sentient species. I must admit, when I first read this part, it scarred me a little bit. Why? Because you mentioned one of the big 'no-no' words of fantasy: Evolution. Evolution is always tricky to deal with, even when one is working by oneself. I tried this in Newumberland, and it ended up giving me more headaches then successes in trying to define how three separate species, each with a distinct biology evolved on a planet. Now, this becomes worse in an archetypal fantasy setting with dwarves, gnomes, elves and co. Where did they come from? Different subspecies of humans? So then why the long lifespan? And why the major biological differences? Different species of apes? Again, lifespan and physical differences play a major part. And what are the chances of four or five separate species evolving so closely together in some ways, and yet so very drastically apart in others? And why are the two most divergent species in this regard, humans and elves, able to interbreed, while the two closest, dwarves and gnomes, are incapable of doing so. I can continue this rant for several minutes, but for the sake of time, let's not. However, I think I may have found a solution to some of my gripes. In the Draconomicon, they have a group of species described as "a primitive, ancestral form of dragon": the landwyrms. They are quadrapedal dragons, unlike the majority of the rest which have six-limbs, cannot fly, and yet are dragons, so they share several draconic traits, most importantly an endothermic biology. Two species in particular caught my attention: the plains and the forest landwyrms. Neutral in alignment, and with size and intelligence equal to humans, I believe I had found the basis of an evolutionary ladder that took a few million years, but fits in all of the major humanoid species: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1011/1102157004_5bf3336f0a_o.gif Now, I know that evolution really doesn't happen like a family tree, but we aren't interested in time frame or extinct species other than the necessary ones right now. I tried to group species by similar physical characteristics (body proportions, life expectancy, and such) Not all the evolutions on there were natural: Elf to raptorian, Lizardfolk to kobold, Mistai(sp?) to Rilkan and Skarn, and Humans to Illumians and Azurans (along with humans to gith, but that was a given) were all caused by outside influences. I tried to include as many humanoid species as I could remember, leaving out several of them that seemed to be the product of convergent evolution instead of a shared lineage (gnolls specifically). Now this is just a quick sketch, and is my solution to the evolution conundrum if we're going to play it that way, instead of 'gods created the world and everything in it' (though that belief really doesn't hold water with my gods...an ascended human and the primal spirits of elves...both created after their subject races) Just my :twocents:, I'd like to hear your take on the evolution of humanoids here. Even after contact with horse-riding cultures and regions, the horse just never caught on and so the antelopes remain the primary mount for many of the cultures of the region. Hmm...I'd honestly like to see how a battle between your antelopes and my horseland-bread cavalry stand up...could be interesting;) Canuk, I've just finished reading through your timeline, and I'll just say that I love it for now. I need to re-read it and will probably post some questions later. As far as the amount of detail involved, I think it is perfect. I will definately be weaving some of these events into my own timelines and histories. I thought much the same looking over yours...though our regions are a little far apart to interact all that much. Mostly what I've written will affect Don's, LostMage's and Araes' region, along with the other regions of the 'supercontinet': 16, 11 and 3 ('cmon! We need some more authors willing to take up the challenge here!) Well, that's all for now...going back to work on some cosmology! |
| Darth Syntax08-13-07, 07:06 AM | Okay, finaly had a few seconds to get around to reading through the thread... I know how you feel. It's been that sort of week . . I must admit, when I first read this part, it scarred me a little bit. Why? Because you mentioned one of the big 'no-no' words of fantasy: Evolution. I guess I never thought of evolution as a "no-no" (as you put it) in fantasy. I always assume, unless it is otherwise obviously stated that evolution occurred and is still occurring in any given fictional world. But then I am a metaphysical naturalist with causal determinist leanings, so that probably influences things . . . Evolution is always tricky to deal with, even when one is working by oneself. I tried this in Newumberland, and it ended up giving me more headaches then successes in trying to define how three separate species, each with a distinct biology evolved on a planet. I agree that it can be a difficult thing to figure out, and in a fantasy setting it need not be scientifically actuate, it need only have some degree of plausibility. Now if you have three species that function in different atmospheres, then you might be stretching plausibility a wee bit. Now, this becomes worse in an archetypal fantasy setting with dwarves, gnomes, elves and co. Where did they come from? Different subspecies of humans? So then why the long lifespan? And why the major biological differences? Different species of apes? Again, lifespan and physical differences play a major part. And what are the chances of four or five separate species evolving so closely together in some ways, and yet so very drastically apart in others? And why are the two most divergent species in this regard, humans and elves, able to interbreed, while the two closest, dwarves and gnomes, are incapable of doing so. I can continue this rant for several minutes, but for the sake of time, let's not. I tend to default to the view that many of the humanoids (especially those of a mammalian character but excluding such things as minotaurs and the so forth) are probably species of primates from the same or closely related genera. As for life spans, frankly I ignore them for "normal" humanoids and thus grant elves and other long-lived humanoids an upper limit of about 200 years give or take. Similarly, adulthood is reached at some point between 12 and 20 years of age. This latter adjustment is mostly to deal with the issue of species perpetuation, as a century-long childhood would be highly detrimental to the survival of a species. The other possible explanation for life-span divergence is, horribly enough, based on the principle that "magic" exists and, by extention, would have put selection pressures upon species as they developed. Perhaps elves originally evolved in a place where time was a bit "wonky" and as a result they simply age differently. Humans, elves, gnomes, and halflings are all members of the same species (H. sapiens) but are of different sub-species. Humans are h. sapiens sapiens, elves are h. sapiens fragilis, gnomes are h. sapiens migrus callidus and halflings are h. sapiens migrus placidus. Dwarves and orcs, on the other hand, are more closely related to something rather like a neanderthal (and for simplicity's sake I have used that species name) and are h. neanderthalensis durus and h. neanderthalensis agrestis respectively. Goblinoids are more closely related to baboons, mandrills, and the like than they are to humans, but more on this later. Granted the system is not perfect, but it begins to approximate something that looks marginally reasonable. However, I think I may have found a solution to some of my gripes. In the Draconomicon, they have a group of species described as "a primitive, ancestral form of dragon": the landwyrms. They are quadrapedal dragons, unlike the majority of the rest which have six-limbs, cannot fly, and yet are dragons, so they share several draconic traits, most importantly an endothermic biology. Two species in particular caught my attention: the plains and the forest landwyrms. Neutral in alignment, and with size and intelligence equal to humans, I believe I had found the basis of an evolutionary ladder that took a few million years, but fits in all of the major humanoid species: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1011/1102157004_5bf3336f0a_o.gif I personally would not have made the relation between mammalian humanoids and the draconic and reptilian humanoids so close. Instead I would imagine that things like Lizardmen are a case of convergent evolution from within the non-avian, non-mammalian amniotes. my own tree for primate-humanoids looks roughly like the following: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/1103281422_efbf2dd544_o.jpg Now this is just a quick sketch, and is my solution to the evolution conundrum if we're going to play it that way, instead of 'gods created the world and everything in it' (though that belief really doesn't hold water with my gods...an ascended human and the primal spirits of elves...both created after their subject races) Just my :twocents:, I'd like to hear your take on the evolution of humanoids here. I think this field would make for an interesting area of discussion, both from a design standpoint and from a world-internal standpoint. As to the whole "god conundrum" I am in a bit of a similar boat as very few of the major religions of my region actually posit a defined creation or creator. The Jauric religions of the elves generally tend to go for the whole "uncaused cosmos" bit with deities playing no part in the creation of things, only in the maintainance of things. As for the other religious traditions, the Adosians are not at all concerned with were life came from, only where it is going (they believe that no living being possesses a soul, and that such a 'gift' must be earned over the course of existence). Others hold that physical existence is illusory and that only minds exist which also tends to wreak havoc on having a creation myth of the normal sort. Anyway, it's all just speculation at this point, but it's fun. -- Moving right along then to antelopes Hmm...I'd honestly like to see how a battle between your antelopes and my horseland-bread cavalry stand up...could be interesting;) That would depend on how your cavalry, fight I would imagine. In a test of the amount of sheer force the rider and animal can produce (say a traditional tilt or joust) I would have my money on the horse. In a more acrobatic form of conflict, say a raid or something similar, the antelopes (especially such creatures as the riding gazelles) might win out due to greater agility. However, the maratime powers don't tend to field cavalry but rather mounted infantry (proper dragoons) which would certainly add an interesting element to things. Well, that's all for now...going back to work on some cosmology! Another interesting topic, and one I hope to address soonish. |
| darkhunter200708-13-07, 10:07 AM | The Project http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1412/834308602_bd89fdcf2c_b.jpg Map couresy of Darth Syntax This was the beginning... 1.yellowdingo (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=396391)He started it all. 2.Darth Syntax (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=317241): Official Cartographer Royal. 3.DonThelonious (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=539199): Not much to say 4.Araes (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=403848):Maker Of Economies 5.SovietCanuck (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=478212):Creater of the Imperial Elves 6.Elidorith (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=538655): Helped us to understand the breadth of The Project. 7.LostMage (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=513149): Climatoligist 8.Turalisj (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=320603): Some funny forms of magic. 9.ChimpMan (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=168443): Arachnid Farmer This is by Author: 1. Yellow Dingo: Dewan: Land Of The Two Tribes Region #12; The History and people of Dewan (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12167827&postcount=17)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/834308848_9dc3f61512_b.jpg 2. Darth Syntax: Nameless Lands OF Darth Syntax Regions #17 and #10; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/834308720_c72299f3a5_o.jpghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/834308704_22f03ccc79_o.jpg 3.DonThelonious: Fallenstar Region #13; The Lands Of Fallenstar (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=13096787&postcount=261) and The Tribes of Fallenstar (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12210053&postcount=45); Classes specic to Fallenstar:The Beast Riders (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13197947&postcount=1)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/834566396_001a60a097_o.jpg 4. Araes: Realms Of Araes Region #19; The Realms (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12194970&postcount=35) and Kingdom Details (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12197937&postcount=36)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/834308810_459007d6fc_o.jpg 5.Soviet Canuck:Dueling Empires Region #9; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/834308792_6e7d9938c4_o.jpg 6. Elidorith: Secluded Fatherlands Region #7; Information is forthcominghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1177/834566440_3731750b41_o.jpg 7. Chimpman: Arachnaquatic Home Region #4; The Lands (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13319025&postcount=298) and Nations (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13370545&postcount=310) as well as an overview of The Races (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13116934&postcount=275) and finally Areas of Interest (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13116934&postcount=275) Will be up shortly :globe:Still Under Construction:globe: Cool, how did you draw this, a program? (yes? which?) |
| DonThelonious08-13-07, 07:53 PM | Cool, how did you draw this, a program? (yes? which?) I drew nothing, all the images you see here are the work of Darth_Syntax, our Cartographer Royal. I think he used photoshop, though you should really ask him. I just threw it all together and made sure all the links worked. |
| Context08-13-07, 11:02 PM | Hello. I have no idea if you guys have done this yet but here's your world mapped onto a 3D D20. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFd62Q2RqnE) Hope this helps. Enjoy. |
| DonThelonious08-14-07, 12:09 AM | Hello. I have no idea if you guys have done this yet but here's your world mapped onto a 3D D20. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFd62Q2RqnE) Hope this helps. Enjoy. EDIT: Not working for the moment. Hold on a second. Dude thats so cool. You so get a super :cookie:!! Thanks, and by the way if you are interested you are welcome to grab a region and throw down with the rest of us. |
| Context08-14-07, 01:07 AM | Groovy. *eats the cookie* Mmm.... full of super.... Anywho, I probably don't have time to actually nab 1/20th of a planet at this point but I do have to ask a question: Have you guys heard of wiki's? They're... well... infinitely more efficient at organizing and displaying projects like this one then forum threads are. If anyone is interested I can cook one up fairly easily. |
| DonThelonious08-14-07, 01:17 AM | I for one have no problem with it, its just getting all the information here into source thats been a pain for me, I have about 90 pages of word document that I am currently digging through now. |
| Darth Syntax08-16-07, 09:35 PM | I too would not object to having a wiki (or similar sort of thing) for The Project. However, I've no experience with using these things, so I'd be rather behind the curve. -- Also, my posting, updates, and commentary may be rather scant for the next ten days as I am going to be on vacation (a wholly unnatural concept to me) in Maine. I'll have some access to the internet, but all of my mapping software and the like will be several thousand miles to the west. So, just to get something up to show that I've not been idle these last few days, here is a more detailed map of The Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos, complete with some cities and towns. Enjoy. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/1111559475_0e9d92f7d5_b.jpg |
| SovietCanuck08-17-07, 11:55 AM | I too would support a wiki...though I'd prefer to get myself out of the brainstorming phase and begin firming things up. I've done work on a few wikis before, so I know a little bit about working with them. I'm not an expert, not by a longshot, but I at least know how to format articles! In other news, though I said I would work on the cosmology, I decided to shelve that until we solidify what we're doing for other planes here...I don't want to do work on something that will only end up having to be thrown out later. So instead, I've done a bit on Castille. I'm not quite done yet, but I have a map to share with you all: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1034/1149298879_b918b8ac69_o.gif I'll prolly get up a more detailed map (as in, geography and smaller towns), as well as a description of the Castillian Union's political structure over the weekend (not easy trying to write up a system of government based entirely off of the concept of "the enemy of my enemy is a useful tool") |
| SovietCanuck08-20-07, 01:00 AM | Just a quick post here. This is just a basic write-up, so it is subject to change. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1297/1177388213_8ddb28eba9_o.gif (Castillian Union/Castille) Government Type: Aristocratic Oligarchy Ruling Body: Council of the Union (Body of nobles appointed by the rulers of each state) Current Leader: King Martin de Paless, King of San Rillo (Human Male Nbl 4/Ftr 3) Economic Type: Free Market Currency: Each state has it's own, but the new union is seeking a common currency Population: 12,956,000 Demographics: 66% Human, 9% Halfling, 7% Gnome, 6% Dwarf, 5% Kobold, 4% Xeph, 1% Maenad, 0.8% Skarn, 0.3% Rilkan, .1 Kith, .8 % Other (elf, half-giant, illumian) Capitol: Rotating, currently San Rillo Largest City: Portoro Religion: 99.4% Caelen Church (~40 % Imperial Church, ~40% Regional churches, 20% The Church of Qalitz), 0.1 Traveler, 0.5% Foreign faiths Major Languages: Caelen language is the Language Franca, many local languages spoken (Largest languages are North Andarian, Orian, Stillian, Bard and Jarl) Symbol: Most common are a shield with the crests of Noreno, Istan, Portoro and Bardrim or a blue, red and gold flag Nominal Alignment: LN The history of the Castillian peninsula can be characterized by expansionist states claiming vast swaths of neighboring territory, only to fall in upon themselves in civil war and splinter into several sovereign states. The Castillian peoples are nationalistic to a fault, unwilling to let any foreign head rule over them by any means except brute force. Over the past thousand years, there has been as many as eighty sovereign states on the peninsula, and as few as eight. The only nation that could actually unite this fractious region was the Qalitz Empire, as the vast southern empire's shear numbers and vast coffers proved bountiful enough to supply an army capable of conquering the warring states. However, over the past century the power of the southern empire has wanned, and the Castillian states found themselves without their common enemy. Falling back into their warring natures, it seemed that the cycle would only start again once the Empire's fortunes rose. However, while the Castillians were looking south, they failed to look east, over the Skyreach Mountains, to the Toren river valley. Caelea had succeeded conquering it's immediate neighbors, and had declared itself the restored Caelen Empire Formation of an Alliance The Caelen Empire was nothing like the Qalitz. While Castillians has grown up learning the tactics of the southerners, the Caelen legion was something new. The Caelens were young but experienced, and they integrated divine magic flawlessly into their tactics. The eastern Castillian Nations of Stromald and Jarlsholme lost their territory with frightening speed, and within 50 years, the Caelens ruled alll but the south-east Castillians peninsula, which was still the territory of the Qalitz. However, the Caelens fell to the same mistake that lead to their stunning victory: ignoring old enemies. The Elves came out of their exile with stunning speed. The Caelens took their forces out of Castille to garrison their eastern border, convinced that they could reclaim the land they were giving up once the Elves were dealt with. However, the elves would not go away so easily this time. They advanced steadily through Vestria and Heinshem, strait up to the Caelen boarder, and in recent years they have even taken Caelen territory in Waterhead and Doriem. The Rimegardsmen took control over the northern region, and the Qalitz resurged in the south. The central regions, however, had reached a breaking point. The nations of Stillia-Portoro, San Rillm Istan, Histram and Noreno la Vella put aside their historical hatreds, deciding that being ruled over by foreign rulers was even more demeaning then having their peoples ruled over by a fellow Castillian. With the stroke of a pen, they signed an alliance that fixed the boarders of their nations at their current positions, and ended millenia of war. Growth of the Alliance The united armies of Castille set their sights on freeing their fellows from foreign rule, starting with their most powerful member: Bardrim. The armies of the alliance headed through Arak, and though costly, ended up driving the Rimegardsmen from the two states. Arak and Bardrim, ready to be divided amongst the conquering states, were shocked when their rulers were invited to join the alliance as equals. The word spread to other Castillian nations, and the entire region took up arms in rebellion. The Rimegardsmen and Qalitz were not prepared for all their subjects rising up against them, they had counted upon the bloodfeuds amongst nations to keep themselves in power. It took the Castillians three years, but they drove the foreigners from all regions but southern Bi'il, eastern Jarlsholme, and the Stromalds. Gerrich The alliance effectively dissolved without common enemies. Though the region did not fall back into war, the nations turned in on themselves, building defenses and strengthening their armies. This would have likely sparked another war, if it hadn't been for the Vestenreich. The Vestrians had lost several major mines in the war against the elves, as well as easy access to the resources of Khazad Roens and Rimegaard, and they saw the rich mines of Southern Cael and eastern Doriem as a solution to their problems. Unwilling to strike at Doriem when it was under Qalitz control, it considered Doriem a much softer target. Their troops marched in secret through the passes, reaching Darjhev without much trouble. They conquered the city, and the Reich's troops began shoring up the passes against Dorellian and Qalitz retaliations. Dorellia did respond, but not in the way expected. It called upon it's allies to drive foreign troops from Castillia. Though the Castillians had never had much problems with Vestrians, they were not willing to give the Reich a chance to expand it's influence further. A united Castillian army moved upon Darjhev, engaging in minor skirmishes with both the Vestrians and the Qalitz. Eventually, they settled upon the outskirts of Darjhev at the same time the bulk of the Qaltiz army and Caelen legion arrived. The battle of Darjhev was the largest battle fought since the fall of the Caelen Empire. It was long, and in the end, the battle was lost by everyone. No one force could win...each army was unwilling to compromise with it's enemies. Eventually, diplomacy won where blades could not. The land around Darjhev and Zirgarde was declared independent, and the four armies were allowed to station equal forces within it's border to ensure the neutrality of the state. The signitaries were The Holy Caelen Empire, the Empire of Qalitz, the Vestenreich, and the Union of Castillian States Birth of the Union The united Castillian armies had singed the treaty of Darjhev for a nonexistent state. The Castillian states were hardly unified. Stillia-Portoro, however, intended to change this. The Stillians saw how effective their armies were united. They knew of the colonies being set up by Deraille, Holtland, and the Chalice were bringing in wealth and resources unlike anything previously seen in the Caelen region, and they wanted in on it. But Stillia-Portoro knew that it was in no position to create colonies...to do so would bring the wrath of the other Castillian states upon them. However, Stillia was able to claim colonies on behalf of a united Castille, they achieve their goal without risking war. They breached this idea to Bardrim, Istan and Noreno, and in 1106 the Union of Castillian states was founded. The four founders were joined by San Rillo and Arak later that year, Tiran, Kirgen and Argenia in 1107, Vale and Alanjy Bi'il in 1110, Dorello in 1112, Notos Andaria and Orenel in 1113, Borellios Andaria in 1115, Stromald in 1117, Halif and Jarlshome in 1119, and Histram 1120. Only Hala has refused to join, though there are some negotiations going on between Hala and the Union Government of the Union Castille has a very unconventional form of government. Each member nation is allowed to send 5 delegates to a central cabinet, the Council of the Union. How these members are a chosen is up to each member nation. The appointed house then legislates general laws and controls foreign relations for the union. Each member state has it's own army, under it's own control, though the central Castillian government does control a police force that regulates laws across state borders. The head of the state rotates annually, the leader for the next year chosen by the Council at the end of each session. Heads of state sign bills into law, and can effectively stall legislation until they hand over their position. However, the current head of state cannot veto law, nor can he remove any councilmembers but his own from Council. Member States: Government Type: Monarchy Current Leader: Baron Serjev Krezla (Human Male Nbl 3) Currency:Bi'ilsh Dinar Population: ~262,000 Demographics: 79% Human, 10% Xeph, 4% Halfling, 2% Gnome, 2% Kobold,1% Dwarf, 1% Other (half-giant, skarn, elf) Capitol: Tlsbev Religion: Caelen Church (The Church of Qalitz) Major Languages: Bi'il Symbol: A gold Broken Circle on a field of black and gold Nominal Alignment: LN Government Type: Monarchy Current Leader: Archduke Olixandr Svetchken (Human Male Nbl 2/Wiz 1) Currency:Arak Grinva (50 Shev=1 Grinva) Population: ~521,000 Demographics: 69% Human, 14% Halfling, 8% Kobold, 6% Gnome, 2% Dwarf, 1% other (Rilkan, maenad, illumian) Capitol: Tlsbev Religion: Caelen Church (Daven Orthodox Church) Major Languages: Arak Symbol: A green wyvern on a red and white feild Nominal Alignment: N Government Type: Millitary Republic Current Leader: General Phillipe Dommel (Xeph Male Mrl 8) Currency:Argenian Dinar Population: ~357,000 Demographics: 55% Human, 25% Xeph, 9% Halfling 7% Gnome 3% Dwarf, 1% other (Skarn, half-giant, illumian) Capitol: Argen Religion: Caelen Church (Church of Qalitz) Major Languages: Stillian Symbol: Crossed grey scimitar and sword on a red feild Nominal Alignment: LE Government: Constitutional Monarchy Current Leader: Queen Kathrine Mardhelm(Human Female Nbl 1/Brd 1), Prime Minister Sir Brendyn Schole (Halfling Male Nbl 2) Currency: Bardish Kor Population: ~1,515,000 Demographics: 61% Human, 15% Dwarf, 11% Gnome, 9% Halfling, 1% Maenad, 3% other (Rilkan, skarn, elf, kith, xeph) Capitol: Roensburg Religion: Caelen Church (Roenic Orthodox) Major Languages: Bard Symbol: A gold harp on a field of dark blue Nominal Alignment: NG Government: Monarchy Current Leader: King John Damalas (Human Male Arc 3) Currency: Glaukai Population: ~433,000 Demographics: 79% Human, 8% Xeph, 8% Halfling, 3% Skarn, 1% Dwarf, 1% Other (half-giant, illumian, kobold) Capitol: Theros Religion: Caelen Church (Andarian Orthodox) Major Languages: North Andarian Symbol: A white wreathe of laurels in the shape of a Broken Circle on a field of blue Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Monarchy Current Leader: Archduke Phillipe Carone y Arte (Human Male Nbl 2) Currency: Dorellian Dollar (100 centi=1 dollar) Population: ~647,000 Demographics: 55% Human, 20% Kobold, 13% Xeph, 6% Halfling, 5% Dwarf, 1% Other (Gnome, half-giant, half-elf, kith) Capitol: Dorello Religion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Languages: Dorellian Symbol: A gold lion on a red field Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Theocracy Current Leader: Archbishop Said Rasheid (Human Clr 7) Currency: Halifi Dinar Population: ~424,000 Demographics: Human 65%, 20% xeph, 6% Halfling, 6% Skarn, 2% Gnome, 1% other (half-giant, illumian) Capitol: Theros Religion: Caelen Chruch (Halifi Reform) Major Language: Qalitz Symbol: A red crescent on a white and red field Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Plutocracy Current Leader: Lord Aric de Genna, head of the House of Lords (Human Male Rog 6) Currency: Histish Dollar Population: ~441,000 Demographics: 72% Human, 10% Gnome, 5% Halfling, 5% Rilkan, 5% Kobold, 2% Dwarf, 1% Other (kobold, xeph, kith) Capitol: Celmen Relgion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Language: Histish Symbol: A grey castle on a blue feild Nominal Alignment: LE Government: Monarchy Current Leader: Archduke Antil Cisilas (Human Male Nbl 4) Currency: Istani Dollar Population: ~857,000 Demographics: 70% Human, 12% Halfling, 8% Gnome, 6% Dwarf, 2% Rilkan, 2% Other (kobold, kith, elf) Capitol: Verest Religion: Caelen Church(Imperial Church) Major Language: Istan Symbol: A Istan Pine on a green and white feild Nominal Alignment: NG Government: Elected Monarchy (Hereditary Nobility elects Jarl on 5 year terms) Current Leader: Jarl Alaine Josev (Female Human Dsk 4) Currency: Jarlsh Kor Population: ~651,000 Demographics: 60% Human, 17% Dwarf, 11% Maenad, 6% Gnome, 5% Halfling, 1% Other(Elf, Kith Kobold) Capitol: Drandol Religion: Caelen Church (Roenic Orthodox) Major Language: Jarl Symbol: Blue and White mountains on a grey feild Nominal Alignment: LG Government: Constitutional Monarchy Current Leader: King Daniel Rostem-Gaston Currency: Kirgen Kor Population: ~581,000 Demographics: 51% Human, 19% Kobold,11% Dwarf, 10% Halfling, 7% Gnome, 1% Kith, 1% Other (Maenad, Rilkan) Capitol: Kirgensburg Religions: Caelen Church (Roenic Orthodox), The Traviler Major Language: Kirgen Symbol: A crossed wand and axe on a red and white feild Nominal Alignment: NG Government: Monarchy Current Leader: King Luigi de Noreno (Human Male Noble 5) Currency: Norenan Dollar Population: ~626,000 Demographics: 65% Human, 13% Kobold, 11% Halfling. 7% Gnome, 3% Dwarf, 1% Other (Kith, Elf) Capitol: Noreno Religion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Language: Noranian Symbol: A gold Broken Circle on a blue and red feild Nominal Alignment: LG Government: Monarchy Current Leader: King Peter Ordonas (Human Nbl 3) Currency: Glaukai Population: ~412,000 Demographics: 62% Human, 14% Xeph, 12% Skarn, 8% Halfling, 3% Gnome, 1% Other (Dwarf, half-giant) Capitol: Hyra Religion: Caelen Church (Andarian Orthodox) Major Language: South Andarian Symbol: A blue Andarian shield on a white feild Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Presidential Republic Current Leader: President Benjamen Harer (Human Male Exp3) Currency: Orenel Dinar Population: ~453,000 Demographics: 76% Human, 11% Xeph, 7% Halfling, 4% Gnome, 1% Skarn, 1% Other (dwarf, kobold, kith) Capitol: Tal Oren Relgion: Caelen Church (Orenish Orthodox) Major Language: Orenish Symbol: A gold sun on a blue feild Nominal Alignment: N Government: Monarchy Current Leader: King Martin de Paless(Human Male Nbl 4/Ftr 3) Currency: San Rillian Dollar Population: ~595,000 Demographics: 60% Human, 26% Kobold, 8% Gnome, 4% Halfling, 1% Dwarf, 1% Other (xeph, kith, elf, half-elf) Capitol: San Rillo Relgion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Language: Dorellian Symbol: A Dorellian lily on a field of green Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Constitutional Monarchy Current Leader: Queen Isabella Pilest y Stillia (Human Female Nbl 4), President Richardo Alleiz (Human Exp 2/Nbl 3) Currency: Stillian-Portoran Dollar Population: ~3,301,000 Demographics: 69% Human, 12% Halfling, 9% Gnome, 4% Kobold, 3% Dwarf, 2% Xeph,1% Other (rilkan, skarn, kith, half-giant, half-elf) Capitol: Portoro Religion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Languages: Stillian, Portoran Symbol: A red Broken Circle on a white field Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Monarchy Current Leader: Duke Harold Drendov (Human Ftr 5) Currency: Jarlshome Kor Population: ~28,000 Demographics: 68% Human, 16% Maenad, 6% Dwarf, 3% Gnome, 3% Elf, 3% Kith,1% Other (halfling, half-elf) Capitol: Ambren (de facto) Relgion: Caelen Church (Roenic Orthodox), The Traveler Major Languages: Stromald Symbol: A white resonance crystal on a yellow and black feild Nominal Alignment: CN Government: Monarchy Current Leader: Queen Anastasia Szenti (Human Female Ftr 3/Nbl 1) Currency: Trian Grinva (50 Shev=1 Grinva) Population: ~479,000 Demographics: 78% Human, 8% Halfling, 5% Gnome, 5% Dwarf, 3% Kobold, 1% Other (skarn, rilkan, xeph) Capitol: Tria Relgion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Languages: Triash Symbol: A blue wyvern on a white feild Nominal Alignment: LN Government: Monarchy Current Leader: Queen Brila Lendsdotter (Dwarf Female Wiz 3/Nbl 2) Currency: Vale Kor Population: 373,000 Demographics: 46% Human, 23% Dwarf, 10% Gnome, 9% Kobold, 8% Halfling, 1% Kith 1%, Maenad, 1% Other (half-elf, rilkan, elf) Capitol: Vault Relgion: Caelen Church (Imperial Church) Major Languages: Valespeak, Aeddront Symbol: A gold crown on a field of blue and red Nominal Alignment: LG |
| Darth Syntax08-30-07, 06:22 PM | I apologize for my long absence but now I have come back from the wilds of Maine (a lovely place by the way) and I have not been idle in my time away. -- Soviet: The Union as you describe it, is an interesting take on the poly-national confederation. I would assume from your description that the Union's government is relatively weak, deferring to the various member states. How does the Union deal with foreign powers playing one member state against another to destableize the whole? In a similar vein, how severe is the national infighting of the Union? Have the member states every fought against each other while under the control of the Union? What about proxy wars and conflicts involving trade? |
| Darth Syntax09-02-07, 04:07 AM | Well. Here is an update on The Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos. I warn you all, it is rather long and entirely too detailed about such things as cuisine, mode of dress, and the like. -- The Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos Government Type: Oligarchic Electoral Republic Ruling Bodies: The Tetrarchs, The Serene Council, the Parliament Current Leaders: Tetrarchs: Basailen Nyokene (LE male Human Expert 8), Asannari Legdos (LN male Gnome Erudite 6), Sejanna Noi (TN female Elf Bard 5), Oparklon Ilos (LN male gnome Expert 3/Illusionist 5) Economic Type: Capitalism Currency: Notes of Credit, Alchemical Coins Population: about 15,800,000 Species Demographics: 30% Human 30 % Gnome, 15% Dromite, 10% Elf, 5% Goliath, 10% Other Capitol: Trokoilon (population: 845,200) Largest City: Theneka (population 1,504,030) Religion: Varied Symbols: A golden beetle on filigreed red background, A salamander surrounded by flames, A Phoenix, A Heron, A stylized sailing vessel, A sextant Major Languages: Lókoiros (Offical), Shelna (Semi-Official), Jaurlolai, Negweta Nominal Alignment: LN with LE leanings Brief Overview The current republic is the most recent in a long litany of states that have held power in the northern and western Esuin sea. Three true republics, one crowned republic and numerous Autocracies, interspersed with periods of civil war, anarchy, foreign domination by the Ejantuli, and general chaos and unrule, all laid claim to the region. For all this turmoil, the culture and society of the western Esuin sea have remained remarkably stable and able to both incorporate foreign peoples and influences while keeping the core of the culture vibrant and enduring. The current republic was established some 600 years ago when the last Doge of the False Republic was deposed in a swift and nearly bloodless coup. A nation of merchants, traders, politicians, sailors, alchemists, scholars, and philosophers the Republic is one of the most cultured and affluent nations of Ilaros, and its ships and merchants can be found in many ports the world over. Having long ago cornered the market on optical instruments (telescopes, lenses, spectacles, and so forth) and glassware, it is the selling of these goods, along with the profitable alchemical goods market that has kept their economy robust for many years. The Republic is a maritime power dependant upon the sea both for its subsistence and its economy. Ships, boats, and other watercraft are ubiquitous and most of the great cities of the nation are designed with this in mind. Canals take the place of the larger roads with goods and people being moved about by boat and barge. Where other nations make use of animal-drawn carts and carriages, the Republic uses boats. The wealthy travel in great luxury in boast specially designed for the purpose, the middle classes make use of water-taxi’s and the poor use the ferries and other bulk transports. So pervasive is the use of canal travel that a massive network of canals and locks links the cities and towns of the republic together. If trading and economic pursuits are the backbone of the economy, then deception, plots, and secrets are the backbone of Republic politics. Secret councils meet to discuss the future of the nation, factions and political parties scheme against each over, and obfuscation and misdirection are ever present. Poisonings, especially the long drawn out kind, are a common tactic to neutralize rivals, whether by preventing them from making decisions or rendering them The Political Structure of the Republic The Republic is an expressly non-democratic, parliamentary, pentecameral, nation with a limited franchise, both direct and indirect elections, and a labyrinthine system of oversight and separation of powers. The government is headed by a body of four parliamentary councilors known as the Tetrarchy who act essentially as a ‘four headed prime minister’. The Tetrarchs are appointed by Parliament (specifically the Chamber of Tribunes) for seven year terms. All four tetrarchs are considered to be the heads of government and exercise quasi-executive power. Additionally, the internal deliberations of the tetrarchy are secret and if records of them exist they are very carefully hidden. The Tetrarchs wield considerable power, being able to dissolve parliament and call for new elections as well as enjoying all the standard privileges of heads of government. Strictly speaking, the tetrarchs are not the heads of state. That title belongs generally to Parliament as a whole and especially to the Chamber of Tribunes. Parliament itself is divided into five separate chambers each with specific powers, obligations and duties. The five chambers are as follows: The Serene Council : The Serene Council acts as the highest chamber of the parliament, forming the cabinet, shadow cabinet, and various heads of government departments. Members of this council are appointed by the Tetrarchs in direct consultation with the Tribunes and indirect input from the other houses of parliament. The council remains intact as long as the government of the Tetrarchs remains in power. Should there be a vote of no confidence against the Tetrarchs, the Council is dissolved until the appointment of a new tetrarchy when a new government forms. Like the tetrarchs, the council is a secretive body with closed deliberations and virturally free from the direct oversight of the other chambers of parliament. The Chamber of Tribunes : The Tribunes are appointed for fixed terms of seven years by the Broad Parliament. They act as an oversight body for the three lower parliaments, as well as appointing the Tetrarchs. All laws are reviewed by the Tribunes before being sent to the Serene council and the Tetrarchs, but the Tribunes can only block a law from moving up through the parliament by issuing an injunction which requires a 60% vote of compliance upon the part of the Tribunes. The Chamber of Grievances: Grievances is one of the three directly elected parliaments of the Republic and is tasked with hearing direct petitions from the people, and ensuring that laws are in accordance with the concepts of equity. Essentially, Grievances deals with the application and spirit of laws. The Chamber of Voices: The Chamber of Voices is a directly elected parliament which reviews the technical matters concerning legislation. They raise objections solely on the letter of the law and work in tandem with Grievances to make sure that laws are both legally sound and equitable. The Broad Parliament : The Broad Parliament (usually just the Broad) is a general purpose Parliament. Its members are directly elected every three years by national election. In general elections, such as those for the Broad Parliament, the eligible pool of voters is limited to those who have attained a specified level of education and can pass a competency examination which primarily deals with the workings of the government. Elections are held both regularly, as is the case with term limits for Members of Parliament, and when the government calls for new elections, as occurs when a chamber is dissolved for some reason. The Republic possesses an equally complex judicial system with many courts, all of whom have specific duties. Courts are divided between courts of law and courts of equity and cases are commonly tried before both. There are also several Archonal courts, made up of legal scholars whose purpose it is to investigate and oversee both the legal and political systems of the Republic. Archons, as these magistrates are called, are charged with the task of “perpetual investigation”; they act on the assumption that the government is, at all times, doing something illegal, unethical, and generally distasteful. Notions of egalitarianism, democracy and the like are considered to be naïve, ill-advised, and generally in danger of leading to mob rule. The Republic expressly attempts to avoid allowing the masses to dictate policy and considers its anti-democratic stances to be in the interests both of political sense and the greater good. |
| Darth Syntax09-02-07, 04:11 AM | The Greater Good, and Ethics in the Republic By and large, the people of the republic, and certainly those in power, tend to favor a form of Utilitarian ethics. Actions should ideally maximize some privileged idea (be it happiness, pleasure, knowledge or something else) and simultaneously minimize any undue negative effects. The greater good is considered to be inherently more important and more valuable than any personal good. There is a certain detached, calculating coolness to ethical considerations, and this is seen as only right and proper. The idea that people possess natural rights does not exist as such in the political and ethical philosophy of the Republic. Rights, such as they do exist, are understood to be culturally constructed through the dialectic between the demands and desires of the people and the realities of maintaining order. Peoples of the Republic The population of the republic is neither uniform nor does it break down along lines of species, ethnicity, or religion is quite the same way as in other countries. The cultural-linguistic group that represents the majority population is composed primarily of two different species, the human and gnomish populations, as well as a mix of other species that have fully acculturated. Essentially, this group is a meta-ethnic group united by common cultural and historic ties that are every bit as binding as those of common genetic descent. This group has dominated the political and cultural life of the republic and it’s antecessor states quite consistently for centuries; their language, cuisine, mode of dress, social mores, philosophical and religion customs, and general worldview are effectively synonymous with the Republic. More over, these peoples conceive of themselves as essentially the same. In addition to this meta-ethnic nationality of the Orothoi, there are numerous other cultural, ethnic, and similar groups living within the republic. Some of these are quite prominent (such as the semi-autonomous dromite hives) while others, like the Heragas are marginalized in some fashion or another. The Dromites The eusocial dromites have lived in the lands of the republic sense before the arrival of either gnomes or humans and are a common sight almost anywhere in the Esuin sea region and beyond. Despite their numbers, and the antiquity of their claim upon the land, they have always expressed only a passing interest in the governance of the region. Again and again the Republic has offered them a place within the Parliament, but the dromite sovereigns have never really chosen to take the seats that they know are open to them. Dromites enjoy all of the protections and privileges of any resident of the Republic, and there is no active segregation concerning them, however their biology along with their profoundly different psychology has led them to live in self-imposed isolation. Within the major cities there is almost always as “dromite ghetto” a “hive district” or, more colorfully, a “spit and resin town” where most of the dromites live, ply their trades, and govern their own affairs. The Republic, seeing the difficulty of incorporating the dromites into the mainline of the government has agreed to allow the dromites a considerable degree of autonomy, provided that they maintain proper decorum and order. This arrangement has served both parties tolerably well, and neither see any real reason to alter it. Dromites in the republic tend to gravitate to a comparatively small number of professions. Most are moderately skilled laborers, working both within the hive districts and on projects throughout the nation. Because of their prominence in the architecture and building industries, republican buildings often possess a rather more “organic” and rounded design that might otherwise be the case. Round corridors, domes, curving rib arches, and gentle curves are common features of dromite architecture that have become part of the general aesthetic of the whole country. Glasswork too has long been an industry where the dromites have dominated, for they are fascinated by optics and have spent many decades perfecting the art of glassblowing, glazing, and lens grinding. In the field of agriculture, the dromites have also been influential for they were among the first people to domesticate the resin beetles, aphalox (an aphid-like creature which is raised for its sweet, bluish honeydew), and many species of tuber. Although the dromite diet is, of necessesity, quite distinct from the non-dromite population (as dromites are strict herbivores with the ability to directly digest cellulose), many of the roots, fruits, shoots, and other plants and fungi that make up the dromite diet have become commonplace ingredients in Republic cooking. Perhaps the best example of the widespread adoption of an originally dromite food by the general population is phelo, a drink fermented from the honeydew of the aphalox. This sweet-sour drink is highly intoxicating (having about 25 percent alcohol), a pale milky blue in color, and is universally consumed to the point that it has become one of the “national drinks” of the Republic. Goliaths Native to the towering Anthele mountains and the highlands of the interior, the goliaths have never been a major force in the culture and politics of the Republic. They generally shun the cities and the centers of trade, choosing to live instead as they always have; as nomadic herders of alpacas and llamas. The last fifty odd years have not been kind to the goliaths, a series of severe winters in the mountains have driven them into the lower elevations where they have had little choice but to deal with the more settled people of the Republic. After a tense period of adjustment, the goliaths found some rather surprising niches to exploit. Being an inland people, the goliaths had never seen a body of water larger than a lake, and the sea both fascinated them and held them in awe. Their great strength and natural climbing abilities have made them excellent stevedores as well as general sailors. Many of these maritime goliaths have been instrumental in the colonial expeditions of the Republic; their reckless spirit being of great use in the far-flung overseas settlements. Those goliaths who either returned to the mountains or chose to remain through the harsh times have recovered but their relative isolation has come to and end. Elves (Jaur and Vodnan) The elven population of the Republic dates back to the Ejantuli occupation of the region beginning in 242 PR. The initial elven population was entirely Jauric in origin and brought the Jauric languages, religions, and cultural practices to the Esuin sea. When the empire withdrew from the Esuin some hundred years later, not all the Jaur left along with it. Many stayed and adapted to the prevailing cultures of the region. Caste, the all important social system of the Jaur, was somewhat reduced in importance becoming a predominantly cultural rather than political and legal concept. Over the centuries, the Jaur have adapted rather extensively to the Republic, they vote in elections, hold office, and engage in all manner of business and economic activity. In contrast to the Jaur and their general assimilation into the society of the Republic, are the Vodnan elves who maintain their culture, autonomy, and national identity. The Vodnans have, for most of the last two millennia, been under the dominion of the Jauric peoples which has led to considerable animosity between to the two groups. Durring the last trade war (1596-1614 CR) the Vodnan independence movement drew much if it’s financial support form the Republic and this led to a large influx of Vodnans into the Republic to act as go-betweens. Most of the Vodnan elves, even now, are involved in shipping although a sizeable portion of them have turned to one of the banking houses for employ. The Vodnan community in the Republic is a tight-knit one and prone to insularity. They often gather in the same neighborhoods and settlements where they maintain their own language and customs. This has led to some problems when Vodnans are involved in criminal activities for they are highly protective of their own. Minority Populations By and large, the Republic is a tolerant society and beings considered strange or even hostile in other parts of the world openly walk the streets. One should not de surprised to see a pair of neogi discussing the spice trade with a gnome or to see a robed and hooded spellweaver silently going about its’ enigmatic business. Outsiders too can be found in the cities of the Republic, but they are mostly an insular lot and rarely seen. The major exception to this are the Mercane who seem right at home amongst the merchants and financiers. Climate and Geography The Republic has a cool temperate maritime climate with a relatively narrow temperature range and a high level of precipitation. Rarely does the temperature rise above 80°F (26.667°C) or below 28°F (-2.22°C) although the mountainous regions do tend to be colder. Rainfall occurs year round although it is heaviest in the later summer and early fall during the monsoon. The monsoons are caused by the cooling of oceanic winds as they rise up the Anthele mountains. Much of the land was sculpted by a combination of earthquakes, general erosion, and glaciation. The many deep valleys, fjords, and islands are all indicative of the geologic past of the region. Very little land can be considered ‘flat’ in the Republic and this has precipited the need for near-universal terrace farming. Cuisine The cuisine of the Republic is diverse. It relies both on local ingredients and imported items (especially spices and the like). Seafood features prominently in the cooking, especially arthropods, mollusks, hagfish, lampreys, and salmon. The staple grains and starches are wheat, millet, potatoes, and corn. The latter grain is largely imported and is either red or blue corn ground into a course meal. Root vegetables, fern fronds, garlic (both shoots and bulbs) onions, leeks, and a whole host of bitter leafy vegetables are also commonly used. Fruits such as squash, tomatoes, eggplant, cherries, berries, and plums make many appearances in republic cuisine, often used in a manner analogous to vegetables. Wines made from non-grape fruits are commonly drunk as is phelo (referenced with the dromites) and several kinds of ale. The attitude of the republic towards the consumption of alcohol is rather open. Wines, ales, and phelo are consumed on a daily basis by much of the population and this is considered perfectly normal. By contrast, the idea of drunkenness as a social release is not well tolerated. Some example Republic foods • A soup with hagfish, clams, fern fiddleheads, green onions, seasoned with garlic, red pepper, and fish sauce • Red corn polenta with buffalo-milk cheese and thickly sliced sautéed mushrooms • Chicken roasted in a clay pot with a rice, herb, nut and fruit stuffing. • Sautéed garlic scapes (stems) with cumin, red pepper, and mushrooms • Sautéed seaweed with various spices • Buffalo-milk cheeses of numerous kinds • Potato dumplings (very much like gnocchi) in a mushroom crème sauce • Salmon with fennel, dill, garlic, and lemon roasted in a clay pot • A stew of buffalo meat, tomatoes, red wine, ornon (a spicy-sweet sauce made from garlic, legumes, and spices) and root vegetables. • Braised capybara in a sauce of dried fruit, wine, tomatoes and spices • Grilled trout with anchovy herb butter • Steamed deep-sea isopod with spicy fish sauce • Noodles made from root-starch with aged vinegar and pickled fish • Snails cooked with wine and red pepper • Steamed clams in saffron broth with seaweed • Sourdough wheat bread • Lamprey stew • Eggplant cooked with herbs in a spicy sauce of tomatoes and juniper berries • Grilled quail with a fruit-honey sauce Aesthetics The Republic has what could be described as baroque tastes. Ornamentation and embellishment bordering on the decedent are commonplace. The clothing is ornate, the buildings sport finials, bas-reliefs, and elaborate windows, even the music is opulent. Beetles and other insects are often incorporated into republic designs, as are alchemical symbols, and the later often contain hidden meanings. Architecture Orothoi architecture tends to feature courtyards, covered walkways, and pitched overhanging roofs as well as large windows and domes. The high rainfall has led to the incorporation of elaborate gutter and drain systems, often with fancifully decorated downspouts. Tile and metal (especially copper) are used as roofing materials, and the greenish patina that copper acquires is considered particularly beautiful. Brick and stone are common building materials and most buildings in the cities are made from a combination of the two. In places where canal travel is common buildings are often built up a level or two from the water to allow boats to tie up beneath and offload goods and people directly rather than having to cart them through the streets. This is especially common with shops and small-goods warehouses, larger warehouses tend to be partly flooded to allow the barges to directly offload goods. This practice has led to the creation of standard barge sizes so that they can fit in any given warehouse. Smaller shops and residence that are built canalside might have an undercanal for loading and unloading, but most simply have steps leading down to the water and a mooring for small boats. The wealthier areas might have small covered moorings so that people getting on or off a boat can be protected from the weather. These covered moorings are often quite ornate and baroque in design with domes, finials, elegant lanterns, and lattice work. Public buildings (such as the Parliament buildings in Trokoilon or the customs houses) tend to reflect the general baroque tastes of the Republic, and are often designed with domes, spires, long colonnades, and many enclosed courtyards. Despite the ornamentation, these public buildings are not ‘heavy’ or ‘oppressive’ which is due in large part to the numerous windows. Clothing and other items of dress Clothing is considered to be very important in the Republic for it is an outward sign of wealth. As a result, clothing can be rather ostentatious and even fanciful in the design. High collars are common with both women and men and are long overcoats with embroidered scrollwork on the cuffs, collar, and hem. Cravats (especially those made of silk) are popular and range from a simple black neck wrap to cravats which billow like the sails of some absurd ship. Large scarves are also commonly worn and are often worn wrapped about the head in an erratic turban that often drapes down over the shoulders. Both men and women tend to wear pants (dresses are comparatively rare as an item of clothing) in a variety of styles ranging from straight and unadorned to elaborately flared and pleated. In all cases the pants fall at lest to below the knee for it is considered unseemly and in very bad taste to show one’s bear knees in public. However, going barefoot in public is perfectly acceptable, especially for people who work in and around the water all day. When shoes are worn they tend to be relatively low, longish and with pointed toes. Boots are only common among soldiers and those who work with metal or glass. Sandals are popular in the north west where it is somewhat warmer and dryer but are not common in the south where the rains can be quite relentless. Hats seem to be a bit of an obsession among the Orothoi. Hats are universal and come in any number of styles, colors, and sizes. Wide brimmed hats are currently in vogue, often with tassels, bands of cloth, or other embellishments. Jewelry is fairly universal with rings, earrings, and necklaces being the most popular. Hair Styles Hair styles vary widely across the nation. Some favor hair styles as baroque as their clothing, others prefer simple utilitarian styles. The more elaborate styles tend to feature fans of hair, odd twists, coils, or wing-like styling. Elaborate braiding is not common, partly because of a cultural bias against it (it is simply too much like Ejantuli hair styles). -- Well, that's all for the moment. There will be more information on religion, use of the arcane and psionics, and other such things, including more detail on minority populations. |
| SovietCanuck09-04-07, 07:28 PM | Soviet: The Union as you describe it, is an interesting take on the poly-national confederation. I would assume from your description that the Union's government is relatively weak, deferring to the various member states. How does the Union deal with foreign powers playing one member state against another to destableize the whole? In a similar vein, how severe is the national infighting of the Union? Have the member states every fought against each other while under the control of the Union? What about proxy wars and conflicts involving trade? Sorry about the wait...been on a summer trip for the past week, and just happened to forget a laptop, so any internet access I may have had, was lost. Anyways, to answer your questions... The Castillian Union reacts rather poorly towards other nations playing one member against the other, though of course it is common practice for Qalitz and Caelen. The retribution is mostly political or economic...the Union bars merchants from entering member states, or prevents the purchasing of Castillian Mercenary companies. However, exact repercussions are up to the member states. Histram and Argen typically ignore the decrees of the Council, and continue to allow trade with offending nations, whereas Jarlsholme bars all Caelens from their state despite the current peace between the Holy Empire and the Union. (Indeed, Jarlsholme still considers itself at war with Caelen over Weister, it's former capitol, and the Dunden Marsh region, even though Caelen sees Weister as an integral part of the Empire). Generally though, the union does little to prevent back-room dealings, as those schemes are really what run the country. National infighting is mostly verbal sniping right now. The nationalist ideologies bread into the common folk might cause a few barroom brawls and street scuffles, but most of the higher ups are more interested in rebuilding. Indeed, of the current generation of leaders, the majority of them are more interested in stability and peace, where they can make recover from the decades of war that drained their coffers, weakened their infrastructure, and trivialized their influence in the region. Really, the reason why they aren't fighting anymore is because they can't...they barely have the ability to defend their own lands, let alone wage war on their neighbors. The stability however has made many states rich, as the Caelens, Vestens and Derellians are all to eager to shore up their military with the hardened soldiers of Castille against the Elven Empire. Member states have fought each other in essentially proxy wars with trade and resources yes, but none are really all that eager to break peace with their neighbors with their limited army and face the wrath of Stillia-Portoro, Istan or Bardrim. The "Big Three" are big forces behind the stability of the region, and are the only ones who are capable of fielding decent-sized armies. They are also strongly allied with each other (Stillia-Portoro and Istan being longtime allies, and Bardrim being a traditional peace broker for the north and east). There have not really been any formal wars between member states, though occasionally a mob of peasants from one state ends up burning down the town of a neighboring state...though what can one do about unruly commoners other than lock them up (and compensate them for their troubles). Trade and bidding wars however, perfectly legal. Well, that's all for now! Keep up the good work Darth! |
| NorthWind09-05-07, 02:44 PM | Well...I was just eating lunch, when a notion for a human civilization struck me, so if no one minds, I'll post it here? The Boreal Islands are a cluster of northern, volcanic islands. Average temperatures range from about 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer to -20 degrees in winter*. The chief inhabitant of these islands are a unique ethnic group of humans. Nearly all of these islands suffer a lack of mineral resources (there are very few veins of iron, lead, or copper, however, coal and silver are fairly common place). Conversely, there are many dense forests, filled with useful woods and game. Additionally, much of the population has some form of magical inclination. *note: these temperatures are approximate, they may be to cold or mild for what I have in mind. Human culture on these islands has been uninfluenced by cultural diffusion - until recently, the other common races have either been unaware of these islands or simply ignored them. Thus, their customs are wholly their own. (Actually, I came up with random little cultural facts which led to a bigger picture) Ari Lyn (towers, literally "shared house") are the most common shelters in the Boreal islands. These towers are circular, build around a central fire place in a sub level, with rooms and chambers being built in from the walls. The basic idea is a conical tube, with the dwellings, etc. on the inside. These structures are typically five to seven stories tall* with bases built out of stone, and wood forming the rest. They hold a large number of families, and are almost small towns in their own right. In the center of the edifice, a coal or wood fire is constantly maintained during the winter, the building constructed so that the rising heat may effectively reach the whole of the building. *again, not a definite size...I'm still working out how big these should be, based on what materials are available, and the application of magic. Retti (hot springs, literally "bath") are typically found near or in the towers. These hot springs are used for morning and evening baths, which are supposedly necessary for spellcasters to keep their magic. The springs tend to be large and shallow, with multiple rocky outcropping in or around the pools. Mathematics, fine art and magic are the most developed aspects of culture on the Boreal islands. Many children are well educated, and the literacy rate is quite high (about 80% of the population). The most popular weapons are longbows and spears. With metal weapons being scarce (steel is next to unheard of) many people consider magic one of their weapons. Anyways...this really isn't enough for a whole triangle, and it's still very sketchy, but I thought I'd post it here all the same, if no one minds. Input would be appreciated - I'm thinking that these islands might have a place in my own world some day. |
| Darth Syntax09-06-07, 03:30 AM | Well...I was just eating lunch, when a notion for a human civilization struck me, so if no one minds, I'll post it here? Ideas are always good. Now, all we need to do is wheedle you into The Project The Boreal Islands are a cluster of northern, volcanic islands. Average temperatures range from about 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer to -20 degrees in winter*. The chief inhabitant of these islands are a unique ethnic group of humans. Nearly all of these islands suffer a lack of mineral resources (there are very few veins of iron, lead, or copper, however, coal and silver are fairly common place). Conversely, there are many dense forests, filled with useful woods and game. Additionally, much of the population has some form of magical inclination. Given the temperature range you describe, dense forests are unlikely. Temperatures like these generally occur only in polar climes and those tend to be dominated by tundra. The permafrost and other environmental conditions are simply not conducive to trees. Moving the islands further away from the poles would allow for trees. Alternatively, you could keep the climate and make use of building materials other than wood such as stone, bone, and turf. Bogs exist in arctic climates and the peat can be used as fuel source for heating and cooking. Human culture on these islands has been uninfluenced by cultural diffusion - until recently, the other common races have either been unaware of these islands or simply ignored them. Thus, their customs are wholly their own. This makes sense, especially if these islands are isolated and somewhat difficult to get to. Ari Lyn (towers, literally "shared house") are the most common shelters in the Boreal islands. These towers are circular, build around a central fire place in a sub level, with rooms and chambers being built in from the walls. The basic idea is a conical tube, with the dwellings, etc. on the inside. These structures are typically five to seven stories tall* with bases built out of stone, and wood forming the rest. They hold a large number of families, and are almost small towns in their own right. In the center of the edifice, a coal or wood fire is constantly maintained during the winter, the building constructed so that the rising heat may effectively reach the whole of the building. *again, not a definite size...I'm still working out how big these should be, based on what materials are available, and the application of magic. What you are describing here reminds me of a combination of some of the communal dwellings common to pre-industrial peoples such as long-houses and the rather more modern concept of an arcology. If you want to keep your islands in the polar climes, then you might want to look into cob buildings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_%28building%29). Cob is a material rather like adobe and has the added bonuses of being fire and earthquake resistant. It also looks cool. As for the size, without substantial structural reinforcement a seven story structure of stone and wood might not stand up all that well, and given the emplied geologic activity of your islands, height might be a bad thing in times of earthquakes. A more modest structure, say of two above ground levels and one or two below ground might work out well. If you construct the thing around a central chimney that goes all the way to the top of the building and have lateral chimneys between the floors (either as open gaps or like the spokes of wheel) then you could have something akin to central heating and it would keep the smoke from the fire out of people's living quarters. The fire at the bottom could be fueled by peat and their might be a special "house" near to the fire where the keeper of the fire traditionally lives and tends the flames. I've mocked up a very rough idea of what such a communal house might look like. This would be the most basic of designs as it dosent really have corridors or any real private means of accessing one's own living area (but that might not be a problem for your people). http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1037/1333688969_5d57cc963c_o.jpg Again, this is just an idea and you are under no obligation to accept it, like it, or anything else. Retti (hot springs, literally "bath") are typically found near or in the towers. These hot springs are used for morning and evening baths, which are supposedly necessary for spellcasters to keep their magic. The springs tend to be large and shallow, with multiple rocky outcropping in or around the pools. How do your people go about bathing in the winter when it is well below freezing? Have they built tunnels from their dwellings out to the springs that allow them to access something like a bath house? Or perhaps they have a sauna-like custom of cleaning in the winter so that they do not have to go out in the bitter cold all that much. Mathematics, fine art and magic are the most developed aspects of culture on the Boreal islands. Many children are well educated, and the literacy rate is quite high (about 80% of the population). Why does this culture have such a high literacy rate? Their relative isolation combined with the harshness of the environment seems to preclude the existence of an overly complex economy, and writing seems to have originated as a means of keeping track of business transactions (at least here on earth). So, what cultural pressures have led to their reliance upon the written word as opposed to the more 'normal' oral tradition? Anyways...this really isn't enough for a whole triangle, and it's still very sketchy, but I thought I'd post it here all the same, if no one minds. Input would be appreciated - I'm thinking that these islands might have a place in my own world some day. It could be the start of a region or it could simply be that region 8 (let us say) is mostly ocean with only a scant few islands. |
| NorthWind09-06-07, 12:46 PM | Hmm...I seem to have gotten ahead of myself when posting this, and overlooked a few things :embarrass First off, climate: I think the latitude needs addressing, in that case. I envisioned the islands as being mostly coniferous forests, and also being cool in summer, icy in winter. I think they'll need to be farther south, with the summer temperature going as high is seventy degrees or so. Second are the homes: I like your diagram, however, it's a lot squatter than I envision them. Thinking about it more, I'm starting to lean towards towns, centered around a tower (which would probably have more religious significance instead of being a dwelling) What, exactly they live in, I've yet to decide. In regards to height: as mentioned above, I'm picturing them as tall, regardless of their function. If you have any suggestions as to how one might accomplish this, I'd appreciate them. For the baths...I completely overlooked that (Just a little embarrassing...) and I'm thinking of having them be underground. Natural caverns, with multiple hot springs are what I'm thinkin' at this point. Again, a valid point. If they live in such a bitter climate, education would be rather low on their priority list. When I wrote that, I wanted to (and still do) portray a civilization that, although not advanced much in science or technology, still has a complexity of it's own, but in an unexpected way (oral traditions aren't any less complex than writing, when you consider the reasoning behind them). So, moving them to a less harsh climate is probably better in that regard, also. From an aesthetic standpoint, I liked the idea of a culture that had uncommon advances for such an isolated place...I think I may have thought them out wrong. I sort of came up with this all of a sudden, but it looks like I'm missing the grounding for what I've produced. Thanks for your comments, Darth Syntax, they'll definitely help to revise the islands. And, perhaps a mainland south of the Boreal Islands is in order, if no one minds. |
| Darth Syntax09-06-07, 03:59 PM | Hmm...I seem to have gotten ahead of myself when posting this, and overlooked a few things :embarrass No need to be embarrassed. It was, after all, just the beginnings of an idea. First off, climate: I think the latitude needs addressing, in that case. I envisioned the islands as being mostly coniferous forests, and also being cool in summer, icy in winter. I think they'll need to be farther south, with the summer temperature going as high is seventy degrees or so. I would suggest that an approximate latitude of 55-65° N/S which would give you a climate with the cold and the conifers. Anchorage Alaska, St. Petersburg Russia, and the Falkland Islands fall into this band. This would give you an average winter temperature of around 11°F and an average summertime temperature of around 65°F. Extreme lows of -30°F could occur rarely as would extreme summer highs of 90°F. (All climate data approximated from Anchorage Alaska). Second are the homes: I like your diagram, however, it's a lot squatter than I envision them. The reason for the squatness of the house in the diagram was to allow for heat retention in a climate where -20°F winter temperatures were common. A lowish profile would help keep in the heat an reduce shaking due to winds. Now that the islands have drifted southward the extreme squatness is not nearly as much a necessity. Thinking about it more, I'm starting to lean towards towns, centered around a tower (which would probably have more religious significance instead of being a dwelling) What, exactly they live in, I've yet to decide. The towns might be circular and the central tower act as a kind of gnomon. Essentially a town-as-sundial arrangement. Perhaps theirs is a solar religion that relies heavily upon making accurate astronomical calculations. This would also explain why they are so keen on math as it would be an essential part of their religious devotion. Considering the high latitude there would be periods of both extended darkness as well as 'midnight sun' which might also play a role in the religious belief of the people. Perhaps accurately calculating the first dawn after a period of total darkness is important. In regards to height: as mentioned above, I'm picturing them as tall, regardless of their function. If you have any suggestions as to how one might accomplish this, I'd appreciate them. What are you thinking of having them be made out of and how tall do you want them? If you make use of a combination of wood and brick you could get some rather tall structures (some of the Song Dynasty pagodas come to mind as). There is also a rather insane looking wooden house (http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.showprojec tbigimages&img=1&pro_id=914) in Arkhangelsk Russia that is some 13 floors. For the baths...I completely overlooked that (Just a little embarrassing...) and I'm thinking of having them be underground. Natural caverns, with multiple hot springs are what I'm thinkin' at this point. An interesting idea certainly. I can also see baths being built over hot springs or created artificially in places that lack natural springs. Again, a valid point. If they live in such a bitter climate, education would be rather low on their priority list. When I wrote that, I wanted to (and still do) portray a civilization that, although not advanced much in science or technology, still has a complexity of it's own, but in an unexpected way (oral traditions aren't any less complex than writing, when you consider the reasoning behind them). So, moving them to a less harsh climate is probably better in that regard, also. A complex oral culture can indeed be very interesting and there are other possibilities. If mathematics becomes an act of devotion I can see these people having something like a cross between prayer beads and an abacus or perhaps a collection of knotted cords like an Incan quipu. Priests and other devout people might carry these counting tools around with them and recite the sacred forumlae, the divine numbers, or whathaveyou. Wizards might also make use of these devices for recording their spells rather than relying on books and codices. From an aesthetic standpoint, I liked the idea of a culture that had uncommon advances for such an isolated place...I think I may have thought them out wrong. I sort of came up with this all of a sudden, but it looks like I'm missing the grounding for what I've produced. Thanks for your comments, Darth Syntax, they'll definitely help to revise the islands. Some possibilities for advances beyond the excellent mathematics include: Highly efficient insulation of buildings excellent ceramics that can be used as tools and even weapons A surprisingly good knowledge of hygiene and medicine -- Glad to help in any way I can. And, perhaps a mainland south of the Boreal Islands is in order, if no one minds. There are quite a few polar regions, both north and south which remain open. If you wanted to take region 3 you would have to incorporate your mainland into the supercontinent, but many of the others are quite free. |
| NorthWind09-06-07, 08:08 PM | I would suggest that an approximate latitude of 55-65° N/S which would give you a climate with the cold and the conifers... Yes, I think that'd work out well. That would make it cold, yet not a tundra. ... a town-as-sundial arrangement. Perhaps theirs is a solar religion that relies heavily upon making accurate astronomical calculations. This would also explain why they are so keen on math... Hmm...I like that idea. A series of monuments built around the central tower denoting the various times, which would mean that they'd also be adept at laying out and planning cities (would that extend to buildings?). It would also explain their advances in math, and also astronomy. I'll develop their religion a bit more later on, and come up with a more practical reason to measure time as such afterwards. What are you thinking of having them be made out of and how tall do you want them? If you make use of a combination of wood and brick you could get some rather tall structures... Yes, I had originally pictured them as being made of wood and brick. A system of brick supports holding the rest of a wooden tower would work nicely. That crazy house, by the way, is very cool. Same idea, though most likely constructed more neatly. A complex oral culture can indeed be very interesting and there are other possibilities. If mathematics becomes an act of devotion ... Hmm...I like the idea, but much of their faith will depend on the skies. Drawings and diagrams would be necessary to chart the movement of the stars. Would this lead to some form of written language? Possibly - they'd need to label all of those planets and stars, no? Their math, I'm beginning to see, would be more along the lines of geometry and proofs. Divine formulae would be those that are needed to calculate the positions and times of celestial bodies, which would mean that towers would not only be religious buildings, but observatories, too. Or, they'd be religious buildings because they're observatories. Hmm... Some possibilities for advances beyond the excellent mathematics include: Highly efficient insulation of buildings excellent ceramics that can be used as tools and even weapons A surprisingly good knowledge of hygiene and medicine All three ideas should be considered to be incorporated :D (well, except for ceramic weapons. Although hard, they're brittle, so they'd be limited to spear heads or arrow heads - fighting with ceramic blades could be risky, as it snaps much more easily than metal does.) Edit: advanced areas, as of now, would include: mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, magic and fine arts. In addition to the more realistic elements that make up their lives, I'm thinking that they rely very much on magic, metals to form other weapons out of being uncommon (or at least, that's how magic came into widespread usage, as a weapon for hunting and protection) Thanks again for your input! There are quite a few polar regions, both north and south which remain open. If you wanted to take region 3 you would have to incorporate your mainland into the supercontinent, but many of the others are quite free. Well, I'm slightly averse to joining with the mainland, since I'm not sure of how much the various posters involved have connected and woven their region's histories together, so...I'll go for a northern, polar region slightly removed from main landmass. |
| Alexeduardo09-06-07, 08:23 PM | This project looks pretty cool! I might just post my own region! Though I can hardly find any time at all to post the whole world would it hurt if I posted my region in parts? |
| Darth Syntax09-07-07, 12:54 AM | Northwind: glad to be of service. If you would like to claim a segment, 8 and 6 are free in the northern polar region and 14, 15, and 18 are free in the southern polar region. -- Alexeduardo: Welcome to The Project. Please feel free to claim an open face of appropriate attitude. Northern: 8, 6, 3 (minus whatever segment Northwind claims) Equatorial: 11, 20, 5, 4, 1, 16 Southern: 14, 15, 18 As to posting about your region in segments, that is a time honored tradition in the thread, so feel free. -- To both of you: If you can get me a map of your region in the near future I can update the world map so that it more accurately reflects the current state of affairs. |
| Alexeduardo09-07-07, 06:56 PM | This is the beggining of the description of Desgarrada by Laringhearth Glorysong the bard. The only safe and smart way to enter Desgarrada is through the port of Esniocho. Esniocho is a neutral city that lets anyone in as long as they dont wreak havoc. Esniocho stretches in the coasline for about ten miles. It is line along the side about five miles thick. Esniocho has had many kings along the times, for it is the dying king the one who must choose someone outside his family to rule. The changing king law can be easily percieved while walking along the port. Esniocho has been from a cultural and religious beacon to the biggest brothel in the world. As to why the many warring factions havent burned it to the ground yet, I am at a lost. Whenever I propose the idea to a warlord he enrages and shouts at me. Sometimes they dign to holler coherent words. Esniocho has a varied population of many of the species of Desgarrada, with a slight inclination towards humans. In Esniocho you can find a temple for everything (I once found a temple of the proud turkey). Naturally, the faiths with the most followers have bigger temples. Over time there have been many anti-religious goverments that shut down and burn temples. It is during this times that illegal temples are opened. Illegal temples are usually found in big building's basements and some have been found on sewers. It is only the brave and fanatic that use these temples, so you may wanna refrain from making any friends. Changes in Esniocho are known to happen overnight, that is why many illegal temples are currently closed in case an atheae gets to be king. 300 years has Esniocho stood as the only safe and smart way to enter Deasgarrada. and 300 years has the simple copper piece, silver piece and gold piece currency system been employed. Gladiatorial games, Slavery, Gambling and other issues vary greatly depending on the current king. many think esniocho is the most boring place in Desgarrada, but I had to start with the entrance. btw, is there an "easy and detailed map drawer 300" program out there? or are the maps created out of pure artistic skill? |
| SovietCanuck09-07-07, 07:53 PM | Welcome to The Project, North Wind and Alexdurado! Great to see new folks continuing to pop in and expand the world. Well, I'm slightly averse to joining with the mainland, since I'm not sure of how much the various posters involved have connected and woven their region's histories together, so...I'll go for a northern, polar region slightly removed from main landmass. Eh, don't be. Really, the most your zone would have to have is a small corner. We really do need to get the continent filled out completely. At the moment, it's only Araes and I on the continent. Araes hasn't really posted much about his region, and most of my regions history is summed up on page 12...really, my region is more interested in infighting than in voyages of discovery. However, I'm not going to force you to do something with your region you don't want to. Each region is supposed to be our own individual piece of the puzzle. btw, is there an "easy and detailed map drawer 300" program out there? or are the maps created out of pure artistic skill? AutoREALM (http://autorealm.sourceforge.net/download.php) should work fine for your basic layout and planning. Free, mostly intuitive, though not quite as nice a final result as the ones you have to pay for. |
| Alexeduardo09-07-07, 08:15 PM | This is the continuation of Laringearth Glorysong the bard's description of Desgarrada Before I show you what you want, maps, Let me give you a general outlook on Desgarrada. Esniocho is one of the three poliis. The only three big cities in Desgarrada. The rest of Desgarrada is made of a myriad (by miriad I mean too many) little kingdoms that are constantly at war. Few of this warring factions have managed to make a name for themselves. Before you keep on reading, you should know that there are no elves, halfings or gnomes in Desgarrada. this should explain the many wars. The warring factions are composed of many sentients. most of them are what some would consider "barbarians". Little speak common, many wear animal skin as clothes and use animal bones to represent leadership. Because of the people's warrism, Desgarrada has become a major market for military contractors. Be it as trainers, weapon facilitators and even as mercenaries. Because of the many attacking neighbors, the kingdoms of Desgarrada are very hostile to strangers. It is only the stronger and more confident leaders the ones that welcome foreigners with open arms. If you dont know how to fight off a small troll army, you have no bussiness in Desgarrada. When you're not invading a kindom by just walking by the palizade, caught on the middle of a battle, or just being balantly outnumbered you're fighting off the wilderness. With the dangerous nature of the world, dangerous wildlife is the only one that seems to have flourished. |
| NorthWind09-07-07, 10:31 PM | Well, in that case, sure. I'll go for part of the continent. |
| Alexeduardo09-08-07, 11:07 PM | Wait, How am I supposed to post something I did on autoREALM? |
| DonThelonious09-08-07, 11:38 PM | Its not to difficult, just upload it into flickr (Thats what I use) on yahoo. When you have it up go to the button Resize or somesuch and click it, then scroll down and it should give you a way link so you can post it. When you have it ready to post on the wizards boards here hit the yellow button with the little mountains in it, paste the URL into the space provided and "POOF" you have an image up.;) |
| Alexeduardo09-09-07, 09:42 PM | http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1353306390&size=o ·VERY EARLY SKETCH· |
| Darth Syntax09-09-07, 09:58 PM | Sadly, we cannot see your map due to the fact that it is a private image. You'll have to change it to being public so that we might bask in its glory. |
| NorthWind09-12-07, 09:42 PM | Just to let you know, I might be slow posting for a while here, since school has come with a huge load of homework this year, so any world-building insights will probably be rather scarce between all of the essays and such. I'll do what I can, but I dunno... |
| Mafro09-13-07, 12:19 PM | Hey guys, I've been watching this evolve since pretty much the beginning and just wanted to say it's looking good - keep it up! The one thing I'd ask, is there a clean view of the current state of the setting so viewers don't have to cruise back and forth through various posts? If not, are there plans for such a thing? Might help you share your creativity with others, as well as make it more useful for others to "borrow" ideas from. ;) |
| Alexeduardo09-13-07, 07:37 PM | I'm back!!!! I hope you can see it now. This is an excrept from the desription of desgarrada by Laringhearth Glorysong the bard regarding the FerlLands As surprised as you are, you're not nearly as surprised as I am to know hat after the Mother Mounains there is a cold, unforgiving land called the FerlLands. The Ferlands are very mountainy and are ruled by the (oh, the surprise) ferl. The Ferl are a very violent group of people commonly reffered to as "Frost Giants" (not using that term is highly recomended). The ferl are sworn enemies to the Free Divided (people west of them), though they share some of that freedomy ideals. FATHER'S CRADLE Father's cradle is the holy city of the Ferl. It's a place on top of one of the tallest mountains in Desgarrada. It has 12 monoliths (or menhirs), each one for each of the great jarls o the past. Around the mountain there is PilgrimLand, a place of crime and sin were many hostals are found. Father's Cradle is ruled by the Guardians, a guild of no more than 20 people that kill whenever a foreigner dares see the holy menhirs. I almost didnt escape though not sung by the free divided, some reinforcement batallions were held off by the Ferl just outside Father's Cradle during the Titan Invasion |
| Darth Syntax09-13-07, 08:58 PM | Just to let you know, I might be slow posting for a while here, since school has come with a huge load of homework this year, so any world-building insights will probably be rather scarce between all of the essays and such. I'll do what I can, but I dunno... Perfectly understandable, I myself have become a bit swamped (although for a different source). If there is anything I can do to help, especially in the field of cartography, please let me know. Hey guys, I've been watching this evolve since pretty much the beginning and just wanted to say it's looking good - keep it up! The one thing I'd ask, is there a clean view of the current state of the setting so viewers don't have to cruise back and forth through various posts? If not, are there plans for such a thing? Might help you share your creativity with others, as well as make it more useful for others to "borrow" ideas from. Thanks for the words of encouragement Mafro. I'm glad that the work we have been doing is enjoyable to others. As to your second question, I believe that Thel was working on creating an index post on the first page of the thread and there was some talk of making a wiki, but at the moment neither of these ideas have come to fruition. Eventually, though, we hope to have a more reader friendly layout. Any suggestions you might have would no doubt be welcomed. I'm back!!!! I hope you can see it now. I can see the map now, although it's rather hard to read at the moment. Also, I have no real idea as to the scale of the place as you've made a square map and the regions are triangular. Oh, and have you decided which region of the globe you might be wanting to take? |
| Alexeduardo09-13-07, 09:12 PM | Region #8 please. I'll post a scale as soon as I figure it out,(in about two days):) (the mountains on the north would be galciers) BTW, is it just me or do I need to put a little more detail into those descriptions? |
| Darth Syntax09-13-07, 09:44 PM | Region #8 please. I'll post a scale as soon as I figure it out,(in about two days):) Alright then, region 8 it is. Also, as regards scale, if you could simply superimpose the map on an equilateral triangle that would easier (I would think) than calculating the absolute scale. The triangles are 4,000 miles to a side if that is of any help. BTW, is it just me or do I need to put a little more detail into those descriptions? Detail is always good, but then again you're talking to the guy who has an obsessive need to know what his people eat, how they dress (and why), their marriage customs, kinship systems, and taste in music. |
| DonThelonious09-14-07, 02:51 AM | Detail is always good, but then again you're talking to the guy who has an obsessive need to know what his people eat, how they dress (and why), their marriage customs, kinship systems, and taste in music. You down with O.C.D?!?:dancin: You know D_S be!!!!:dancin: Yeha Im sorry I havn't reall been around for the last few weeks, its been kind of hectic for and since they announced 4th Im...well... kinda depressed....:raincloud :surrender :allalone: :bigeyes: --- Anyways, to say the least I am shaking the saddness and geting back to work on all the things I have missed out on. Welcome to you Alexeduardo & NorthWind. Nice to have you on board with us. --- As to the front page I am still trying to get that sorted out, though my life would go SO much easier if I could get everyone to gather all thier information about thier region and email it to me. Please. With sugar... --- I am also getting into the whole PrC thing right now, and would like to extend an invitation to anyone who wants to build some region specific PrC' for The Project. |
| Mafro09-14-07, 06:08 PM | Thanks for the words of encouragement Mafro. I'm glad that the work we have been doing is enjoyable to others. As to your second question, I believe that Thel was working on creating an index post on the first page of the thread and there was some talk of making a wiki, but at the moment neither of these ideas have come to fruition. Eventually, though, we hope to have a more reader friendly layout. Any suggestions you might have would no doubt be welcomed. My suggestion would be to try out the collaborative world-building tools at Eruvian.com (http://eruvian.com). I think it would make organizing the creative process and displaying the end creation much easier. Of course, I'm on the development team there, so I'm kinda biased. =) Actually, if you want help uploading the setting into the Eruvian system, drop a line to contact@eruvian.com. Given the scope and creativity of the setting, I'm sure the team would help with the grunt work of putting it in the Eruvian format (not that it's all that hard - just copying and pasting into web forms...). Once published on Eruvian, you'd be able to get 5-star ratings plus reviews on a per-component basis (e.g. per locale, per race, per deity, etc.) from the Eruvian community (over 100 new registered users in the last month). You can also have forum threads on a per-locale basis, keep content unpublished (visible only to the owners) until the day it's ready for the world to see, leverage both player and GM-only views of the setting (players see the setting as a huge online gazetteer, GMs see it as a sourcebook), have your setting featured in the monthly Eruvian newsletter, and enjoy a ton of other features geared towards collaborative world building. Are you sorry you opened yourself up for suggestions yet? =) |
| Alexeduardo09-15-07, 03:01 PM | Excrept from the description of Desgarrada by Laringheath Glorysong the bard Many generations ago, when Desgarrada was free from foreign influence and the eighth Great Jarl was at his deathbed. Ships were sighted. In the east coast were the biggest ships Deasgarradae have ever seen. The weapons of that ship pummeled castles to the ground and burned forests full of life. But in the ships was a greater threat. Big men, huge monstrosities from beyond The End, with weapons that could destroy stone walls and armor that could whistand mountains hurled at them. This men were known as the Titans. they enslaved and worked the life out of three generations of free divided. They killed and burned all of east Desgarrada. Why they didnt advance west, no one knows. It was after three whole generations of slaves that the first rebellion took place in Iron City. Thousands of slaves rebeled and expulsed their masters out of their city. The slaves held the city for one year, after which the Titans finally used their darkest magic to murder them all. The tale of Iron City was told all across the continent, and like a magical fire it ignited the slaves' hearts. Rebellions sparked all across the continent, with many glorious battles in many glorious battlefields. The most gorious of which was The Battle Of The Milion Men, in which ten houndred thousands of free divided united to once and for all destroy the Titan army and disperse them across the world. After that they were mercilessly hunted. Iron city was later resettled and named City of Slaves, honoring the slaves that fought for freedom. South East of iron city stands the world's biggest cementery, which has he world's biggest statue in the centre. It is considered holy up to this day. |
| DonThelonious09-15-07, 06:36 PM | Hey Mafro, personally I would relish the chance to have all this up and organized and the idea behind your site is great. When I tried to check it out though the link was down and Goo0gle was no help either. Just thought I would let you know. |
| Alexeduardo09-15-07, 06:45 PM | List of the sentient species native to Desgarrada Orcs Ferl (find "frost giant" demeaning) Kobolds Hobgoblin Goblin Goliath Humans Trolls Vital boks on Desgarrada The Description of Desgarrada by Laringhearth Glorysong the bard Song of The Titan War by Achnelious the clever Songs of The Castle of Freedom by various authors 1001 things not to do while visiting Father's Cradle by grabnar the wanderer The Investigations of Norioh the old * * possibly the best book on Desgarrada of all time |
| Darth Syntax09-16-07, 04:55 AM | Alexeduardo, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding your posts. They are a bit disjoint and somewhat difficult to follow as a result. That said, I do look forward to hearing more about your region and to seeing your map as it continues to evolve. -- Well, now I've gone and done it. Some time ago, in a fit of insanity and "landmass envy", I went and did a very silly thing by combining several of my original countries into the Republic of Orothos, the Mirnaun Confederation and others. I both rue and lament this decision and I have decided that it would simply be best to, more or less, undo it. Therefore I have done some work on the map of region 17 and I am much happier with the result. Some old countries have returned (although slightly altered) and a couple of new ones popped up. Rest assured that I have ideas for all of these states and I shall be developing them. I will also be editing my posts on the Republic of Orothos to reflect the revision. Thank you all for bearing with me as I and my region go through political upheaval. Long live the small states! -Darth Syntax http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1390090935_990e9a4cd5_b.jpg |
| Alexeduardo09-16-07, 04:44 PM | Alexeduardo, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding your posts. They are a bit disjoint and somewhat difficult to follow as a result. ...sorry? what would you like clarified? |
| Darth Syntax09-16-07, 05:31 PM | I'm just a bit unclear on the exact meaning of the following statement Big men, huge monstrosities from beyond The End, with weapons that could destroy stone walls and armor that could [withstand] mountains hurled at them. I am unsure whether the weapons in question (from the ships) could destroy both walls and armour or whether it is the armour of the invaders that could withstand the force of mountains. Then I started wondering whether or not you meant that the ships could withstand the force of mountains. Similarly, I can't seem to disambiguate the following passage: The most gorious of which was The Battle Of The Milion Men, in which ten houndred thousands of free divided united to once and for all destroy the Titan army and disperse them across the world. After that they were mercilessly hunted. The phrase "which ten hundred thousands of free divided united" doesn't make much sense. I can't figure out whether or not you mean that thousands of former slaves united into a single army to drive out the Titans or something else. Also, the last sentence, "After that they were mercilessly hunted" the pronominal "they" is ambiguous as to its antecedent. Is "they" referring to the slaves or the titans? I assume you mean the titans but I cannot be sure. I don't want to jump on your back or anything, I just want to make sure I am understanding your ideas in the way you intended. -- Moving on to content then From some of the terminology you've used combined with your selection of races I am getting a vague Norse vibe from your region. Am I even remotely on track here or am I, once again, out to lunch? It could very well be the later considering my longstanding thought that Soviet's kith were furry blue fungus men and not little dragon people. |
| Alexeduardo09-16-07, 05:35 PM | just so this is clear, I dont really dominate your eeenglaish anguaje very good. I'm just a bit unclear on the exact meaning of the following statement I am unsure whether the weapons in question (from the ships) could destroy both walls and armour or whether it is the armour of the invaders that could withstand the force of mountains. Then I started wondering whether or not you meant that the ships could withstand the force of mountains. Similarly, I can't seem to disambiguate the following passage: The phrase "which ten hundred thousands of free divided united" doesn't make much sense. I can't figure out whether or not you mean that thousands of former slaves united into a single army to drive out the Titans or something else. Also, the last sentence, "After that they were mercilessly hunted" the pronominal "they" is ambiguous as to its antecedent. Is "they" referring to the slaves or the titans? I assume you mean the titans but I cannot be sure. I don't want to jump on your back or anything, I just want to make sure I am understanding your ideas in the way you intended. -- Moving on to content then From some of the terminology you've used combined with your selection of races I am getting a vague Norse vibe from your region. Am I even remotely on track here or am I, once again, out to lunch? It could very well be the later considering my longstanding thought that Soviet's kith were furry blue fungus men and not little dragon people. |
| SovietCanuck09-16-07, 05:36 PM | As to the front page I am still trying to get that sorted out, though my life would go SO much easier if I could get everyone to gather all thier information about thier region and email it to me. Please. With sugar... That's next on my list here, Don...after finishing up work on the Vestenreich. Then, I'm going to try and do a write up for the kith, as well as smaller blurbs on the races. As for the time line...don't ask. All depends on my workload from real life et al. However, I do have this to put up here. I'm 90% certain this will be the final map...all other changes will be relatively minor. However, new things could come up, new ideas pop into my head, so I make no promices (for example, I liked the idea of the elves claiming Doriem, and having them building a northern fleet, but now I'm leaning more towards handing Doriem over to the Holy Caelen Empire...eh, we'll see) So now, without further adieu, the current map of the Caelen Region http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/1392829373_1ccc22d8d5_o.gif I am also getting into the whole PrC thing right now, and would like to extend an invitation to anyone who wants to build some region specific PrC' for The Project. I haven't the slightest clue of what I want to do for PrCs at the moment...most of what I've worked on is fluff, not crunch. I'll see if I can't come up with something, other than 'Mage of the Arcane Congress', or 'Heir of Cael'...there's gotta be something interesting I can draw up here. Marfo, I have checked out Eruvian (which seems to be down at the moment, unfortunately), and do like what you guys gave done, but I wasn't able to glean if our collaborative project would work well within your site, as we have multiple users each fully in charge of their own regions, rather than one creator and several supporters. Eh, but seeing as I haven't the slightest clue how you set Eruvian up, I could be dead wrong. Alexdurado, to add to what Darth is saying...your posts tend to be very short with many ideas but few fleshed out details. You give us the barest information on one thing, then hop on over to something else. Take some time with your posts...for example, your last post could have used a paragraph for each of your points, describing in brief what the races in your region are like, what their general customs are, what their gods are, ect, and then do a brief overview of each of the books as well, describing the author's takes on Desgarrada, what information a reader from a foreign land would glean from reading them, ect. Your ideas are good, but we need to know more about them if we are to integrate them successfully with our regions. And Darth, it is the empires that shall rule! Not your puny states! :evillaugh At least until democracy spreads, separatist movements spike up, and my region is balkanized...but that's not for another 200 years...*crosses fingers* |
| Alexeduardo09-16-07, 06:36 PM | List of the sentient species native to Desgarrada OrcsOrcs are some of the "most native" species of Desgarrada. And even though all Desgrradeans are considered equal, many believe orcs to be the most cultured and patriotic of them all. Orcs belive in honor, duty and justce. Their ideals may sound beautiful, but they become dark when it comes to helping others, for they have near to no family bonds and believe that if cant make a name for yourself, you dont deserve to live. Ferl (find "frost giant" demeaning): The Ferl are almost as patriotic with their homelands as orcs are with Desgarrada. They believe in the superiority of the Ferl and in the powers of the ansestors. of whom they hold the twelve great Jarls most dear. The 12 Great Jarls are the 12 greatest leader the ferl have ever seen. Each one of them represents an ideal of the Ferl people and have their own menhir atop Father's Cradle. KoboldsKobolds, contrary to racist foreign beliefs, are the noblest of the races in Desgarrada. Many humans would do anything to have a kobold knight fighting alongside him. And though powerful, kobolds bring the Desgarradean concept of equality to a whole new level through their philosophy. It would be evil of me to try and describe their beliefs, but let's just say that it is the opposite of the orcs'. They belive the ones who have sould give to the ones that dont. They believe in pardon and reconciliation and atonement (in kobold language, thay have diferent meaning). Yet they have a strict moral code for every free kobold ("in case you become a slave, have mercy of your children and escape at all costs"). they hold religion to be harmful, and they always try to de-convert their companions. HobgoblinThe Hobgoblin culture was created through war. They train their young since birth to fight in small skirmishes in which they send them at adult age. Yet this is only cleansing of the weak, for the real test comes afterwards. Every hobgoblin male has a story of how he and his childhood friends set out to kill a frost giant after their first skirmish. They believe that the male that hasnt fought, is not a male. they hold honor the greatest of their ideals, and their elders demand you finish your life should you fallinto a great dishonor. GoblinGoblins dont have what you'll call the greatest reputation on desgarrada, this is mainly because of an incident during the Titan Wars. After the Battle of A Million Men, many warlords set out to find and punish the surviving titans. It is commonplace in Desgarrada that kingdoms are very varied, and that was true during that time. One of the greatest kingdom was ruled by Henfer the Wise. who happened to be a Goblin. It is told that when faced with a Titan child, Henfer the Wise pardoned hima and letted him go. this caused discontent among his followers, who planned a revolt against Henfer. But they were betrayed by the goblin demographic, a demographic that told Henfer of the plan. Henfer later sent everyone that wasnt a Goblin on a suicide mission to the FerlLands. This tale (very spiced up of course) led to a worldwide Goblin hatred that perdures to this day. (not as strongly but it does) GoliathGoliaths have an interesting story. It is told that the First Great Jarl created them out of rock and shields. They were designed to serve as spies among the free divided. But they turned out wrong. They were too big to pass as humans They were too strong to pass as humans. But most of all, they were too familiar. This is because they hold family as their first and most important of principles. they believe all races should emulate them, and they get frustrated when they dont. Because of their failure as spies, the Great Jarl ordered that they were eliminated. But the Goliaths didnt precisely agree. They fought their way out of concentration camps (with no real weapons!) and hid in the mountains, were they waited four long generations before going out. Just in time for the Titan Invasion. And it was in that invasion that they gained the trust of the other free divided as fearsome warriors and loyal allies. HumansNo Real human philosophy exists. It seems as if humans never really decided their outlook in life. this has led to many differences between neighboring human groups. Differences that usually spark wars. Humans are known in Desgarrada for their wild nature. They are a battle thirsty people that is known for their strong free will and an unnatural rejection to death. Trollsby Far, the smartest of the free divided. Trolls have a natural tactical intelligence that has given them a great reputation among the other sentients. In fact, they were the architects of the Battle Of A Million Men. Trolls have a mix of orc and goliath beliefs. they believe in family, but they belive that you must fly away sometime. It isnt much, but I hope it's enough |
| DonThelonious09-16-07, 07:52 PM | Alexeduardo: Your ideas for the trolls is very interesting, and I would love to hear more about it. Also I am very interested in the goliath race you have. But overall it looks very interesting. |
| Darth Syntax09-18-07, 01:29 AM | I to am rather intrigued by your take on trolls and I would like to see more on them. I also, as is my fashion, have some questions. 1. You speak of the trolls being intelligent and having a good sense of tactics; this doesn't fit too well with the troll as presented in the Monster Manuel. What sort of troll might you make use of? (I quite like the idea of tactical, thoughtful trolls) 2. Who or what are the "free divided"? I rather like the term, I am just unclear as to what it refers to. -- Thel, you don't happen to have an exact date for when your region experienced the starfall do you? I know it was around 700 years ago, but it would be great to have a more exact date. |
| Darth Syntax09-19-07, 10:41 PM | And now for some more information on The Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos. First, the Dueling Societies . . . . -- The Dueling Societies The Duelists of the Republic are a professional class of hired assassins, murderers, body guards, combatants, and enforcers used by various factions and individuals to settle scores, remove opponents, or resolve private disputes. They are also considered some of the premier social clubs of the Republic. The modern dueling societies have their origin in a body of laws passed by Parliament in 1153 C.R. which codified the rules for dueling, set up a means of licensing duels, and required all parties that wished to engage in the time-honored practice to be members of some official and regulated body. It was not long before a whole host of these dueling societies sprang up among the jaded elite and their retainers and servants as well as among some criminal gangs. Today, the various Dueling Societies function partly as social clubs and partly as a mercenary force for the rich and powerful. The banning of private armies in 1194 led to a further increase in the power of the Duelists and it is speculated by some that the Societies were instrumental in getting this law passed. Regardless of their involvement, the Societies did benefit for the law as it made them the only legal source of hired blades. Most of the major political parties of the Republic keep a Society or two on retainer and merchant princes and other wealthy citizens often keep professional duelists in their employ. These duelists are used in a variety of ways, sometimes as proxy fighters in matters of public face and other times to strategically eliminate or humiliate a rival. By law, a killing made in the course of a lawful duel is not a crime although the winning duelist is required to leave some token upon their defeated opponent as “payment”. This custom has led to some rather unusual practices within Orothoi dueling societies. Each society has a unique token of victory, called a cýronai or ‘shroud gift’ which sets it apart from others. Within most Societies, and certainly all the reputable ones, the duelists are required to make their own cýronai which can involve anything from weaving to pottery, to the growing of flowers. The Fraternal Order of the White Lily, for example, requires its members to grow the eponymous flower to lay upon fallen opponents. Other societies might require a duelist to weave a funeral shroud or make a porcelain urn for the ashes of the fallen. It is rare for a member of a Society to be a purely professional duelist; most cannot afford the luxury of living in such a manner. Indeed most duelists have some other more mundane profession such as a lens grinder, a spice merchant, or a common sailor or marine. Many Societies are actually tied to certain professions such that only weavers can join The Brotherhood of the Loom, or lens grinders and other workers with optical glass The Oculus Society. Other Societies are open to members of one sex or another, some require one to be a native of some city or other, and still others require a particular political affiliation. Most duelists specialize in the art of larosathe, the dace of blades for it considered the dueling form that requires the most skill. Larosathe is a an acrobatic style of fencing which makes use of the saber (the general fencing sword of the republic), the katar or punching dagger, the stiletto and the weighted scarf. The saber and the katar are used in much the same way that the rapier and main gauche are used in other parts of the world, and the weighted scarf is primarily a tool to trip and disarm one’s opponent. Duels of the larosathe are often bloody affairs, especially if the duelists are unevenly matched even by a small amount, and deaths resulting from loss of blood are common. Still, the institution of the Dueling Societies allows for vendettas to be settled, even violently, in a way that causes the least overall disruption of the society at large. In public, a member of a Society often goes about armed with saber and katar which is enough to attract more than a little attention. As a rule, the people of the Republic do not go about openly armed for it is seen as shameless bravado and, in certain cases, is considered to be “disturbing the peace. Yet the duelists swagger and grin and generally carry on with only a minimum of suspicion; a special class of cultured killers. -- And now, some notes on Religion . . . . -- Religion and Philosophy The Republic has no official religion and the populous is fairly diverse in its beliefs. Some Orothoi are avowed atheists, others devout in the practice. Despite the large surface diversity of religion in the Republic, there are a handful of philosophical ideals which seem to have deeply influenced how the Orothoi believe. It is with these concepts that all discussion of Orothoi religion must begin. Alchemy The practice of alchemy is deeply rooted in the people of the Republic and it goes far beyond either the simple mixing of reagents and bears only a passing resemblance to the much propagated, but entirely inaccurate, idea that alchemists seek to transmute lead into gold. Fundamentally, alchemy is a method of inquiry into the nature of the cosmos and an attempt to both understand and exploit it for personal or other reasons. Orothoi alchemy is based upon the interaction of the seven elements (earth, fire, water, air, time, void, and light) and an abstract principle called the tlón which can be variously translated as “meaning”, “path”, “order”, “law” (in the sense of natural or scientific law), “thought” or “essence”. Generally, the alchemists hold the belief that the cosmos is of a single substance (usually either seen as mind or matter ) and that such concepts such as mind-body duality, distinct souls, or the seeming disunity and disorder of things are mere illusions brought about by ignorance. The goal of all alchemists is to fully apprehend the cosmos and thus pierce all the illusions. It is for this purpose that alchemists have long engaged in strange experiments. The influence of alchemy has led to a general distaste for the idea of a “mysterious” cosmos or of so called forbidden knowledge. Knowledge is something to be acquired and the cosmos itself is meant to be understood and utilized. Those religions that place a high degree of emphasis upon an unknowable cosmos have never done well in the Republic or indeed in most of the other Maritime Republics. The Adósian Heretics Centuries ago, a large influx of Adósians brought to the Republic the religion known as the Bifurcating Path. The Path (which takes the name tlón in the Republic) can be classified as a ‘gnostic’ religion for it emphasizes secret knowledge, esotericism, as well as a fundamentally flawed cosmos. Adherents of the Path hold that the cosmos was created by a demiurge, a blind idiot god, and this accounts for it’s cruelties, indifference, and hostility. The demiurge concept is very deeply ingrained in both Adosian and Orothoi belief and accounts for the distrust of creator gods. The gods that do receive worship in the Republic tend to be embodiments of concepts; Ideas given a name and face. Ironically, the Jauric gods receive far more acceptance than the deities of most other religions even in the face of the long standing animosity between the Republic and the Ejantuli. The Philosophical Schools Philosophers have long been dominant in Republic belief, and much of Republic metaphysics derives from one or another of these traditions. Philosophy is differentiated from religion mostly in its methods and in its purpose. Religions, in the understanding of the Republic, are prescriptive systems of belief concerned with promulgating a pre-determined truth or truths. By contrast, philosophies are schools of thought that are concerned with finding and describing the truth by investigation, reason, and inquiry. Philosophy is generally considered to be superior to religion and the Orothoi can get somewhat touchy if you call their philosophy a ‘religion’. Common Religions and Philosophies of the Republic Nurianism (Philosophy): Nurian was a gnome philosopher of the pre-Republic era who proposed that all of existence was nothing but a complex series of illusions. All experiences are fundamentally unreal and the senses are not to be trusted. Further, Nurian came to the conclusion that sense it was possible to discover the nature of illusions it was necessary to do so to understand the nature of the cosmos. Illusions became puzzles to be solved and Nurian and her followers began to formulate a systematic means of overcoming the illusions of the senses. The system ultimately failed, for once one illusion was ‘solved’ further illusions presented themselves. Eventually, Nurian proposed a kind of radical illusory phenominalism wherein reality is composed only of layers of illusions, ghosts in the mind. Reality then is fundamentally subjective as it is all in the mind of the observer. Any notion of universals arises only from what can be termed “consensus reality”. The mind, being similar in many sentient beings, interprets the illusions in a similar manner and thus a semi-coherent picture of reality is formed. Tlón (Syncretic Philosophical Religion): The religion that goes by the name of Tlón is a highly syncretic belief system which resulted from the fusion of the Adósian gnosticism of the Bifurcating Path and Orothoi alchemical philosophy. The demiurge concept is quite important to the Tlónists as is the idea of secret knowledge and understanding. However, the emphasis upon souls and the rituals thought to bring about the true future which are central to the Bifurcating Path are nearly unknown to the Tlónists. Moreover, there is substantial emphasis upon the supposedly universal concept of truth and beauty and on cosmic harmony (order). Tlónists generally hold that the cosmos is the creation of the Blind Idiot God (demiurge) and that this being is ultimately responsible for the rather unpleasant and haphazard nature of things. However, they also hold that the cosmos has become superior to the demiurge for it has adapted and changed over time, eventually giving rise to order and thus life. Thus, the proper object of worship is not the creator but rather the cosmos itself. The worship of cosmic forces and concepts usually takes the form of devotion to the Aeons. The Aeons are not considered to be gods in the traditional sense but ideas and concepts that having been given names and personalities so that mortals might more easily refer to them and understand them. The rituals and stories of the Aeons are highly allegorical and symbolic in nature. Truth, so the Tlonists claim, is not something that is given out; it is something that one finds. In addition to the veneration of the Aeons, there is substantial reverence for the Sages; mortals of great wisdom and insight who have contributed knowledge and action to the cause of understanding the tlón. Many of the oldest sages have become highly mythicised and are counted as having done all manner of truly remarkable deeds. A large segment of the Orothoi population claims to be Tlónist and shrines to the various Aeons are a common site. Most Tlónist temples are partly gardens and elaborate hedge mazes, small gazebos, and water ways tend to dominate. The Significant Garden of Harmonic Accord, located in the city of Sýrenvo, is one of the largest and most spectacular Tlón gardens in the Republic and is widely regarded as one of the marvels of the Republic. -- I shall now turn my attention towards the other nations of my region. I hope to begin work on the Ejantuli Empire shortly. |
| DonThelonious09-20-07, 03:48 AM | It has come to my attention that we do not have an overall sense of history for the world. While we do have timelines and calenders for the various regions themselves, we do not have a way of collaborationg the timelines. I have severl world spanning questions I think we should all consider: How old is the world? Was there anything prior to say, 50,000 years ago that deserves attention? How many moons does this world have? I know some of us have histories dating back upwards of 100,000 years, but on a global scale these are irrelavent. How long is the day for the world? How long is the year? How long do the seasons last? Is there more than 1 sun? and if so are they the same color? Just somethings that have benn niggling me. -- Darth_Syntax: In my region it is currantly SF 654, so 654 years since the lands were torn apart. (If you were curious SF stands for Star Fall). |
| Darth Syntax09-20-07, 04:13 AM | It has come to my attention that we do not have an overall sense of history for the world. While we do have timelines and calenders for the various regions themselves, we do not have a way of collaborationg the timelines. This is quite true. I suppose we could consider the present date (1634 CR for me, 654 SF for Thel and so on) as year 0 and date everything in "YA" (years ago). I have severl world spanning questions I think we should all consider: I agree with you that there are indeed some questions that need answering so lets carry on shall we . . . How old is the world? I would venture a guess of old, really old. Possibly several billion years old. Was there anything prior to say, 50,000 years ago that deserves attention? The migration of the goblinoid peoples to Ilaros occurred around this time, although from where is unknown. But largely, I would imagine, nothing of great interest. How many moons does this world have? I have been imagining no less than 1 moon and no greater than 3. It's just a working hypothesis. However I would be in favor of one moon, or of a set of moons with one substantially larger than the others. I know some of us have histories dating back upwards of 100,000 years, but on a global scale these are irrelavent. On a global scale the Shattered Lens Empire of 200,000 years ago had very little impact. However it is generally believed that their presence on Ilaros is responsible for the inability of most (if not all) natives of that land to cast divine magic of any sort as well as having something to do with the correspondingly greater usage of psionic powers. How long is the day for the world? Considering we have been using earth-like approximations for things such as weather I would imagine the day length to be correspondingly similar. Perhaps 20-30 earth hours in length. How long is the year? 350-420 days or so might be reasonable. I personally would like one of the following numbers: 353, 359, 367, 373, 379, 383, 389, 397, 401, 409, 419. I have a thing for prime numbers. How long do the seasons last? That would depend on where on the planet you are. The high lattitudes are unlikely to have all 4 seasons we recognize. I know the the Jauric elves only count three seasons given that there is very little difference between their "autumn" and "winter". Is there more than 1 sun? and if so are they the same color? I suppose we could have more than one sun, but I would imagine that we might want to make a dominant sun and a lesser sun or suns so that we don't have too much light to worry about. Or truely fiendish astronomical calculations. Just somethings that have benn niggling me. Me too, so no worries there. Darth_Syntax: In my region it is currantly SF 654, so 654 years since the lands were torn apart. (If you were curious SF stands for Star Fall). Ok thanks. So the Star Fall would have occurred in 980 CR, which is around the time the current Republic of Orothos developed. Possibly the horrible weather conditions caused by the Starfall caused all manner of problems and helped to cause the downfall of the previous republic. hmmm . . . |
| SovietCanuck09-23-07, 12:54 AM | Okay folks, here's my next contribution to the project, and what's been eating up my time for the last few weeks. I've stolen some of Darth's descriptions for countries...though seeing as how I know maybe half as much as he does, my descriptions tend to be much briefer and less descriptive...but I make up for it in rambling histories, so meh. Now, before my rabling drives us off track, I give you... http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1209/1425710681_bfbd2735d8_o.gif Government Type: Constitutional monarchy Ruling Bodies: The Imperial Throne, The Imperial Counsel, The Reichsstände Current Leaders: Emperor Peter XIV Utritch-Cael (Human male Pal 3/Nbl 5), Heir to the throne of Cael Chancellor Fredrick Zeller (Human male Ftr 5/Wiz 2) Economic Type: Capitalism Currency: Goldmark (100 Pfening=1 Goldmark) Population: about 9,540,000 Species Demographics: 57% Human, 12% Half-Elf, 11% Gnome, 10% Elf, 5% Dwarf, 4% Halfling, 2% Raptorian, 1% Other (Kobold, Xeph, Rilkan, Illumian, Kith) Capitol/Largest City: Vendenburg (1,140,000) Secondary Center: Neidrig St. Peter (population 862,000) Religion: Largely Caelen Church (Halen Reform), with minorities of Caelen Church (Imperial and Qalitz), southern faiths, the Traveler, atheism and The Living Gods Symbols: A two-headed wyvern on a green feild Major Languages: Vesten (official), Caelen, Qual, Hedlandic, Yullic, Rostic, and Geric are all spoken in minority communities Nominal Alignment: LN The western vales of the Dragonrest mountains have always been known for their abundance of natural resources. The earliest clan holds of the dwarves sprouted up in the region, before being forced east by the elves, and the Dasnac people were later drawn here by the rich soil and abundant timber. Indeed, the western kingdoms of Vesten, Vaterhead, Gary and Rostem would have been the ideal location for nations to grow and thrive...if not for their proximity to the elven isles. The elves have posted a constant threat to the nations of the Sea of Blades, but in the past it was only the occasional raider or small pirate fleet. The navies of the human, dwarven, halfing and low elven kingdoms were more than enough to protect coastal towns form any serious attempt to take them, as well as allowing for substantial trade...so long as the ships never traveled out of sight of the shore, and knew to beach themselves at the first sign of azure sails on the horizon. Vestria was arguably the most powerful of the nations bordering on the Sea of Blades. Founded almost immediately after the fall of the Caelen empire by the decedents of Mark, the eldest son of Cael, Vestria has always considered itself the rightful heir to the Caelen empire. They had a strong martial tradition, and though they had horrible luck as rulers, they were extremely skilled warriors and conquerers. Furthurmore, the Vestrians were arguably the most industrious humans, their mines and forests providing ample materials for their industrial machine. Vestria was a beacon of science on the Caelen peninsula, spurning magic since their war with the Arcane Congress. With their skill in science and sword, the Vestrians provided a stabilizing force in the region, preventing nations such as Gallia and the Arcane Congress from growing too powerful. Sixty years ago, under the rule of Emperor Karl XII, they had formed an alliance with their perennial enemies, Gallia, and partitioned the nation of Trisland between them. It seemed that the Vestrians were trying to shore up their power in case the ascendant Caelen empire decided to strike through Waterhead at what could be their most formidable opponent on their path to reunification. However, the Vestrians plans at expansion were halted by the unthinkable The March of the Elves In 1062, the elves marched forth with a strength not seen for a milenia. They had spent the past thousand years rebuilding their armies, examining the mannerisms of humans, dwarves and the other folk, and waiting for the right moment to strike. The elves waited until the human nations attentions were turned elsewhere...to the ascendant Caelen Empire, and their alliance with Gallia, that threw the entire region into war. Vestria took it's attention off it's maritime boarders, and instead struck it's forces inland, to prevent Gallian incursions across the Godsfall river. At that moment, the elven fleet poured of their isles and onto the former Trisland coast. The Vestrians dismissed the strength, believing the invasion to be just a large raid. Unfortuneatley they were wrong. In the months it took for the Vestrians to organize resistance, the elves built up their defenses. The Vestrian response was too little, too late. They lost Trisland in a year, then the Gallians lost their coastal provinces...by the time the realization had sunk in that the elves were invading, not raiding, elven armies had been attacking points in Alsatan and Rostem. The war that followed took years, but little aid for the nations were forthcoming. Indeed, Holtland and Caelea refused to acknowledge an actual invasion was taking place, and Khazad Roens frankly didn't care. Over the next decade, the Vestrians were only just able to hold onto their coastal regions, and were pushed back to the banks of the Godsfall river. The nations of Calon And Gallia literally ceased to exist, their citizens fleeing beyond the Verfels to the arid western coast, eventually establishing the nation of Dorello with what little they had brought with them. Alstan, Waterhead and Rostem held out little longer, but in the end they too fell. Only the formation of a new empire saved Vesteria and Gary The Reich The marriage of King Willem IX of Vestria and Queen Anastasia III of Gary in 1074 lead to the formation of a new nation, one that was officially termed the The Empire of Roens, Dasnacs and Illasts, but called in large The Vestenreich, the Western Empire. Though the initial performance of their combined forces was abysmal, allowing the elves across the Godsfall and Gerrich rivers, and even into the streets of Gary, within a year, they had began pushing the elves back. It took them two more years to push the elves back across the Gerrich, and another three to reclaim Rostem. Though their forces were incredibly successful, it seemed unlikely the elves would give up ground that quickly...but it was later discovered that the elves abandoned Rostem, leaving only their rearguard to slow down the Vesten forces while the elves evacuated the main body of their army as well as any elven settlers. The reason was obvious, when the elven army reinforced their positions in Waterhead and in eastern Alstan. The elves didn't care about one small, indefensible strip of land when defending it could mean sacraficing troops and risk uprisings in other areas. The Vesten forces annexed Rostem into their empire in 1081, taking the elves position of overlords. The Vestens then mirrored the elves...setting down and building up their defenses. They had lost much in the initial wars, and had never had the time to really restock and resupply. Durring this time the Godsfall river transformed from a fertile river valley into battleground between a line of stone fortresses and an arcane forest...though the navy did engage in a few large skirmishes, most of the battles were centered on the Godsfall. Rise of the Mages Despite their dislike of the Arcane Congress, the rulers of Vestenreich realized that arcane magic proved the most effective weapon against the magi and spellblades of the elves. Started under William and Anastasia, and continued under their daughter Cathrine I (Later IV), the empire hired rogue or independent mages to teach the future warmages of Vestenreich. The first circle, fielded in 1077, proved so effective, catching the elves off guard and saving hundreds of soldiers lives, that it became imperial policy to include a circle of warmages with their mundane soldiers. Cathrine furthered this, introducing Arcane Colleges across the country. These colleges, independent from the Arcane Congress that controlled magic across the rest of the region, boomed with applicants, from noble scions to the children of pig farmers. Nowadays, the army of Vestenreich has the largest magic support of any nation save the elves. Their policy of fighting fire with fire has proven rather effective, staving off considerable damage to the Vesten navy and army...especially compared to the devastating losses incurred by Caelea and Holtland in the past few years. Gerreich The only time that magic did not serve the Reich's armies as well as expected was the Battle of Darjehv. Once part of Rostem, Zirgart, just north of Darjehv, was conquered by Caelea in 1030, though the Caelens never made a serious move into the lowlands of Rostem. In 1103, the Vestrians, seeing the milthril mines of Zirgart and Darjehv, then controlled by Dorello, as the leverage they needed to finally overcome the elves in Godsfall. The Reich's forces, under the cloak of invisibility, marched on Darjehv, which they considered the linchpin to holding the Zirgart passes. Understandably, they conquered Darjehv without much trouble, their attack being completely unexpected by the citizens of the passes. However, if the attack was unexpected, the response was even more so. The Caelen Legion, the Qalitz Army and, most surprising, the combined forces of Dorello, Stillia-Porto, San Rillo, Istan and other Castillian nations. The skirmishes in the passes turned to a massive battle of the outskirts of Darjehv between the four most powerful forces outside the Elven Empire. The Battle of Gerrich was won not by the swords or arrows or magic of Vesten, but by diplomacy. In the end, no nation won...the lands around Zirgart and Darjehv were made independent as Gerrich, a nation that was governed by the four warring nations. Due to their newfound independence, the peoples of the pass were free to sell their valuable stores of iron, mithril and coal to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for the Vestenreich, that was usually Holtland and Khazad Roens. In the end, this expedition proved disastrous for the Reich. The lost the Aven Isles to the elves, as well as parts of the upper Godsfall valley. They were able to push back the elves from the isles, but considerable damage was done to the cities of Aelfshutz, Handegat and Andril. The Fall of Dasnia The Vestenreich had recovered from it's loss at Darjhev and was ready to make a gamble to try to leaver some of Waterhead from the Elves, when the Elves, in a series of brilliantly planned strikes, plowed through the Vestens at Voraful Valley, leaving the path clear for the elves to march on Dasnia. Dasnia had expended it's resources trying to stave off annexation from the Caelens. Unfortunately, that left them wide open for the Elves to march on through and conquerer Dasnia. After the city of Drenem fell in 1117 to the Elven forces, refugees flooded across the boarders into Caelea, Holtland, and, in the largest numbers, to the Vestenreich. Empress Cathrine granted them land in Obervestenreich, where they founded the town of Utter Alston. These refugees have joined en mass the Vestrian army, in hopes the soldiers of the Reich will finally be able to halt the elves, and drive them from their homeland The Vestenreich Today The Reich has brought stability to the lands of the west, much as the Castillian Union has brought peace to the west. The various barons, dukes and princes have never before been so united, and the wars amongst them are confined to the backrooms and parlors of the cities, and not the farms of the country. Which is a good thing, as any political division would shurely be exploited by the Elves. Unlike Holtland, Dasnia and the Challice, whom the elves consider minor pests, the Vestenreich is a worthy opponent, their soldiers knowing both magic and steel, their faith in their God strong and unshakable. The current emperor, Peter XIV (using the old Vestrian numbering) was a soldier on the front lines for around half of his thirty years, and has dedicated himself to seeing the elves driven from human, dwarven and halfling lands before he must relinquish his throne. The Vestrians were long known for their ingenuity in science and technology. Though Holtland has replaced Vestria as the center of scientific learning, the Reich has become the center of magical innovation, with some of the foremost artificers of the Caelen region having come out of the Reich's arcane colleges. The Reich's main trade routes are south through the nation of Ekku, weather by land or sea. Their caravans also travel through Gerreich to reach the eastern nations of the Caelen region.Though most of their natural resources are used internally to fuel their war machine, their ships still ply the southern waters, looking to buy rare metals and arcane components and trade new technologies produced at home. With the advances in technology, magic and trade has come advances in education. Many children now attend school for 6 years, though the exact time frame is set by parents, as different races develop at different rates. After school, children may attend one of several major centers of learning, whether it is a local college of arcane arts, the Military College of Groß Danzen, the Vendenburg University or another institute, there is almost always a path for furthur advancement for anyone who wishes to peruse it. This has lead to some surprised foreigners, who discover the local blacksmith of the town they are passing through is a scholar of foreign languages, while the farmer they are buying cabbages from spent three years at learning magic at a local college. The Political Structure of the Reich With recent advances in technology have come advances in democracy. Though the various feudal lords who swore allegiance to the rulers of Vestria, Gary and Rostem still hold considerable power, they must all now report to a local Archduke, who is normally kin to the emperor, and who effectively rules a state, or Staat for him. This Archduke is, in turn, held responsible to an elected council, one in each state. Any man or woman who has completed six years of education in a Vestenreich school may vote in elections for local council (those who cannot complete six years of school are considered too stupid and/or irresponsible for their opinions to count.) A local council functions as the government for a region, or Kreise, however they are still subservant to any local lords. Most Kreises are rural districts (Landkreise), though towns are large enough to count as their own Kreise (Stadtkreise). Each Kreis then elects a member to represent them on provincial councils. The current provinces are (north to south) Obervestenreich, Urgen, Neidervestenreich, Erstsdat, Gary, Steirland, Rosten, Aven, Karten, and Otland-Zergart. The cities of Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter are considered independent city-states, or Stadtstaaten The Imperial Parliament meets in Vendenburg and serves as the government for the entire Reich. It is a tricameral house, being divided up into the Imperial Throne, the Imperial Council, and the Reichsstände. The Imperial Throne consists of the Emperor and the Emperor alone, holding this right though being a decedent of Cael, the Living God. The Imperial Council in then held by the Archdukes of the Provinces as well as the many Barons, Dukes and Princes from the pre-Vestenreich era. Appointments to these two houses are life-long, unlike those to the lowest house, the Reichsstände, which is elected by the people for five-years. The Imperial Council has 148 members, while the Reichsstände has 385, based on regional population. The Reichsstände is headed by a Chancellor, who is elected by the members on the first day of a parlimentary session. For a bill to become law, it must successfully pass though all three houses, thereby granting the Emperor the ability to veto laws if willed, but prohibiting him from passing laws that go against the will of the Lords or people. The judiciary is responsible to Parlament, and all appointments to the courts must be approved by the elected officials at the level of government in which the judge will acting in. Therefor, local judges are chosen by Kreisesständes, State judges by the Staatenständes, and supreme court judges by the Reichsstände. The supreme court handles only the most crucial of trials, such as treason, assassination, and mass murder. These trials usually end with the death penalty for the accused. Climate and Geography The Vestenreich's climate is mostly Mediterranean on the coast, moving to continental with high rainfall inlands. Summers are hot and dry, while winter varries by region, being either mild in the southern coastal regions, or wet and cold in the mountains Rainfall is plentiful, thanks to the Dragonrest Mountains, and falls year round. The Vestenreich is the area of the continent least affected by the innumerable cataclysms. The soils are rich and bountiful, with numerous rivers having cut sloping valleys into the low hills that dominate the nation. The Vesten Plains that dominate Urgen, Neidervestenreich, Erstdat and Steirland are perfect for farming, and tend to slope gently from the foothills of the Dragonrest to the shores of the Sea of Blades. Ethics and Beliefs Deontological ethics is the prominent form of belief in the Vestenreich...the means cannot be justified by the ends. The murder of no man is just because murder itself is not just. Right and wrong acts were established by Cael, and no violation of these laws can be allowed by mortal man. Of course, murder of an innocent and killing another man on the field of battle are considered different, as is killing in the name of self-defense (death penalty is explained this way). Every person is fundamentally alike, and so they should all be treated fundamentally the same, with dignity and respect. By preforming acts against the will of Cael, one cuts their connection with him, and thus the goodness that flows from him, but if one preforms acts that Cael endorsed, one strengthens the bond between oneself and Cael, and the goodness ever present in Cael will flow through into your actions(Divine Command Theory). The religion among the people is fairly uniform, ever since the Edward Hale started the Halen Reforms in Neidrig St. Peter, the western baronies have been largely Halen Reform, though certain communities do exist that contine to follow the Imperial Church or the Church of Qalitz. The Halen Reforms originated 200 years ago in protest of the Imperial Church's corruption and their political maneuvering. (I'll deal with this later in my description of the church branches) Peoples of the Vestenreich The people of the Reich are of many different races and species, but most of them can be classified under the category of general Vesten. Only the nomadic kith and the isolationist raptorians holed up in their mountain homes are really exceptions to the rules. The people can largely be divided up by mother tongues. The kith and raptorians will be discussed later, as the primary function of this document is to explore the people of Vestenenreich, and neither the kith nor raptorians are considered citizens of the Reich. Cuisine The cuisine of the Reich has a tendancy to be rich and heavy. The abundance of farmland meant that local ingredients were abundant, and the cheep food has allowed many cooks to experiment with foreign spices (foreign as in Castille or Qalitz) Rice is the most common grain, grown in great patties in Rosten and Steirland, while wheat, oats, buckwheat and rye are not uncommon, and are ground into a rich, heavy bread Vestenreich is known for. Salads are a common dish, and include tomatos ( a local specialty), cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, kale, eggplants, mushrooms, onions and cabbages tossed with olive oil, vinegar or cheese sauces. Fruits are uncommon, with apples, oranges, pears, plums and many varieties of berries being eaten raw, while quince, medlar, apricots and some berries are used in jams and desert spreads. The most common meat is beef, usually ground and put into pastries or roasted, but poultry, lamb and fish are widely used. Rich soups made with milk or yogurt are popular dishes, as are pastry dishes filled with light cheese, yogurts, sauerkraut or rice. Honey is the most common sweetener, though cinnamon, apples and sugar beets are not uncommon. Though the Vestenreich is well known for it's many wines, the most common drink is rakia. Several types of beers, liqueurs, ciders and boza are also common beverages. Wine, however, is what Vestenreich is known for. Wines of the Reich tend to be red and dry. Some example Vestenreich foods • Boiled beef served with apple and horseradish sauce • Smoked beef served on sauerkraut with dumplings • Goulash made with beef, garlic, onions, red pepper and wine • Lamb or beef kebabs with eggplants, onions, tomatoes and peepers • A cold soup made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, onions, raisins, walnuts and water • A layered pastry filled with cottage cheese, yogurt, minced meat or sauerkraut • Sweet bread made with eggs, honey, yogurt, flour and raisins • Boiled rice bread and kaymak • A chunky relish of pepers, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and onions spread on rice bread • Various pickles served as appetizers or snacks • Grilled ground beef and onions served in a thick pita • Breaded steak served with creamed cheese or tartar sauce • Roasted beef and sauerkraut • A soup made with tripe, milk, garlic, onions and chili peppers • Baked trout with garlic and olive oil • Fish soup made with onions, chili pepper, white wine and tomatos • Potato and cabbage dumplings served with sauerkraut or sour cream • Grapevine leaves filled with rice and vegetables • Pita bread served with yogurt and a garlic-cucumber puree Architecture The architecture is much like that of it's Caelen neighbors, and thus will be detailed in another section later on. However, the closest analogue at this point in time and space would be Tudor style. Dress Clothing is the preeminent show of wealth and station in the Reich, as it is in the rest of the Caelen region, and is such taken very seriously. Even the poorest peasant has a set of good cloths for use in church services and other social events. Good clothing is considered to be high-quality yet not ostentatious, wealth being represented in the make and not in needless elaborations. Long coats are common among both men and women, typically reaching down to one's knees. Strait skirts are the fashion amongst women, while short pants are in among men. The style is very informal and laid back, though still respectful of modesty and somewhat subdued. Women wear close fitting cloth hats, while men wear short top hats on formal occasions. high boots and long gloves, almost reaching the joints are common right now among both men and women. Jewelry is common amongst city-dwellers and nobles, with rings, broaches and necklaces common in both sexes, with earrings being used almost exclusively by females. Hair Styles Hair is cut short in both men and women, rarely reaching past the shoulder. There is very little styling that goes into hair now aside from quick brushes. |
| SovietCanuck09-23-07, 01:16 AM | It has come to my attention that we do not have an overall sense of history for the world. While we do have timelines and calenders for the various regions themselves, we do not have a way of collaborating the timelines. Right-o. This is indeed something we do have to work on here...but I was thinking that could wait until we get more of internal histories down. But if you want to start it now...better sooner than later eh?:D The current year in my region is 1121 (as seen on most of my maps) This is A.D. 1121...Anno Dominatio (Year of the Lords [aka...kings, mortal rulers]), or years after Cael left his followers to fend for themselves How old is the world? Jesus, Moses and Muhammad...that is one I haven't thought about. Assuming we're processing with natural evolution/intelligent design and not creationalism, I'd have to agree with Darth...in the billions of years Was there anything prior to say, 50,000 years ago that deserves attention? In the Caelen region, no...not really. Maybe the migration of the tribal elves, but really, that's all How many moons does this world have? Oh, good question...I'm partial to two, but anywhere between 1 and 3 sounds good to me. Two, one large and one small, I believe works best for a 'fantasy setting', but 1 and 3 work well. I know some of us have histories dating back upwards of 100,000 years, but on a global scale these are irrelavent. Gah...the only thing I can think of this far back would be a war in heaven or something like that...Cael is cast down from godhood and forced to begin his cycle of reincarnations...something mythological. How long is the day for the world? We're right on earth sized, so I'd say 22-26, in my opinion. How long is the year? Shorter than earth, based on the size of the polar ice caps...so less than 365.5...probably somewhere around 340 How long do the seasons last? Based on the size of the icecaps, again, it's a bit off. Summer is longer in the south, while winter is longer in the north. It's not a perfect 3:3:3:3...prolly (this is northern hemisphere, so reverse it for you southerners) 4 winter:3 spring: 2 summer : 3 fall Is there more than 1 sun? and if so are they the same color? I'd say let's keep it with one sun. More than one sun tends to be headache inducing. Day lengths are thrown out of whack, as are seasons. Based on the climate and biology of the planet...it's only one In my region it is currantly SF 654, so 654 years since the lands were torn apart. (If you were curious SF stands for Star Fall). Dammit...nothing to do with my guys. Ah well...the kith could've thought it was some other part of their planet of their planet and headed out there to see, and therefor have started their exploration of the other regions of the world. But that's all I can think off (besides the folk of my region thinking 'Thank Cael that wasn't us...again':rolleyes: ) Right-o. So that's all from me for now. What I'm working on now is details on the kith, Races of the ____ style, and then on an overview of the Caelen religion. I'm not certain what nation I'll work on next...I'll leave up to you folks now...you choose the next kingdom our resident Commie Canuck deatails! Vote now!:D |
| Darth Syntax09-23-07, 04:22 AM | Okay folks, here's my next contribution to the project, and what's been eating up my time for the last few weeks. I've stolen some of Darth's descriptions for countries...though seeing as how I know maybe half as much as he does, my descriptions tend to be much briefer and less descriptive...but I make up for it in rambling histories, so meh. Now, before my rabling drives us off track, I understand when projects eat up a large amount of time. I've been working on the Ejantuli for months now and I'm still nowhere near done, nor am I satisfied with the work I have done on the Three Kingdoms. So many ideas, so much weirdness, so few useful written words. Alas. As to "stealing" some of my formating, go right ahead. I've just been using a very cut and dry system of formatting that is not particularly elegant. Just functional. Moving on to my rather obsessive need to describe my people . . .Yeah, I know I go into grotesque amounts of detail (I could go into a lot more actually, but somehow I don't think it's really necessary to give a dissertation on the Ethical systems of the Maritime Republics nor do I need to present an exhaustive description of the five hundred hells of the Jauric religion . . .), but that's what happens when an historian, linguist, and amature anthropologist devises parts of a campaign setting. By all means go into a much detail as you think you need, I'll be more than delighted to read it. I give you... The Empire of Roens, Dasnacs and Illasts (The Vestenreich) Government Type: Constitutional monarchy Ruling Bodies: The Imperial Throne, The Imperial Counsel, The Reichsstände Current Leaders: Emperor Peter XIV Utritch-Cael (Human male Pal 3/Nbl 5), Heir to the throne of Cael Chancellor Fredrick Zeller (Human male Ftr 5/Wiz 2) Economic Type: Capitalism Currency: Goldmark (100 Pfening=1 Goldmark) Population: about 9,540,000 Species Demographics: 57% Human, 12% Half-Elf, 11% Gnome, 10% Elf, 5% Dwarf, 4% Halfling, 2% Raptorian, 1% Other (Kobold, Xeph, Rilkan, Illumian, Kith) Capitol/Largest City: Vendenburg (1,140,000) Secondary Center: Neidrig St. Peter (population 862,000) Religion: Largely Caelen Church (Halen Reform), with minorities of Caelen Church (Imperial and Qalitz), southern faiths, the Traveler, atheism and The Living Gods Symbols: A two-headed wyvern on a green feild Major Languages: Vesten (official), Caelen, Qual, Hedlandic, Yullic, Rostic, and Geric are all spoken in minority communities Nominal Alignment: LN Concerning population: Despite the presence of two very large cities, I would imagine that the overall population density of The Vestenreich to be quite low. Are cities of the population of Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter rarities then or is the The Vestenreich population simply highly urbanized? Given that you seem to have a landed nobility I would venture to guess that most of your cities and towns are much smaller and that the two large ones are unusually large. But then I have been very wrong before (look at how I thought the kith looked). The western vales of the Dragonrest mountains have always been known for their abundance of natural resources. The earliest clan holds of the dwarves sprouted up in the region, before being forced east by the elves, and the Dasnac people were later drawn here by the rich soil and abundant timber. Indeed, the western kingdoms of Vesten, Vaterhead, Gary and Rostem would have been the ideal location for nations to grow and thrive...if not for their proximity to the elven isles. The elves have posted a constant threat to the nations of the Sea of Blades, but in the past it was only the occasional raider or small pirate fleet. The navies of the human, dwarven, halfing and low elven kingdoms were more than enough to protect coastal towns form any serious attempt to take them, as well as allowing for substantial trade...so long as the ships never traveled out of sight of the shore, and knew to beach themselves at the first sign of azure sails on the horizon. Are the navies of this region still restricted, more or less, to coastal sailing or have found a way to get around the effective blockade of the elves? Also, considering the richness of the land and the dangers of naval expansion, how much pressure would there be to really develop a first-rate navy? In a related question, how likely are the Vestenians to hire naval mercenaries from other countries to augment their own forces? Perhaps from some of your "Trade Nations"? Vestria was arguably the most powerful of the nations bordering on the Sea of Blades. Founded almost immediately after the fall of the Caelen empire by the decedents of Mark, the eldest son of Cael, Vestria has always considered itself the rightful heir to the Caelen empire. They had a strong martial tradition, and though they had horrible luck as rulers, they were extremely skilled warriors and conquerers. I would image that the combination of a bellicose nature and poor management skill would lead to a rather rapidly fluctuating boarder whereby newly acquired territories rebel and gain independence only to be conquered once again. I can't imagine this makes the Vestrians very well liked by their neighbors. Furthurmore, the Vestrians were arguably the most industrious humans, their mines and forests providing ample materials for their industrial machine. Vestria was a beacon of science on the Caelen peninsula, spurning magic since their war with the Arcane Congress. With their skill in science and sword, the Vestrians provided a stabilizing force in the region, preventing nations such as Gallia and the Arcane Congress from growing too powerful. You say that the Vestrians are industrious and posses an "industrial machine". What sort of production techniques are they likely to make use of? What sort of goods do their manufacture? The Vestenreich Today The Reich has brought stability to the lands of the west, much as the Castillian Union has brought peace to the [east]. The various barons, dukes and princes have never before been so united, and the wars amongst them are confined to the backrooms and parlors of the cities, and not the farms of the country. Which is a good thing, as any political division would shurely be exploited by the Elves. I am inclined to agree with your last statement here and I would imagine that the elves do all they can to destabilize the Empire. However, a thought occurs: Given that much of the national identity of the Vestenreich stems from the conflict with the elves, how much of a problem would be caused by the perceived elimination of that threat? If the elves simply turned their attention elsewhere how many of the local lords would fall back into warring on their neighbors and thus allow the elves to eventually make short work of the Vestenreich? Unlike Holtland, Dasnia and the Challice, whom the elves consider minor pests, the Vestenreich is a worthy opponent, their soldiers knowing both magic and steel, their faith in their God strong and unshakable. The current emperor, Peter XIV (using the old Vestrian numbering) was a soldier on the front lines for around half of his thirty years, and has dedicated himself to seeing the elves driven from human, dwarven and halfling lands before he must relinquish his throne. What manner of warfare do the Vestrians engage in? Do they make heavy use of infantry augmented with cavalry or do they perhaps fight in some other manner? What makes their tactics effective against the elves? The Vestrians were long known for their ingenuity in science and technology. Though Holtland has replaced Vestria as the center of scientific learning, the Reich has become the center of magical innovation, with some of the foremost artificers of the Caelen region having come out of the Reich's arcane colleges. What caused the Vestrians to separate arcana from science in general? Do they conceive of it as being inherently supernatural or is there some other reason for the division? The Reich's main trade routes are south through the nation of Ekku, weather by land or sea. Their caravans also travel through Gerreich to reach the eastern nations of the Caelen region.Though most of their natural resources are used internally to fuel their war machine, their ships still ply the southern waters, looking to buy rare metals and arcane components and trade new technologies produced at home. How far are the Vestrian traders and merchants likely to travel in search of wealth and new goods? Are they likely to have much knowledge of nations far across the ocean or are they somewhat limited in their geographic information? -- I'll stop here for the moment as I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I like what you have done with the Vestrians and I look forwards to hearing more about them. |
| SovietCanuck09-23-07, 05:50 AM | I like what you have done with the Vestrians and I look forwards to hearing more about them. Thankee. This is of course just a brief overview of the nation...a little more indepth than the Castillian one only becuase the Castillians are such a diverse 'people' (or mob) while Vestria can be fairly easily stereotyped. Concerning population: Despite the presence of two very large cities, I would imagine that the overall population density of The Vestenreich to be quite low. Are cities of the population of Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter rarities then or is the The Vestenreich population simply highly urbanized? Given that you seem to have a landed nobility I would venture to guess that most of your cities and towns are much smaller and that the two large ones are unusually large. But then I have been very wrong before (look at how I thought the kith looked). You've hit the nail on the head this time...the population is fairly heavily biased towards rural...each of the Kreises have a roughly similar population (around 600,000), so most of the other large cities on the map are around 50,000, if that. The population outside of Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter are largely based in small towns of 1000 people or so...larger than villages, smaller than actual cities. Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter are very large anomalies, and they exist mainly because they served as administrative, scientific and mercantile centers for not only Vestria, but all of the Caelen region. (The University of Vendenburg is essentially the Oxford of the Caelen region) And on the topic of kith, I didn't expect anyone to guess a nomadic, six-limbed, semi-draconic, furred, marsupialoid creature whose primary form of magic is runic :P (as I said, I've been working on them, so they're far more then little dragon folk) Are the navies of this region still restricted, more or less, to coastal sailing or have found a way to get around the effective blockade of the elves? Eh, I would think that Vestenreich is pretty much cut-off ship-wise from the rest of the Caelen region, but they can travel south just fine (unlike Caelen and Rimegaardsmen ships, who are stuck right now by the elves). A few enterprising sailors try to travel around the elves to get to the Trade Nations, but it's a long and frequently deadly voyage (if the elves don't get ya, then the kraken will!) Also, considering the richness of the land and the dangers of naval expansion, how much pressure would there be to really develop a first-rate navy? The pressure to develop a navy was more to fight off pirates and raiders than an actual, full fledged nation. The naval ships skirted the shores, the sailors weren't really trained for open water naval combat. The armys weren't exceptional, but they were good at what they had to do, which was protect merchant ships and fishing towns. In a related question, how likely are the Vestenians to hire naval mercenaries from other countries to augment their own forces? Perhaps from some of your "Trade Nations"? Previously, very likely. They are not above buying mercenaries...and even now, there are several Castillian armies working for the Emperor. However, mow that the elves are trying to box in the Trade Nations and The Chalice, the amount of naval forces they are willing to lend is minimal, at best. I would image that the combination of a bellicose nature and poor management skill would lead to a rather rapidly fluctuating boarder whereby newly acquired territories rebel and gain independence only to be conquered once again. I can't imagine this makes the Vestrians very well liked by their neighbors. No, they were not the most popular nation on the block, that's a definite. However, sometimes one must swallow ones pride, and work things out with them, because they are the nation that either makes or breaks a peace treaty. You say that the Vestrians are industrious and posses an "industrial machine". What sort of production techniques are they likely to make use of? What sort of goods do their manufacture? Oh...technologies. Hmm...around early industrial revolution era tech. Spinning Jennies, cotton mills, steam engines (enhanced by phlogiston, though Roens are the true masters at that), photograph machines, blast furnaces et al. The beginnings of mass production. And what kinds of good...well, typically they sell food or raw materials, though they would also sell things like wood frames, pen nibs, wroughtt iron, and textiles would all be exported I am inclined to agree with your last statement here and I would imagine that the elves do all they can to destabilize the Empire. However, a thought occurs: Given that much of the national identity of the Vestenreich stems from the conflict with the elves, how much of a problem would be caused by the perceived elimination of that threat? If the elves simply turned their attention elsewhere how many of the local lords would fall back into warring on their neighbors and thus allow the elves to eventually make short work of the Vestenreich? I'd say most of their cohesion comes from their enmity of the elves. That, and the loyalty of the people to the Emperor. You nix that and get rid of the elves, and yeah the empire would fall apart. However, the dukes and barons are not all that eager in rebelling against the Emperor when their own people would rebel against them. The Emperor, particularly the current monarch, Peter, controls the hearts of the people, and his enemies know that. What manner of warfare do the Vestrians engage in? Do they make heavy use of infantry augmented with cavalry or do they perhaps fight in some other manner? What makes their tactics effective against the elves? No...that's Caelens. Caelens and Chalacites have some sort of unhealy attraction to heavy cavalry. No, for the Vestrians, it's precise counters for the three stages of elven assault. First, the elves, when advancing, like to build up their arcane forests ahead of them. Now, these trees are pretty much immune to fire, and going in to hew them down only means dead lumberjacks. The Vestrians, however, through a combination of magic and good, old siege weapons, start pummeling the elven magi and druids with rocks the size of their head...that puts a serious cramp in their forest growing. Then there are the elven archers, who are countered by the Vestrian musketeers...even though one archer is a match for five musketeers, it takes the elves two hundred years to train a good archer, it takes the Vestrians twenty to get a good halfling musketeer. Finally, to counter the elven skirmisher are the light cavalry of the Vestrians, armed with spears and pistols, they charge in and mop up the advancing elven forces. Of course, this is just a basic overview...there are druids, mages, clerics, knights and a whole whack of other special forces that need to be factored in, but generally that's the Vestrian strategy: pelt 'em with rocks till they leave their forests, shoot 'em with smaller rocks, then run in on horses and trample the survivors. Works extremely well. What caused the Vestrians to separate arcana from science in general? Do they conceive of it as being inherently supernatural or is there some other reason for the division? Their war with the Arcane Congress. They have never really gotten over that...a long standing rivalry exists between the Congress and the Vestrian government after the Vestrians forced the Arcane Congress to abandon it's territory and essentially sign a treaty that restricted territory it may control to the city of Bresden (now conquered by the elves) and any embassies to other nations it may posses. The Congress therefor bared it's members from teaching any Vestrian noble magic, which lead to the Vestrians funding other forms of science to act as a counterbalance to the Congress, which lead to the Congress, which lead to the Vestrians, and so on and so forth. Essentially a game of oneupmanship that became ingrained in the culture of Vestria. How far are the Vestrian traders and merchants likely to travel in search of wealth and new goods? Are they likely to have much knowledge of nations far across the ocean or are they somewhat limited in their geographic information? I'd say pretty far...not quite the 'around the world' voyages of the kith or Holtlanders, but I'd say it's not unlikely that they have started reaching your region about 50 years ago now...not all that long, but long enough for embassies to have popped up. |
| Alexeduardo09-23-07, 10:11 PM | I'M BACK!!! I would say my trolls have a slighlty than average INT, with a special knack for combat tactics. But if a stat block's what you're looking for, it may take a while. Free Divided is the term all the Desagarrasean sentients but the Ferl give themselves. It's very meaningful among them and sort of says that while they are divided and killing each other, they're doing it their way. EDIT: I would say Desgarrada is relatively young compared to the other regions, but still old enough to have modern people feel different from the ones of the Titan Invasion. I'll guess I'll have to wait to see some sort of timeline before making my choice. |
| Darth Syntax09-24-07, 01:50 AM | Ok ladies and gentlemen (or whatever our actual makeup is), I've got a few random ideas, questions, and my usual blather. So let's get this show on the road then . . . On the Ice Caps: Considering that I have the only southern polar representation of the icecap I would be more than willing to adjust its size to make certain calculations easier. Frankly I wasn't thinking too hard about icecap size when I drew the map, so mea culpa. -- Moving right along You've hit the nail on the head this time...the population is fairly heavily biased towards rural...each of the Kreises have a roughly similar population (around 600,000), so most of the other large cities on the map are around 50,000, if that. The population outside of Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter are largely based in small towns of 1000 people or so...larger than villages, smaller than actual cities. Vendenburg and Neidrig St. Peter are very large anomalies, and they exist mainly because they served as administrative, scientific and mercantile centers for not only Vestria, but all of the Caelen region. (The University of Vendenburg is essentially the Oxford of the Caelen region) That makes sense. So your overall population density is quite low then, about 16-20 people per square mile which gives you a population density somewhat similar to modern Kazakhstan. By way of comparison the Republic of Orothos has about 160 people per square mile giving it a population density similar to modern Jordan. Granted about 72 of every 160 are small sized which helps with the food issues. And on the topic of kith, I didn't expect anyone to guess a nomadic, six-limbed, semi-draconic, furred, marsupialoid creature whose primary form of magic is runic :P (as I said, I've been working on them, so they're far more then little dragon folk) Marsupials eh? So the kith have pouches then; fascinating. I would be very interested in seeing a drawing of them in their current form. Eh, I would think that Vestenreich is pretty much cut-off ship-wise from the rest of the Caelen region, but they can travel south just fine (unlike Caelen and Rimegaardsmen ships, who are stuck right now by the elves). A few enterprising sailors try to travel around the elves to get to the Trade Nations, but it's a long and frequently deadly voyage (if the elves don't get ya, then the kraken will!) Might I inquire why the elves seem to allow them passage to the south? Surely they could further box the empire in with minimal effort. Ah yes the constant kraken problem. At least it seems that your empire of elves doesn't control the kraken; that's an issue in my part of the world. Previously,[heiring mercenaries was] very likely. They are not above buying mercenaries...and even now, there are several Castillian armies working for the Emperor. However, mow that the elves are trying to box in the Trade Nations and The Chalice, the amount of naval forces they are willing to lend is minimal, at best. This makes sense, and I imagine it could be a source of concern for the empire. I can almost see the tense negotiations between your countries: good stuff that. No, they were not the most popular nation on the block, that's a definite. However, sometimes one must swallow ones pride, and work things out with them, because they are the nation that either makes or breaks a peace treaty. What is the source of their "make or break" ability? Is it simply military prowess in terrestrial warfare or are there other factors? Oh...technologies. Hmm...around early industrial revolution era tech. Spinning Jennies, cotton mills, steam engines (enhanced by phlogiston, though Roens are the true masters at that), photograph machines, blast furnaces et al. The beginnings of mass production. Hmm. You might be advancing your nation a bit far in a few too many directions for the world as a whole, but I am not sure. The photography is certainly fine (I was thinking of having it myself as it fits with the "optics" theme I've been working on) as it doesn't give any particular advantage in potential colonization and the like, but large scale mass production might be a problem for some. And what kinds of good...well, typically they sell food or raw materials, though they would also sell things like wood frames, pen nibs, wroughtt iron, and textiles would all be exported [Maritime Republic Merchant hat] Would you perhaps be interested in reams of paper, the finest of inks, alchemical goods, or in superior quality glass products? How about cannon, very effective against those irritating elves so I understand. I can take all that grain off your hands you know . . . [/hat] I'd say most of their cohesion comes from their enmity of the elves. That, and the loyalty of the people to the Emperor. You nix that and get rid of the elves, and yeah the empire would fall apart. However, the dukes and barons are not all that eager in rebelling against the Emperor when their own people would rebel against them. The Emperor, particularly the current monarch, Peter, controls the hearts of the people, and his enemies know that. So, the real trick would be to discredit the emperor in the eyes of his people, I imagine that sorts of people are out looking for a way to do this. Their war with the Arcane Congress. They have never really gotten over that...a long standing rivalry exists between the Congress and the Vestrian government after the Vestrians forced the Arcane Congress to abandon it's territory and essentially sign a treaty that restricted territory it may control to the city of Bresden (now conquered by the elves) and any embassies to other nations it may posses. The Congress therefor bared it's members from teaching any Vestrian noble magic, which lead to the Vestrians funding other forms of science to act as a counterbalance to the Congress, which lead to the Congress, which lead to the Vestrians, and so on and so forth. Essentially a game of oneupmanship that became ingrained in the culture of Vestria. Ah, so there is a long standing political reason for the division of arcane science form the rest of the scientific. What exactly cause the war with the Congress in the first place? I'd say pretty far...not quite the 'around the world' voyages of the kith or Holtlanders, but I'd say it's not unlikely that they have started reaching your region about 50 years ago now...not all that long, but long enough for embassies to have popped up. It is possible that the Ejantuli and the Maritime Republics would have made some form of contact before the last fifty years as they have been competing to map the globe for some time. As to embassies in my countries, I am more than happy to provide you with full diplomatic relations with most of the countries of the coasts. Sronid, however will want little to do with any outside contact (they are a very insular people), which is a pity as they grow truly spectacular olives. -- Alexeduardo: So your trolls are not the same as the MM trolls. Cool. There is a kind of giant in the Fiend Folio called the Fensir which is essentially a D&D version of the Scandinavian troll which might serve your purposes as they are quite intelligent. |
| SovietCanuck09-24-07, 03:28 AM | Considering that I have the only southern polar representation of the icecap I would be more than willing to adjust its size to make certain calculations easier. Frankly I wasn't thinking too hard about icecap size when I drew the map, so mea culpa. No problem... I kind of like the way it's set up...the cold forbidding northlands and the warm, civilized southlands. But, eh...we don't really need an axial tilt to achevie that, do we? Even on earth, due to our tilt and eliptical orbits, summers in the south tend to be a bit warmer than in south, and winters in the north a bit colder than their southern counterparts, so...could be explained away by orbit. That, and icecaps tend to be larger over land than over sea (the Arctic vs. Antartica) That makes sense. So your overall population density is quite low then, about 16-20 people per square mile which gives you a population density somewhat similar to modern Kazakhstan. By way of comparison the Republic of Orothos has about 160 people per square mile giving it a population density similar to modern Jordan. Granted about 72 of every 160 are small sized which helps with the food issues. Yeah...I was trying to strike a balance between the crowded population of yours and Araes' regions, and the population of the more 'savage' regions. I wanted a Europe c. late 1700's population...not as large as east Asia, but respectable nonetheless. Marsupials eh? So the kith have pouches then; fascinating. I would be very interested in seeing a drawing of them in their current form. Ask and ye shall receive...now I'm not 100% done with the shading and coloring of these pictures, but it should give you a decent idea of what my current concept for them are... http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1431011797_0cf21e7fb1_b.jpg Male kith runeblade (arcane paladin-like class) http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1256/981146921_6e8a08c045_b.jpg Head of a male kith...the eyes are off a bit, but besides that it's accurate http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/1431016739_5ca1014cf8_b.jpg Female kith's head...this one is newer by about two weeks, so it's more accurate at the moment...though the coloring is still poor. Also, Darth, as you can see, I've taken your idea for using dots instead of apostrophes in written kith. Makes it look a little cleaner, eh? Okay...that's some of the pictures I am working on now. Do not razz me about the hair, or the fireball (GOD DAMN I HATE THAT FIREBALL!!!:mad: ), as I am working on it! Might I inquire why the elves seem to allow them passage to the south? Surely they could further box the empire in with minimal effort. They've tried...but the Aven Isles essentially create a safe waterway south into Ekku...and I'm not about to step on Araes' toes and say the elves are raiding his lands as well at this point in time...later, they might, but not now. What is the source of their "make or break" ability? Is it simply military prowess in terrestrial warfare or are there other factors? Military might, economic might, a key position between the mines of the Dragonrests and the buyers in Alstan, Gallia and Calon. They were the local power, and if you had them on side for your treaty, the other guys usually broke down. Hmm. You might be advancing your nation a bit far in a few too many directions for the world as a whole, but I am not sure. The photography is certainly fine (I was thinking of having it myself as it fits with the "optics" theme I've been working on) as it doesn't give any particular advantage in potential colonization and the like, but large scale mass production might be a problem for some. Right-o. I was thinking the start of the industrial revolution...the revolution having started in Khazad Roenes about 30 years ago now to try and drive up industrial production to equip the then failing Roenic armies (the only reason the dwarves survived was that their ancestors had the sense to build some brilliant defences into the mountains...but more on that later)...so it's not all that 'high-tech' at the moment...steam trains are just beginning to enter public thought as 'a possibility'...the infrastructure is not there to support true mass production. They still rely on merchant or kith caravans to move the raw goods. [Maritime Republic Merchant hat] Would you perhaps be interested in reams of paper, the finest of inks, alchemical goods, or in superior quality glass products? How about cannon, very effective against those irritating elves so I understand. I can take all that grain off your hands you know . . . [/hat] Hmmm *scratches beard* the paper sounds good...can't get any of the goodstuff from the Rimesmen since the pointy-eared devils took Dasnia. As would ink. Glass...nah, got enough sand in Qalitz to make cities of glass, and their right next door, right? And cannons...we make the best cannons in the world, despite what those damned dwarves might say. Sure, ours might not make as big an explosion, but they don't backfire and knock out a siege team either!;) So, the real trick would be to discredit the emperor in the eyes of his people, I imagine that sorts of people are out looking for a way to do this. Yep...and there are always meddling adventurers there to stop them... Ah, so there is a long standing political reason for the division of arcane science form the rest of the scientific. What exactly cause the war with the Congress in the first place? After the fall of the Caelen Empire, the Congress began snapping up territory all over the continent. They ended up forming a fairly sizable kingdom across the Bay of Blades from Vestria, as well as numerous satellite states in Castillia, Qalitz and Khazad Roens. However, they made the mistake at buying Neidrig St. Peter right out from under the Vestrians...who of course immediately declared war on the meddling wizards. That caught the mages by surprise, and by the time they came to their senses, the Vestrians were pounding on the gates of Bresden with really, really big rocks. I'll try to detail the Congress-Vestrian wars in my histories later, but is was essentially the collapse of the Congress 600 years ago that lead to the nations slowly reforming until they created the empires of today. It is possible that the Ejantuli and the Maritime Republics would have made some form of contact before the last fifty years as they have been competing to map the globe for some time. As to embassies in my countries, I am more than happy to provide you with full diplomatic relations with most of the countries of the coasts. Sronid, however will want little to do with any outside contact (they are a very insular people), which is a pity as they grow truly spectacular olives. Indeed it is a pity, as the vestrians are big olive fans *sighs* Guess they have to settle of Qalitz and Andarian olives. :rolleyes: C'est tout pour aujoud'hui! |
| Darth Syntax09-26-07, 04:17 AM | Without much further ado, Soviet, I shall continue asking questions about the Vestrians. Your answers have been most helpful. The Political Structure of the Reich With recent advances in technology have come advances in democracy. Though the various feudal lords who swore allegiance to the rulers of Vestria, Gary and Rostem still hold considerable power, they must all now report to a local Archduke, who is normally kin to the emperor, and who effectively rules a state, or Staat for him. This Archduke is, in turn, held responsible to an elected council, one in each state. Let me see if I am following this correctly: each "state" in the Empire has both its ancient ruler (say Margrave Ulrich Von Karten for the sake of argument) and an appointed imperial overseer (His grace the Archduke Sebastian) and this overseer is somehow also responsible to an elected council in his dominion. How is this council elected, and how much actual power do the Archdukes really have? Are they merely a show of Imperial force without much real power or are they the beginnings of a centralized bureaucracy loyal to the state rather than to any one person or body? Similarly, how do the local lords feel about having the kin of the Emperor lording over them? Any man or woman who has completed six years of education in a Vestenreich school may vote in elections for local council (those who cannot complete six years of school are considered too stupid and/or irresponsible for their opinions to count.) This would be six years of basic education yes? They are not, as the Orothoi are, required to possess the rough analogue of a bachelor's degree form the sound of it. What is taught in these six years of education? A local council functions as the government for a region, or Kreise, however they are still subservant to any local lords. Most Kreises are rural districts (Landkreise), though towns are large enough to count as their own Kreise (Stadtkreise). Each Kreis then elects a member to represent them on provincial councils. If the councils are still subservient to a local lord what good can they actually do? Are they often merely a show of democracy (or representation rather) or do they have some ability to override the rulings of the lord? The Imperial Parliament meets in Vendenburg and serves as the government for the entire Reich. It is a tricameral house, being divided up into the Imperial Throne, the Imperial Council, and the Reichsstände. The Imperial Throne consists of the Emperor and the Emperor alone, holding this right though being a decedent of Cael, the Living God. Does the Emperor operate under a system not dissimilar to the Divine Right of Kings? If he does, then I would imagine that there would be great pressure to bow to the Emperor's will as he is a "chosen" figure. The Imperial Council in then held by the Archdukes of the Provinces as well as the many Barons, Dukes and Princes from the pre-Vestenreich era. Appointments to these two houses are life-long, unlike those to the lowest house, the Reichsstände, which is elected by the people for five-years. The Imperial Council has 148 members, while the Reichsstände has 385, based on regional population. The Reichsstände is headed by a Chancellor, who is elected by the members on the first day of a parlimentary session. For a bill to become law, it must successfully pass though all three houses, thereby granting the Emperor the ability to veto laws if willed, but prohibiting him from passing laws that go against the will of the Lords or people. Does the Emperor possess the power to dissolve the other parliamentary houses or suspend them? Also, can the lower houses ever override a veto from the Emperor or must they ultimately abide by his rulings? The judiciary is responsible to Parlament, and all appointments to the courts must be approved by the elected officials at the level of government in which the judge will acting in. Therefor, local judges are chosen by Kreisesständes, State judges by the Staatenständes, and supreme court judges by the Reichsstände. The supreme court handles only the most crucial of trials, such as treason, assassination, and mass murder. These trials usually end with the death penalty for the accused. How independent in the Vestiran judiciary and how important is the rule of law over privilege and title? Ethics and Beliefs Deontological ethics is the prominent form of belief in the Vestenreich...the means cannot be justified by the ends. The murder of no man is just because murder itself is not just. Right and wrong acts were established by Cael, and no violation of these laws can be allowed by mortal man. Sense the Vestrians operate under a kind of divine command ethical system, how do they answer the Euthyphro dilemma? Did Cael command that certain actions were right because the acts are in and of themselves right (and thus wherefore Cael) or did Cael simply condone those acts he preferred? If it is the latter, then what is the reason for assuming that Cael's decrees are any more valid than those of another? Of course, murder of an innocent and killing another man on the field of battle are considered different, as is killing in the name of self-defense (death penalty is explained this way). Why are these actions considered different? If an actions is fundamentally right or wrong, why should the context of that action matter? Do the Vestrians simply reply with something akin to "it is the will of Cael" or do they have some other explanation? Every person is fundamentally alike, and so they should all be treated fundamentally the same, with dignity and respect. By preforming acts against the will of Cael, one cuts their connection with him, and thus the goodness that flows from him, but if one preforms acts that Cael endorsed, one strengthens the bond between oneself and Cael, and the goodness ever present in Cael will flow through into your actions(Divine Command Theory). Do they then hold that mortals are incapable of goodness or correct action without the guidance of Cael? If that is so, how do the account for seemingly right and good actions among unbelievers? The religion among the people is fairly uniform, ever since the Edward Hale started the Halen Reforms in Neidrig St. Peter, the western baronies have been largely Halen Reform, though certain communities do exist that contine to follow the Imperial Church or the Church of Qalitz. The Halen Reforms originated 200 years ago in protest of the Imperial Church's corruption and their political maneuvering. (I'll deal with this later in my description of the church branches) I look forward to hearing more about the religion itself and its variants. Peoples of the Vestenreich The people of the Reich are of many different races and species, but most of them can be classified under the category of general Vesten. Only the nomadic kith and the isolationist raptorians holed up in their mountain homes are really exceptions to the rules. A strong cultural identity then; it seems logical to me certainly. How syncretic is Vestrian culture? Is the culture clearly derived from a single source or does it have elements drawn from many places? Cuisine The cuisine of the Reich has a tendancy to be rich and heavy. The abundance of farmland meant that local ingredients were abundant, and the cheep food has allowed many cooks to experiment with foreign spices (foreign as in Castille or Qalitz) Rice is the most common grain, grown in great patties in Rosten and Steirland, while wheat, oats, buckwheat and rye are not uncommon, and are ground into a rich, heavy bread Vestenreich is known for. Salads are a common dish, and include tomatos ( a local specialty), cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, kale, eggplants, mushrooms, onions and cabbages tossed with olive oil, vinegar or cheese sauces. Fruits are uncommon, with apples, oranges, pears, plums and many varieties of berries being eaten raw, while quince, medlar, apricots and some berries are used in jams and desert spreads. The most common meat is beef, usually ground and put into pastries or roasted, but poultry, lamb and fish are widely used. Rich soups made with milk or yogurt are popular dishes, as are pastry dishes filled with light cheese, yogurts, sauerkraut or rice. Honey is the most common sweetener, though cinnamon, apples and sugar beets are not uncommon. Are there any taboo food items among the Vestrians? For example, the Jaur do not eat any animal that does not live in or on the water, and some will only eat plants that similarly grow. I note a lack of insects and other arthropods in your list of foods. Do they find these inedible or classify them as "non-food"? Though the Vestenreich is well known for it's many wines, the most common drink is rakia. Several types of beers, liqueurs, ciders and boza are also common beverages. Wine, however, is what Vestenreich is known for. Wines of the Reich tend to be red and dry. So they have good wine then eh? Moving along: Are the Vestrians largely a temperence culture or do they consume wine and other such things as a regular part of the meals? Also, how acceptable is drunkenness as a form of release? Architecture The architecture is much like that of it's Caelen neighbors, and thus will be detailed in another section later on. However, the closest analogue at this point in time and space would be Tudor style. What an excellent idea! Giving and example architectural style I should so that. . . Just as soon as I find a style that fits (somehow 1 part Chinese imperial, 1 part Venetian, with 3 parts Gaudi (http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/brgordon/images/eurotrip2003/images/Gaudi-House.jpg), and generally baroque atmosphere with subtle touches of Frank Lloyd Wright is difficult to find). Dress Clothing is the preeminent show of wealth and station in the Reich, as it is in the rest of the Caelen region, and is such taken very seriously. Even the poorest peasant has a set of good cloths for use in church services and other social events. Good clothing is considered to be high-quality yet not ostentatious, wealth being represented in the make and not in needless elaborations. Long coats are common among both men and women, typically reaching down to one's knees. Strait skirts are the fashion amongst women, while short pants are in among men. The style is very informal and laid back, though still respectful of modesty and somewhat subdued. What do they consider to be modest, and what do they consider to be scandalous or in poor taste? Is showing the feet a problem? What about going about shirtless or without a hat? -- Well thats enough for tonight then, I look forward to your answers as they really are very helpful in clearing up my mental image of the people. |
| darkhunter200709-26-07, 06:47 AM | :bump:QUESTION!:bump: How comes that a "not that intresting but a kind'a cool idea" gets so many posts?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? !?!?!?!?! Have you ever thought about all the people who want to know whats all about but they can't cuz it'll take them to much time to read all this?!?!! I never made the first page.... never made it. |
| SovietCanuck09-27-07, 01:10 AM | Let me see if I am following this correctly: each "state" in the Empire has both its ancient ruler (say Margrave Ulrich Von Karten for the sake of argument) and an appointed imperial overseer (His grace the Archduke Sebastian) and this overseer is somehow also responsible to an elected council in his dominion. How is this council elected, and how much actual power do the Archdukes really have? Are they merely a show of Imperial force without much real power or are they the beginnings of a centralized bureaucracy loyal to the state rather than to any one person or body? The menbers of the Staatenständes are elected from the Kreisesständes, which are in turn elected by the citizenry. The Archdukes hold the power of royal affirmation...they can choose whether or not to affirm a bill into law, or to dissolve the Staatenständes and call for an election. They are also nominal heads of a states militia, and therefor control the police and defence forces. So I'd say they are more your latter than former. Similarly, how do the local lords feel about having the kin of the Emperor lording over them? They don't like it much, but they are little more than glorified landlords now...they cannot have more than a house guard nor can they collect taxes. Any who disagree risk brining down the central government on their head, along with neighbors and peasants eager to add to their holdings This would be six years of basic education yes? They are not, as the Orothoi are, required to possess the rough analogue of a bachelor's degree form the sound of it. What is taught in these six years of education? Yes, six years of basic education. Very few people achieve a bachelor's level degree...most follow in their family's trade, farm skills, husbandry and mining are better learned hands on than in schools. Generally what is taught in school is simple mathematics (up to fractions and exponents), Vestrian literature and history (cultural appreciation), basic sciences (social, bioloigical, chemical, and magical), Imperial language and history (it's the language of merchants, and of their faith) and theology (arguments by the for Cael's divinity, the nature of the soul, et al). Anything more advanced would be taught in colleges or university (ecology, metallurgy, alchemy, advanced mathematics, music, arcane magic, other languages, pagan faiths, philosophy, physics, and so on) If the councils are still subservient to a local lord what good can they actually do? Are they often merely a show of democracy (or representation rather) or do they have some ability to override the rulings of the lord? The councils are subservant to local lords not by law (they are supposed to be independant), but because most of them are paid by the lords, the lords fund most of their projects, pay no small sums of the taxes, continue to own great swaths of land, and are able to donate their house guards to the militias when needed. The local lords therefor run the Kreisesständes because the Kreisesständes could not function without the barons support Does the Emperor operate under a system not dissimilar to the Divine Right of Kings? If he does, then I would imagine that there would be great pressure to bow to the Emperor's will as he is a "chosen" figure. Yes, the system is much alike the Divine Right of Kings (except they can verifiably prove that the Emperor is the decedent of Cael)...however, recent philosophers have called that into question by pointing to the Emperors' (and other rulers') ancestors, the Children of Cael, were not infallible like their father, they warred amongst themselves and allowed the empire to fall. This was considered heresy in the past, but it is becoming more and more common in thought...the Children of Cael were far from perfect, and their decedents, after being 'tainted' by human/dwarven/elven/other blood for so long have only made them more fallible. They are still the heirs of Cael, but that does not make them gods. Does the Emperor possess the power to dissolve the other parliamentary houses or suspend them? Also, can the lower houses ever override a veto from the Emperor or must they ultimately abide by his rulings? Yes, the emperor can dissolve the houses of parliament, but he cannot suspend them for more than a year without calling for a referendum. No, the lower houses cannot override a veto from the Emperor, just like the Emperor or the House of Lords cannot override a veto by the Reichsstände. How independent in the Vestiran judiciary and how important is the rule of law over privilege and title? The Vestrian judiciary is only semi-independent, and corruption amongst judges is not uncommon (though if the Ständes catch wind of it, they normally deal with it or risk public backlash) The rule of law applies equally to all men and women (all citizens are equal before law, all foreigners shall be treated as their government treats us), theoretically that means even the Emperor can be brought to trial. However, as I said, those with money can often buy off judges, leading to an almost two-tiered justice system between those who can pay for their own interpreation of law or those who can not (or choose not to) bribe officials. Sense the Vestrians operate under a kind of divine command ethical system, how do they answer the Euthyphro dilemma? Did Cael command that certain actions were right because the acts are in and of themselves right (and thus wherefore Cael) or did Cael simply condone those acts he preferred? If it is the latter, then what is the reason for assuming that Cael's decrees are any more valid than those of another? To put it simply...Cael was the being most in tune with the innate rightness and goodness of creation, therefor he knew which acts were right, and would help a mortal reach High Heaven, and were wrong, and would lead the souls into the grasp of the Pentacle (the Caelen version of the devil...the five angels who rebelled against Cael and cast him down on the moment of creating, condemning him to a neigh-endless cycle of reincarnation before he regained his divinity). Essentially, Cael would want to strengthen his side (the just side, in the eyes of Caelens), and not strengthen the Pentacle, so he condoned acts that brought one in closer communion with creation, and forbade acts that allowed chaos and evil to creep into one's soul. Why are these actions considered different? If an actions is fundamentally right or wrong, why should the context of that action matter? Do the Vestrians simply reply with something akin to "it is the will of Cael" or do they have some other explanation? Cael was a soldier...he killed people in defence of his own nation. Since he could not (or would not) commit acts that went against creation, the act of killing in self defence, or killing an opponent on the field of battle are considered acceptable acts. ("Cael will see the just intent of your actions, and forgive you for your sin") The Vestrians believe that the ends cannot be justified by the means ( a recent, and fairly liberal view), but the more traditionalist Caelens and Castillians are different, the believe the ends do justify the means, and therefor intent can change murder (of a robber) to self-defence, and stealing (to feed one's starving family) to self-preservation. Do they then hold that mortals are incapable of goodness or correct action without the guidance of Cael? If that is so, how do the account for seemingly right and good actions among unbelievers? Kind of. As I said before, they believe that Cael was the being closest to the innate goodness of creation, therefor his acts were innately good ("the justice of creation spoke through him"). Goodness does not come from Cael, it comes from the universe, but because he is now one with that goodness, every act of good strengthens him (so Caelens believe that even if people won't admit it out loud, every time someone commits a good or just act they are worshiping Cael...of course try explaining that to a worshiper of another deity...every time they do something good they are committing heresy;) ) I look forward to hearing more about the religion itself and its variants. It's on my to-do list A strong cultural identity then; it seems logical to me certainly. How syncretic is Vestrian culture? Is the culture clearly derived from a single source or does it have elements drawn from many places? Many elements and places. They have elements of pre-empire Roenic, Illastian, Dasnac, Dwarven, Gnomish and Halfling culture that formed the ancestral societies of the region, while modern day Vestenreich draws aspects from Caelea, Qalitz, Vestria, Headland, Gary and Rostem cultures. Are there any taboo food items among the Vestrians? For example, the Jaur do not eat any animal that does not live in or on the water, and some will only eat plants that similarly grow. I note a lack of insects and other arthropods in your list of foods. Do they find these inedible or classify them as "non-food"? I know it's a little cliché, but in deciding the foods, I decided to axe pork from the Caelen religion...I find that pork forms too much an all-purpose food in many regions of Europe, so to distance my region from Europe, I cut pigs as 'unclean food'. "They eat the rot and the corrupted flesh, that which has been tainted by Legros, and therefor are unfit for consumption." Essentially, anything that eats carrion is unclean, and pigs are known for scavenging anything, even flesh, therefor Caelens refuse to eat it. Likewise, carrion birds and many insects are unclean, because they to eat carrion. Everything else though is fair game. So they have good wine then eh? The Deraillians would argue that... Moving along: Are the Vestrians largely a temperence culture or do they consume wine and other such things as a regular part of the meals? Also, how acceptable is drunkenness as a form of release? Alcohol is widely consumed with meals, and drunkenness, though looked down upon as 'crude and uncivilized', is not uncommon. What an excellent idea! Giving and example architectural style I should so that. . . Just as soon as I find a style that fits (somehow 1 part Chinese imperial, 1 part Venetian, with 3 parts Gaudi (http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/brgordon/images/eurotrip2003/images/Gaudi-House.jpg), and generally baroque atmosphere with subtle touches of Frank Lloyd Wright is difficult to find). I'm lazy, what can I say?:rolleyes: I didn't think I could quite give as detailed a description as you did, so I just went and said "their buildings look like this...WIKIPEDIA!!!". Your architectural style however looks...wild to say the least. Very interesting choice you've picked for them there! What do they consider to be modest, and what do they consider to be scandalous or in poor taste? Is showing the feet a problem? What about going about shirtless or without a hat? They are somewhat prudish, so modest would be covering all flesh except for hands, forearms and face/neck. Shirtless is generally considered poor tates unless one has been laboring for the day, then it is perfectly understandable. Feet should be covered, though some southern regions prefer sandals to shoes, mostly everyone considers at least some footwear necessary. Hatless, however, is perfectly fine...not common practice, and considered a little 'common', but acceptable nonetheless. Thar ye go! |
| SovietCanuck09-27-07, 01:17 AM | :bump:QUESTION!:bump: How comes that a "not that intresting but a kind'a cool idea" gets so many posts?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? !?!?!?!?! Have you ever thought about all the people who want to know whats all about but they can't cuz it'll take them to much time to read all this?!?!! I never made the first page.... never made it. Eh what mate? I don't really understand what you're getting at here... This is a collaborative world building project, so a lot of it is going to be boring...much of what we're doing in this thread is what most homebrewers do in their heads, and never post on the internet. We're doing the thought webs, mind maps and all that "fun" stuff...things that need to put down so everyone is working from a common set of paints. Others can get strait into the good bits, the interesting crunch and fluff because they're making all decisions predominately themselves (though of course most are extremely open to suggestions), while we have to bounce it back and forth until we've reached a happy medium. This makes it more tedious for the casual reader, yes, but for me it's part of the challange:D |
| LefferDP09-28-07, 08:47 AM | I've been reading through the thread, and... Can you give a concise list of what exactly needs to be done to join and get up to date? |
| SovietCanuck09-28-07, 10:30 AM | I've been reading through the thread, and... Can you give a concise list of what exactly needs to be done to join and get up to date? 1) Draw up a map for a triangle 2)Be creative!:D Really, alot of this is self driven, you choose to write about what you want to write about |
| LefferDP09-28-07, 12:24 PM | I am considering the main power, or one of the main powers, in my region would be a feudal society that possesses truely sophisticated biotechnology. Gathering exotic bloods so they can merge them into their own genetic code, genetically specialized servants/peasants, potent medicines (as in, modify your genetic structure to be immune to disease for a time), and the like. Many common folk would regard the artistocrats as "vampires" and they would do little to dispel this fact, employing intelligent animals such as wolves and bats as scouts and guards. I would think much of the genetic modification in the setting may have come from this region. So, the creation of the sea giants and sanguine may have roots here. Perhaps the origins are some piece of Kith technology that somehow escaped? Is this too out of whack? |
| Darth Syntax09-28-07, 02:57 PM | Well Leffer, it is deliciously weird which appeals to my own aethetic sensibilities. That said, without knowing more about your biothaumaturges it's hard to say how "out of whack" they might be. Just so long as they don't bulldoze the rest of the world outright I think you'll be fine. Besides, you'll have to compete against the transformative powers of arcano-psionic alchemy and , not doubt, other things. So, pick a region and start working on a map. If you need any help with maps, let me know. |
| SovietCanuck09-28-07, 04:57 PM | I am considering the main power, or one of the main powers, in my region would be a feudal society that possesses truely sophisticated biotechnology. Gathering exotic bloods so they can merge them into their own genetic code, genetically specialized servants/peasants, potent medicines (as in, modify your genetic structure to be immune to disease for a time), and the like. Many common folk would regard the artistocrats as "vampires" and they would do little to dispel this fact, employing intelligent animals such as wolves and bats as scouts and guards. I would think much of the genetic modification in the setting may have come from this region. So, the creation of the sea giants and sanguine may have roots here. Perhaps the origins are some piece of Kith technology that somehow escaped? Is this too out of whack? I agree with Darth...so long as your region lacks the ability to overpower any other region's specialties (Don's dragons and titans, Darth's aforementioned psionic-arcane-artifice-whatnot, and my industrial revolution tech), it should be perfectly fine. All our regions should be about equal in power, though in vastly different ways of course. Besides, your idea is brilliant...I'm getting some Simic (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/1090)/Lamordia vibes from your region. It's a very interesting idea you've thought up for your region, or at least that one nation within it, and could definitely lead to some interesting adventures, eh? Kith tech...yea, that could potentially work...Kith were (and still are) obsessed with genetic strength (strong bloodlines, marriages arranged by matriarchs to promote the strongest possible offspring), so it would make sense for them to have (or had) technology that does not exactly modify genetic codes, but can read and evaluate it, and potentially correct any major defects (minor changes are perfectly acceptable, one must evolve to stay strong, right?). If your nation explored the kith homeland anytime from their crash (a little over 1100 years past) to about the times the Caelens started to recover and stop their civil wars( about 600 years past), it would work...that could also explain why the Traveler shrouded their isle in fog...they were raided once, they don't want to have it happen again. Also, if your open for suggestions for regions to pick up, both 11 and 16 are parts of the supercontinent that haven't been claimed yet...just saying :D We'll...there's my ramblings, good luck! |
| DonThelonious09-29-07, 12:30 AM | Ahhhhh... I have been away to long:rolleyes: I finally got my home computer back online and so now I won't be limited to using my work PC. -- SovietCanuck- I really like what you have on the empires. If its possible I would love to get some of your world trekking Kith on my region. They would become less civilized of course and a lot more savage, I'm just picturing one in wearing bone/wood armor on the back of a dinosaur in the middle of a frothing rage... Scary. -- I now can get on with putting up the Welkins and their respective folios, as well as cultural details for each territory they control. So expect to see A LOT from me in the next few days. |
| DonThelonious09-29-07, 01:04 AM | Fallenstar Culture Overview- Region Relations The tribes of Fallenstar have little contact with the outside world, and like it that way. They use intermediaries when trading in the little outposts that dot the coastline and on some of the rivers. These intermediaries are always elected by tribal councils held every year for the good Welkin, and every 6 months for the dragon Welkin. Colonial outposts are shunned by all but the most adventurous natives, they are seen as centers for all unclean. The stationary nature of these settlements also means that they 'stink' as far as the natives are concerned. Treaties made with outlanders are often followed precisely, with the outlanders given very clear instructions to avoid making explorations to far from their forts on penalty of death. Religion The direct connection to their god and the strong ties to nature has made clerics obsolete. In their place has risen the Druid, as a symbol of both natures wrath and mortal heart. Good druids try to protect their charges with care and understanding, and to punish interlopers with the wrath of the mightiest storms. Evil druids on the other hand are there to cull the weak from their flocks, and they do so with a vigor. They see themselves as avatars of natural selection, removing the old and sick so that only the strong carry on for their respective race. In the eyes of all Fallenstar natives everything has a soul, and every soul is connected to the Earth Mother through her children, The Dragon and Titan Welkin. When a person, place or thing is born or made it is imbued with the essence of the Earth Mother and given the "Spirit Form" for life by its dominant Welkin. This new soul then grows and lives and experiences all it can in the course of its lifetime, whether its as short as a few seconds for the spark of flint that makes the fire or the eons of the mountains, then dies. At the moment of death the essence of the Earth Mother returns to her with all the memories that the Spirit Form was able to gather. The Spirit Form returns to its patron Welkin and is then used again for a new soul, thereby following the natural order of everything having a use for something. Resurrection is Welkin turf in terms of who can do it. Only a Welkin has the power to call the Essence of a soul back from the Mother, and only the Welkin know which Spirit Form belonged to the deceased. Spells like Resurrect, True Resurrect, Raise Dead, and Reincarnation always fail in this region. The only way to get a person brought back from the beyond is to go to a Welkin and get them to do it. It generally involved a VERY dangerous quest and membership with the Welkins respective clan. |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 02:31 AM | Ahhhhh... I have been away to long:rolleyes: I finally got my home computer back online and so now I won't be limited to using my work PC. ... I now can get on with putting up the Welkins and their respective folios, as well as cultural details for each territory they control. So expect to see A LOT from me in the next few days. Welcome back, mate! Looking forward to the incoming flood of information...been a while since we've gotten any significant fluff for your region, eh? SovietCanuck- I really like what you have on the empires. If its possible I would love to get some of your world trekking Kith on my region. They would become less civilized of course and a lot more savage, I'm just picturing one in wearing bone/wood armor on the back of a dinosaur in the middle of a frothing rage... Scary. Eh...I'm not so certain how well that would work out...maybe a naval caravan was wrecked upon one of your isles or something like that, and had to adapt to survive. The kith culture puts high emphasis 'civilized' behavior, however one of the most important goals of a kith is to survive...their population dropped from a billion to a thousand virtually overnight, so every life suddenly became an extremely valuable recourse for the continuation of the species...I could see some groups giving up their culture just to survive...eh, we'll see... I'm planning on getting my information up on them either tomorrow, or Sunday, so you can judge for youself then...I'm also thinking of doing something a little unorthodox with my region...each 'race' would be made up of a combination of species (elf, dwarf, human, xeph, kith), and national (Caelen, Qalitz, Roenic Castillian, Vestrian, Elven) aspects. So a an elf raised in Caelea would gain the physical traits of elves (graceful, frail, keen-eyed, resistance to magic), and the cultural aspects of Caelea (bonus to knowledge(relgion) and (nobility), bonus against evil outsiders, et al)...I'll see where I go with that... |
| Darth Syntax09-29-07, 03:05 AM | Thel, nice to see you back in the thread. So. your people find the cities of colonists "stinky" eh? I'll have you know that the Orothoi bathe at least every other day and take great pride in their hygine. So clearly your people must find the spices in their cooking and their incense to be off-putting. Crazy barbarians :D -- I'm also thinking of doing something a little unorthodox with my region...each 'race' would be made up of a combination of species (elf, dwarf, human, xeph, kith), and national (Caelen, Qalitz, Roenic Castillian, Vestrian, Elven) aspects. So a an elf raised in Caelea would gain the physical traits of elves (graceful, frail, keen-eyed, resistance to magic), and the cultural aspects of Caelea (bonus to knowledge(relgion) and (nobility), bonus against evil outsiders, et al)...I'll see where I go with that... I really like this idea as I think it addresses a very fundamental flaw in the rules for races as they currently exist: namely the fusion of biology and culture in the stats. If you don't mind I would like to make use of a similar system so that I can better fit the culture of my region into the stats. I suppose it might be a good idea to work out the purely biological stats and 'discard' all the cultural ones and then rebuild the races to fit each region. |
| LefferDP09-29-07, 03:44 AM | I really like this idea as I think it addresses a very fundamental flaw in the rules for races as they currently exist: namely the fusion of biology and culture in the stats. If you don't mind I would like to make use of a similar system so that I can better fit the culture of my region into the stats. I suppose it might be a good idea to work out the purely biological stats and 'discard' all the cultural ones and then rebuild the races to fit each region. I actually quite like how the Forgotten Realms offers regional feats to represent localities. Perhaps stripping away the cultural bits from the races and then offering regional feats to fill in the other bits would be a dandy way to handle the cultural aspect. |
| DonThelonious09-29-07, 07:54 AM | So. your people find the cities of colonists "stinky" eh? I'll have you know that the Orothoi bathe at least every other day and take great pride in their hygine. So clearly your people must find the spices in their cooking and their incense to be off-putting. Crazy barbarians :D Yes, bathing would be a good thing in ALL ways:P . As to my tribes finding everything all stinky, well, it has a lot to do with a whole lot of people living, working, etc. all in one spot. See my 'Crazy Barbarians' don't really understand the concept of urbanized life. They see someone relieve themselves in the same building they sleep in and think "Dear Welkin! These people are dirty savages! Who in their right mind would want to deal with the smell of last nights food?" I guess being nomads gives them a strange point of view. |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 10:54 AM | *coughs* Well, it's been a while since I've had a little time to sit down and think about things such as world-building...and I've sort of lost the original idea for the islands I'd been working on, so I think I'll move on towards the mainland. The theme, I think, will be magic - what if, after thousands of years, a secluded population developed a highly magical bent? Definitely something I'd like to explore. Plus, placing it next to the empires of Soviet (which, if I'm not mistaken, are against arcane magic) would create interesting tension. I dunno. I'll work on it. Darth Syntax, I'll Paint a map after posting this - after that's done, how shall I send it to you? |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 11:53 AM | *coughs* Well, it's been a while since I've had a little time to sit down and think about things such as world-building...and I've sort of lost the original idea for the islands I'd been working on, so I think I'll move on towards the mainland. The theme, I think, will be magic - what if, after thousands of years, a secluded population developed a highly magical bent? Definitely something I'd like to explore. Plus, placing it next to the empires of Soviet (which, if I'm not mistaken, are against arcane magic) would create interesting tension. I dunno. I'll work on it. They're not really against magic, per say, just strange, foreign or "demonic" magic (aka, anything not sanctioned by The Congress and The Imperial Church)...ahh, but unfortunately you're right next to Castillia, where witch burning is in fashion at the moment:D That could also explain why the Caelen Empire never expanded that far east...the magical skills of the people in your region held proved significant enough to hold off the legions and make it not worth their time to conquer you. Good ideas, now I'm interested in seeing your map! |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 12:25 PM | Great! Now, Let me just be clear - I'm on region three, no? Anyways, I just made the map, placing a geographical barrier (recently formed mountains) between the isthmus that conncects Castillia to...ehm...a currently unnamed region...however, I like your idea a little better - makes my inhabitants look good :P There magic would more than likely be demonic in the eyes of Castillia, I'll flesh out their practice of the same shortly. If there's any way to post a paint document, I'll do what I can after doing more homework. :rolleyes |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 01:41 PM | Great! Now, Let me just be clear - I'm on region three, no? Ayep...the other arctic supercontinet region. Anyways, I just made the map, placing a geographical barrier (recently formed mountains) between the isthmus that conncects Castillia to...ehm...a currently unnamed region...however, I like your idea a little better - makes my inhabitants look good :P The nation you're connecting to is actually Qalitz...Castillia is the peninsula to the north. The Qalitz are more academic, mercantile and philosophical than the Castillians...but they are also more imperialist, with a strong, unified army. But they too would likely get trounced by your wizards/sorcerers/whatnot :D There magic would more than likely be demonic in the eyes of Castillia, I'll flesh out their practice of the same shortly. Interesting...so conjuration/warlock magic then...definitely could cause conflict between the extremelya religious Castillians across the sea... If there's any way to post a paint document, I'll do what I can after doing more homework. :rolleyes You have to upload it onto the web first, before it can be posted on these boards. Both Darth and I use flikr (http://www.flickr.com/)to upload...but that requires a yahoo account. Other options would be Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/) or tinypic (http://tinypic.com/). But whatever you do, do not use imageshack...as they only give you a set bandwidth, and once that bandwidth is reached, you can't view the image anymore. Hope that helps! |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 02:16 PM | Hmm...Qalitz...I'll need to read up on my neighbors :D On magic - yes, conjuration would probably be big in my region. But, they'd more likely be viewed as heretics of some sort, as I'm thinking that they don't have any hard-and-fast line between arcane and divine magic. For example, it might be traditional for a magician to cast a spell or perform a ritual at a child's birth, a person's death, and so on. I'm working on uploading as we speak...but, be warned! The map is very much a tentative piece of work. I had a tiny bit of trouble orienting the triangle (both templates produce a triangle pointing down, so I dunno if my compass rose is pointing in the right direction for north) and the latitudes of the continent will probably be changed if it would make the climate too hot. Thanks for the links to tinypic, by the way. Photobucket asks for a ZIP, which is something I'm really not thrilled about giving away. |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 02:21 PM | All right...let there be... Link! (http://i22.tinypic.com/25s7f4l.jpg) No...that doesn't work. Please stand by... I'll get it eventually (<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.tinypic.com/25s7f4l.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>) wait for it (http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25s7f4l&s=2)... Aha! Success! |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 02:31 PM | Hmm...Qalitz...I'll need to read up on my neighbors :D No problem...Qalitz was the major nation in my region for the past hundred years, and is now in decline. I still have to write a blub for Qalitz...I'll put it on my to do list next (So current schedule is Kith, Races, than I'll do Qalitz, then Resonance Magic and Relgion...all subject to change of course) The other major region bordering yours isn't so much a nation as a large wilderness area filled with nomadic human and xeph tribes, the Horselands, whose primary form of magic is psionics (or 'spirit' magic) and who tend to have a fairly xenophobic outlook on everything (though they did manage to conquer the Caelen empire and rule it for about 100 years from the time of the fall 'till their government dissolved into infighting after the death of their charismatic ruler...) On magic - yes, conjuration would probably be big in my region. But, they'd more likely be viewed as heretics of some sort, as I'm thinking that they don't have any hard-and-fast line between arcane and divine magic. For example, it might be traditional for a magician to cast a spell or perform a ritual at a child's birth, a person's death, and so on. Sounds interesting...so magic is extremely ingrained in the cultures, eh? I'll let Darth do most of the picking, as he's a master at that, but it sounds really intresting. I'm working on uploading as we speak...but, be warned! The map is very much a tentative piece of work. I had a tiny bit of trouble orienting the triangle (both templates produce a triangle pointing down, so I dunno if my compass rose is pointing in the right direction for north) and the latitudes of the continent will probably be changed if it would make the climate too hot. Mate, your region runs from 30° north (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30th_parallel_north) to 90° north (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_pole), so you have a wide variety of climate zones to choose from here, no worries. So you can fit in your savage-civilized island to the north (maybe distant kin of the Roens, maybe nobles forced to leave by their subjects et al...I'll let you think about it) |
| LefferDP09-29-07, 02:44 PM | On magic - yes, conjuration would probably be big in my region. But, they'd more likely be viewed as heretics of some sort, as I'm thinking that they don't have any hard-and-fast line between arcane and divine magic. For example, it might be traditional for a magician to cast a spell or perform a ritual at a child's birth, a person's death, and so on. Perhaps the arcane spell casters like to take Arcane Disciple which give them access to cleric-like powers... Such as the Healing or ... Uh... Some domain that grants access to Raise Dead and Resurrection (if said domain exists). |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 02:48 PM | Well, I know the triangle encompasses the right climates, I'm just not sure I've situated the landmass properly...I'll work on it sometime later today, probably. So, Castillia and my region would probably have had fairly little contact, it seems. I'll have to keep that in mind. And yeah, magic is very much a part of their way of life. How exactly I'm going to portray that, I'm still working on, but I'm fairly certain that the races will be influenced by it, also. I don't know if I'm going to populate my landmass with humans, elves and co. just yet. A random idea I had earlier, though I'm not sure how well it'd work, but with such a restrictive government and religion in Castilla (I haven't read the entry yet, but that's the general idea I'm getting) wouldn't there be pilgrims? Maybe, early on, there was a migration of people fleeing the church so that they could practice their (magic/faith/whatever) in peace. They took with them a few trappings of the civilization they left, but have changed it so much at this point, they have a unique culture. Maybe those pilgrims could have fled to the Boreal Islands? |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 02:50 PM | Perhaps the arcane spell casters like to take Arcane Disciple which give them access to cleric-like powers... Such as the Healing or ... Uh... Some domain that grants access to Raise Dead and Resurrection (if said domain exists). Yeah, I'll think about that. At this point, I'm not too concerned about the nuts and bolts of DnD rules, but more with those of plausibility and so on within the context of the game. But that'd certainly be a way to portray their culture in game terms, come to think of it. Thanks for the input! |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 03:13 PM | Well, I know the triangle encompasses the right climates, I'm just not sure I've situated the landmass properly...I'll work on it sometime later today, probably. Er...yeah. Your region almost works with mine...but not quite. I've made a template here for you to muck around with here to help get it to work. If you need me to change anything with my region, just say so...I'm fairly flexable with most of the coastlines of Qalitz and Rimegaard. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1113/1458832169_851a582844_o.gif So, Castillia and my region would probably have had fairly little contact, it seems. I'll have to keep that in mind. Eh...certain nations of Castillia might (Bardrim, Stillia-Portoro, Halif) but most of them are too busy killing each other over a few acres of dirt to care much about you until your wizards try and visit...then we get a repeat of the Witch Scene from Holy Grail... And yeah, magic is very much a part of their way of life. How exactly I'm going to portray that, I'm still working on, but I'm fairly certain that the races will be influenced by it, also. I don't know if I'm going to populate my landmass with humans, elves and co. just yet. So many options, so little time, eh?:D A random idea I had earlier, though I'm not sure how well it'd work, but with such a restrictive government and religion in Castilla (I haven't read the entry yet, but that's the general idea I'm getting) wouldn't there be pilgrims? Maybe, early on, there was a migration of people fleeing the church so that they could practice their (magic/faith/whatever) in peace. They took with them a few trappings of the civilization they left, but have changed it so much at this point, they have a unique culture. Maybe those pilgrims could have fled to the Boreal Islands? Yes...there would be worshipers of the old gods/elves who feared for their lives who fled Castillia as Cael's power was rising. They could very much have headed for your region in hopes that they would be more accepting of their faith/ways...particularly if the Roens originally came from your region 5000 years (or so) ago... The main Caelen religion evolved from hero-worship of the general/emperor Cael, who drove the elves from the Caelen region...so oppression would have come more from the populace attacking others who disagree with them rather than an organized religious oppression. Hope this helps! |
| LefferDP09-29-07, 03:45 PM | I do believe I will claim 16, as suggested. Northwind: Your map seems quite off compared to the geography of 9 and 19. When you get the upside down triangle into pain, just use Image->Rotate->Flip Horizontal to give you a right side up triangle. Then, you might consider pushing your next door neighbor up against it to get the lines more or less right. You can observe my WIP for what I mean (my region borders yours to the south, but it's just the tip): http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1216/1459730152_3c9dbb83e0_o.jpg Anyway, something of significance you can note is a massive desert empire in the lower left hand corner of your map... It is probably not possible to just drop off directly into the sea from there. This is also a point of contention between Areus and Soviet's Maps, though... The horselands' political boundary seem to not take into account the presence of an empire to the south. Right, onto my own region. I plan to expand the Kedarra Empire into my region's northlands, blocked by the dwarven mountains to the south to keep invasions to a minimum. Much of the biotechnologically advanced kingdom will be made up of feuding city-states where the rulers keep the populace in check via a personal genetic guard, which determines prestige. Thus, the royalty is those that control a particularly powerful set of bodyguards called Ochotneek (Pardon my atrocious Russian), or "hunter," a both bestial and intelligent humanoid that prefers violent action, but is rather obedient. Some large portion of my area will be controlled by malicious, carnivorous, and cannibalistic fae. I think the classic name "Black Forest" may have to be co-opted for this region. The fae have a sophisticated system of status involving the long knives they use as weapons. Essentially, they would add bits and pieces of sharp blades and magical bits to the the weapon as marks of status until it became a bizarre and deadly looking mass of sharp points and poison. The fae breed fast and could live long, but the violence inherent in their society means most catch a knife in the back before they become truly ancient. Trespassers would be a welcome diversion and elaborate traps are laid through illusionary magic and the like. Nothing delights these creatures more than utterly crushing the spirit of an enemy before they move on to more physical forms of torture. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and declare my area "horror themed"... |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 04:08 PM | Alright, I'll need to work on the map, it seems. Thanks for pointing that out, Leffer, it would have been sort of weird if my map doesn't fit properly. I'll post draft two shortly. But, the only other region bordering three is Soviet's, and I'll be working with the template that was provided, so the next draft should be all neat and spiffy. |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 04:16 PM | Anyway, something of significance you can note is a massive desert empire in the lower left hand corner of your map... It is probably not possible to just drop off directly into the sea from there. This is also a point of contention between Areus and Soviet's Maps, though... The horselands' political boundary seem to not take into account the presence of an empire to the south. The Horselanders are like that, though:D They frankly don't care where you say your border is...the steppes are their lands, and no empire is going to tell them where they can and cannot graze their beasts. Much of the biotechnologically advanced kingdom will be made up of feuding city-states where the rulers keep the populace in check via a personal genetic guard, which determines prestige. Thus, the royalty is those that control a particularly powerful set of bodyguards called Ochotneek (Pardon my atrocious Russian), or "hunter," a both bestial and intelligent humanoid that prefers violent action, but is rather obedient. Some large portion of my area will be controlled by malicious, carnivorous, and cannibalistic fae. I think the classic name "Black Forest" may have to be co-opted for this region. The fae have a sophisticated system of status involving the long knives they use as weapons. Essentially, they would add bits and pieces of sharp blades and magical bits to the the weapon as marks of status until it became a bizarre and deadly looking mass of sharp points and poison. The fae breed fast and could live long, but the violence inherent in their society means most catch a knife in the back before they become truly ancient. Trespassers would be a welcome diversion and elaborate traps are laid through illusionary magic and the like. Nothing delights these creatures more than utterly crushing the spirit of an enemy before they move on to more physical forms of torture. Very, very neat ideas. Really like the fey...brilliant twist on the normal theme there. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and declare my area "horror themed"... DO IT!!!:D It will work fairly well...I don't think we have a horror themed region yet...maybe some areas are horror themed, but not the entire region, so yours would be the first |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 04:50 PM | Yeah, the fae are amazing. Speaking of biotechnology...you've never read Monster Blood Tattoo, do you? Also, I'm still having a bit of trouble interpreting the map - I can't seem to match the template you posted to the region map on page 1. If it's possible, I'm thinking of jumping a region to the left - six borders yours, so the dynamic between the witch hunting people of Castillia and the magicians of my region can still be kept...minus the headache of filling out the continents. Looking at both regions nine and nineteen, I'd have to fill out the edges of those continents - it'd be weird if they were to just end abruptly. I hadn't taken Areas's region into account. If it's alright to do so, of course. |
| SovietCanuck09-29-07, 04:59 PM | Try the template I posted above...I was able to link your region to mine pretty quickly using autoREALM...you should be able to do so using paint I uploaded what I did, so you could take a look: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1103/1459257777_0b32bc0bb2_o.gif |
| NorthWind09-29-07, 05:19 PM | Oh, I see it now. Alright, I'll stick with what I've got, though I might make the northern landmass a bit more broken up (producing more islands) and perhaps tilt the southern mainland a bit so that it runs diagonally NE to SW, leaving for a potentially cooler climate, and I'll place a few islands in the Mediterranean areas in the southern edge. (Thanks for putting that together, by the way. I'll make a second draft as soon as I can) |
| DonThelonious09-29-07, 07:05 PM | Soviet/Northwind- Great ideas with the tension between your two nations:cool: . -- LefferDP- A horror theme...:plotting: . That would work really well with the world overall, Im curious as to whether or not you have ever messed with Ravenloft? They had some pretty weird 'experimental' people that would correlate well with your bioengineering. Also when I read about your Fey I couldn't help but think of the Gray Jester from Tome of Horror. I think a country run by those would be a wickedly evil fun place:devil: :mymy: . |
| Darth Syntax09-30-07, 12:53 AM | Gah! I leave for the better part of a day and look what happens. Ideas everywhere, tons of posts to respond to, and me without my usual computer. le sigh. -- Soviet: Thanks for taking up the burden of cartography, I've been away from home today (and will be till monday) so it will be a while before I can get back to mapping. -- NorthWind: You've got some interesting ideas for your region, and I look forwards to hearing a bit more about it. As to your map, the advise of the others is good so I'll reserve any real commentary until you get your next draft up. When you have your map in a reasonable shape all you have to do is post it in the thread and I can go and get the file I need to draft it in the current style. If you would prefer to e-mail it to me, just PM me and we can go from there. -- Leffer: I like the 'horror' theme and I think it would be a nice addition. It gives some additional variety to the setting, which will be good. I also like your cannibalistic fae. Do you have any notion of which existing fae (if any) you might make use of? I know the grey jester was already suggested and I would like to as the red cap and the shadar-kai as possibilities. Of course if you plan on making your own fae, please go right ahead. -- When I have a bit more time and all I'll do the usual Socratic thing with all of these excellent new ideas. |
| DonThelonious09-30-07, 09:00 AM | Tribes-:lop: Titan Welkin Government Type: Council Of Clan Elders Ruling Welkin: Theron Of The Three Horns Current Leaders: Jajij Trikeson(LN Male Dwarf Fighter5/Druid2), Chelja Thunderfoot(CG Female Gnome Barbarian2/Beast Rider4), Tsolal Ironheart(LG Male Dwarf Paladin of Theron5) Population: About 150,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% dwarf, 30% gnome, 5% goblinoids (slaves), 3% Halfling, 2% other Capitol: Theron (Temple-City) Beast Totem: Triceratops War Beasts: Zuniceratops, Bellusaurus Nominal Alignment: TN (Has strong aspects of Law and Chaos that balance each other. Government Type: Druidic Ruling Welkin: Ordiana Of The Deep Woods Current Leader: Ordiana’s Child(NG female Halfling Druid6/Barbarian1/Beastrider3 Population: About 200,000+ Economic Type: None Species Demographics: 70% halfling, 20% elf, 5% human, 5% other Capitol: Temple Of Ordiana Beast Totem: Ceratosaurus War Beasts: Ceratosaurus, Dire Bat Nominal Alignment: NG Government Type: Druid's Circle Ruling Welkin: Paisangue the Blood Father Current Leaders: Firona Leitor da Nuvum (NG female gnome Druid10), Rumthon Irmão da árvore (TN male Gnome Druid7/ Barbarian1/ Beast Rider2), Armand Filho de Dino (NE male Gnome Druid 6/Ranger4) Population: 100,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 80% Gnome, 15% Halfling, 3% Human, 2% Other Capitol: Fathers Beast Totem: Protoceratops War Beasts: Protoceratops, Saurolophus Nominal Alignment: TN The Paisanguen, or in common 'People of the Blood', are a secretive and mysterious tribe inhabiting the central hills and valleys of the eastern island. They patrol their lands on the backs of Protoceratops while their nomadic villages follow herds of massive primitive cattle called Bestalimnos (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13984803&postcount=1142), their Navioterras homes sometimes pulled along by the great Saurolophi. The massive Paisanguen wagons have been a suprise to many outsiders upon first sight. They appear to be nothing less than great wheeled ships, complete with sails, rigging, and even a small ceremonial anchor. The origins of the Navioterras wagons of the paisanguen are lost in myth. The story goes that in ages past, over 2000 years ago at least, the gnomes came over to this land before the star fell from the heavans. They sailed great ships out over the open sea, from a land they called Argent. They came across the seas in search of a new home, away from demons called the Troklion and the Kyoiln. Life was good for them until the day the star fell, that day the seas boiled and their once nautical culture was forced to move inland. It took many hundreds of years for the seas to calm, but in that time they had lost their seagoing heritage, becoming one with the lands around them. The great Navioterras are all that remains of their nautical heritage. The Navioterras, or in common "Land Ships", are about 80ft. long X 40ft. Wide X 30ft. tall. Three massive wheels built inside the ships along what was once the keel are the primary means of movement, with two smaller (though still giant) wheels on either side acting as blancers. Skilled Paisanguen Capitão have been known to catch a good wind and not even need the side wheels for miles at a time. Set at each end, the for and aft sections, are huge windmills that also catch the wind and help with locomotion. Their Saurolophi generally follow along in herds tended by Protoceratops riders. Ethics and Beliefs: The Paisanguen hold to the belief that there is balance in all things. Their ruling Welkin, the great Titan Paisangue the Bloodfather, has taught them that only in balancing all aspects of self are the people able to move forward. For this reason the clans do not seek either law or chaos, for in those pursuits lie death to everyone. In law there is the risk of stagnation, for Paisangue teaches that while order is needed to get things done, to much order kills personal growth. This leads to entropy as the same thing is repeated over and over, until the whole collapses in on itself. In chaos there is the risk of overstimulation. for Paisangue teaches that while chaos keeps the Gnomish mind working, to much chaos will weaken the community. A well told proverb from the followers of Paisangue states: "One rock, thrown into the pond, causes a passing disturbance. To many rocks fills the pond." When it comes to Good and Evil Paisangue teaches that both parts are needed to balance the whole. Leadership can only be maintained if all sides of the coin are seen, so evil is an accepted and celebrated part of the whole. For every good act there should be an equal and opposite evil act. It has been said that evil begets evil, but for the clans of Paisanguen, it begets good and vice versa. The purpose of all this is to give meaning to all things. When evil happens it is natural for good to come in and fill the void left behind, as others offer aid and charity. In this way an evil act can make a tribe stronger and re-establish the feelings of brotherhood and commraderie. The flip side is when good reaches the point that nobody expect an evil act. Then evil comes in and removes that sense of false-security, leaving the void mentioned above. It seems like a vicious cycle, but its needed for growth. Clans of the Paisanguen: The clans, or 'Unidafamil' in their native tongue, of the Paisanguen are very secretive with all outsiders and even other clans. This tribe fears the unknown. They stay secretive in the hopes that bad things and bad situations will not notice them and simply pass them by. Within the village of any particular clan, dress is modest at most. But in the presence of outsiders or other Unidafamils they cover themselves from head to toe in cloth, the somber dark colors vary depending on the clan. They also wear elaborate masks to ward off any evil spirits that may be accompanying others. These mask are simple affairs, usually just smooth polished wood, with simple almond shaped eye holes and a black or red shroud to cover the sides of the face and the head. The Paisanguen figure that if one were to wear some elaborate and fancy mask to frighten an evil spirit away, that spirit is going to remember what was done to it, and come back for revenge. So the easiest way to avoid that is to not even draw attention to yourself to begin with. The only time a member of the Paisanguen will reveal themselves to outsiders is when they go to war. Then, astride their painted protoceratops, they charge into battle wearing only maniacal grins and elaborate body paint. The designs they have painted on them at these times are meant to signal to all the spirits that the warrior may soon join them, and he or she would like them to see and know their potential brother or sister before death comes. There is a saying amongst the kobolds of the Pown-Dajji that goes "If I am lying, may a Paisanguen c:censored:k pass my eyes." The Paisanguen are taught that their fate is already decided, and if they are destined to live through a battle then why not make the most of it. If one is destined to die on the other hand, they want the spirits to see that they were fearless in life, so are to be respected in death. Paisanguan Warpaint: This highly saught after pigment looks just like regular war paint, but when it is applied it grants a Natural Armor bonus to AC ranging from +2 to +10 depending on the color. It takes one full round to apply and the effects last for 24 hours. Each compact is good for 10 applications before it is empty. Green: +2 AC Yellow: +4 AC Orange: +6 AC Red: +8 AC Black: +10 AC Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Barkskin; Creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed on the pigment; Price 3200gp (+2), 12,800gp (+4), 28,800gp (+6), 51,200gp (+8), 80,000gp (+10);Weight - Fallenstar warpaint was the creation of the Paisanguen tribe of gnomes, to help keep naked warriors alive in battle. The secret of its creation was a closely guarded secret, as it was only given to those members of a tribe going to war. The penalty for a non-Paisanguen to have it is death. After one particularly gruesom battle, several decades ago, a bit of the Yellow paint was captured by the Pown-Dajji, who quickly made their own variant, though it is limited to a max of +4. Since that time other tribes have picked up the process, and have begun manufacturing their own variants. None have been as successful as the Paisanguen in their endeavers though, and the secrets of making the more potent orange, red, and black are still closely guarded. Dress: As stated earlier, in the presence of non Unidafamil members, a Paisanguen will wear cloth wrappings of solid colors. In more relaxed settings, within the safety of the Fortresangue, they wear simple kilts and loose shirts. Each specific Unidafamil has its own preferance of cut and style, one uniting theme is the love of stripes and bright clashing colors. The Political Structure of the Paisanguen: The Unidafamils of the Paisanguen all pay homage to their Welkin, Paisangue the Bloodfather. Seving directly under him are the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam, the great druidic council. The Vildo Sangue das Natuzam are very strongly religious, and it shows in every facet of their politics. The druid circles predict where the Bestalimnos herds are likely to travel next, as well as what the seasons will bring. They decide when the time for war is at hand and how to go about that war. They know where the best grazing land is for the dinosaurs and where and how to get the most water. The triad leaders of the tribe are chosen by Paisangue himself every 10 years, from amongst the wisest of all the clans. The Bloodfather does rule in some ways directly, and he has a very great interest in his people. He wants them to rely on themselves more than on him though, finding their own solutions to problems and their own judgement. He will intervene directly when he feels they are being overy foolish, or going against his teachings. Though primarily a Gnomish tribe, there have been several non Gnomes gracing the great halls of the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam. Most notable of them was Alianna Mãepequen, Bride of the Bloodfather. Also known as the "Small Mother", she made peace with the fey of her homelands as well as one of the most brutal war chiefs ever. Her campaign against the Pown-Dajji was the most violent and bloody (for the Pown-Dajji) in all of the Paisanguen history. Dragon Welkin Government Type: Council Of Elders Ruling Welkin: Adjeort The Green Death Current Leaders: Iqueoth Chuk (LE male goblin Druid7/Barbarian2/Beast Rider3), Thith Bloodlover (LN female goblin Monk6) Population: About 500,000+ Economic Type: Strong arm Species Demographics: 60% goblin, 30% kobold, 10% other (slaves) Capitol: The Adjeorts Heart Beast Totem: Dire Wolves War Beasts: ½ green dragon/ ½ dire wolves Nominal Alignment: LE Government Type: Allied Clans Ruling Welkin: Hatiroth The Black Cloud Current Leaders: Dultork Blackhand(CE male orc Barbarian5/Beast Rider3), Gorka Ironlung(CN female ½orc Barbarian3/Druid4 Population: About 200,000+ Economic Type: None Species Demographics: 60% orc, 20% 1/2orc, 10% human, 5% Ogre, 3% slave, 2% other Capitol: Necropolis Of Hatirothia Beast Totem: Huge Crocodile War Beasts: ½ Black Dragon/ ½ Huge Crocodile, Huge Crocodile Nominal Alignment: CE Strongly undead worshipping!!!! Government Type: Direct intervention Ruling Welkin: Pown-Daj the Red Death Current Leaders: The Disciple of Pown-Daj (NE female 1/2 Red Dragon/Kobold (Sorcerer4/Rogue3) Population: 120,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% Kobold, 20% Lizard Folk, 10% Slave, 5% Goblin, 5% Other Capitol: Ereshkigal Palace Beast Totem: Stokesosaurus War Beasts: Stokesosaurus, 1/2 Red Dragon/ 1/2 Stokesosaurus Nominal Alignment: NE The Pown-Dajji are a brutal and vicious offshoot of the typical kobold. They are neither cowardly nor weak, taking strength from their Welkin, the great red wyrm, Pown Daj the Red Death. The only vestiges of their pathetic past is their mastery of traps and unsurpassed skill at ambush. Their sworn enemies, the Paisanguen, have felt the bitter taste of a well laid Pown-Dajji trap on countless occasions, and have coined the oath "I'll be pricked with a Powni needle first." The Pown-Dajji control the long volcanic chain of mountains that runs along the eastern islands center, a blasted range formed by the Fallenstar, which is full of towering peaks and smoking volcanoes. They patrol this land astride their vicious and predatory stokesosaurus mounts. The greatest Pown-Dajji warriors are granted one of the fabled children of the Welkin Pown-Daj, the fearsome Kalivati, an abominable cross of their regular Stokesosaurs and her burning dragon blood. A long standing war between the Pown-Dajji and the gnomes of the Paisanguen has claimed many lives on both sides. To outsiders this seems to stem from the Paisanguen controlling large tracts of good farming land. The Pown-Dajji covet the flatter grasslands of the Paisanguen for farming. The main reason for their animosity though is that their respective Welkin are sworn enemies, Titan vs Dragon, and would like nothing more than to see the end of one another. Ethics and Beliefs: The great dragon Pown-Daj teaches her followers to believe in the superiority of their Reptilian blood. Only those with scaly skin are considered real people. All other races are mere stains to cleaned out. Some serve a purpose beyond spear decoration, and these races are destined to be the slaves of the great Pown-Dajji people, especially the hated gnomes. The Pown-Dajji are taught from birth that only the strongest hatchling from any clutch can survive. This attitude becomes horrifically apparent when the young Pown-Dajji reach their 10th birthday, when all clutch-mates must enter the 'Pit'. In the 'Pit' they are given enough food for 2 out of every 5 to survive on and told to find their way out of the other side. The 'Pit' is an unholy passageway stretching miles uder the mountain beneath Ereshkigal Palace. It is full of traps and the freakish offspring of Pown-Daj and some the less wholesome creatures living there. Only the strongest, fastest, and smartest young Pown-Dajji make it out alive and recieve their ceremonial Gadar Kukri. The Gadar Kukris are made of copper and then fortified and strengthened with magic. Outsiders have often wondered as to how the Pown-Dajji feel about their goddess propagating with other species. The truth is they see the dragon as a source of strength, so when she chooses to bless a creature with 1/2 breed offspring then those offspring become holy. They see nothing wrong with her doing these things. Clans of the Pown-Dajji: The clans of the Pown-Dajji are broken down into three groups: The Fakiir- These are the most feared of the clans, and are the favored of Pown-Daj. They are all descended from Pown-Daj directly (some by just a single generation) and are identified by their quick minds, elaborate scarification on the face and neck, and vicious Kalivati war mounts. It is from these clans that the Disciple of Pown-Daj is often chosen. The Acharya- The middle classes of the Pown-Dajji, these clans interpret the word of Pown-Daj and act as teachers and spiritual guides for the Pown-Dajji peoples. They are best recognized for their inability to speak, since upon reaching adulthood their tongues are cut out. This is done to ensure that everyone they teach must learn to read and write in proper Dajjian. This also help to limit the Acharyans from from becoming powerful spellcasters for without the ability to speak they are seriously hampered. The Harijan- These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji tribes, and are the lowes caste composed of workers, slavemasters, merchants, farmers, herdmasters and simple common folk. They are easily identified by the symbolic dragon tattooed on their face upon reaching adulthood. These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji army. Marraige between castes is not uncommon. The Pown-Dajji believe that ones station in life is decided by ones mothers side, since they worship a female Welkin. What station the father had matters little, he is seen as little more than a breeder, so if ones mother was a Fakiir then you will be born into the Fakiir as well, even if your father was a simple Harijan herdmaster. Dress: The Pown-Dajji generally dress in simple leather robes, and thong sandals. Warriors often wear a patchwork clolak made from pieces of his enemies skin, as well as elaborate headdresses made from the feathers of the rare and mystical Coralorax bird. Common colors are red, green brown, and dark gray. Females of this tribe often burn design into the leather, family crests being the most popular choice. The Political Structure of the Pown-Dajji: The great red wyrm Welkin, Pown-Daj, takes a very active roll in the rulership of her tribe. Every seven years, from the ranks of the Fakiir half dragons, she choses a new disciple to act as her intermediary when she is indisposed as well as seeing to the more mundane tasks of running everything. The new disciple is always a female. The previous disciple is, of course, sacrificed and then consumen by the new disciple before she can take office. This simple solution guarantees that there will be no animosity between old and new, and also acts a way of affirming the new disciples place as The Disciple Of Pown-Daj. The dragon does not intervene on this. Outsiders have suggested that she would naturally have favored Desciples, when in fact there are no favored Disciples. Pown Daj believes this helps to affirm her place as a dispassionate goddess. I will be editing all the tribes here to add fluff and some important customs for each. I just wanted to get some more up before I did all that. -- Also as you can see I am basing the societies and cultures on on R/L peoples. The Pown-Dajji are meant to be Indian, the Hatirothian are to be Russian, Adjheort are to be Native American, Paisangue are Portuguese, Ordiani are to be Celtic/Gaelic, and the Theronian are Greek/German. If any of this makes sense I will be suprised since I am posting this at 6am. |
| NorthWind09-30-07, 10:14 AM | Okay...production update - I've nearly got Draft 2 done, in terms of landmass and coastlines...and it looks like I'm going to have to scrap the Boreal Islands, since the Ithu' Kut lands can't just drop off into the sea - that mountain range has to keep going. At first I thought maybe the Boreal Islands could be the peaks of flooded mountains, but I'd still be cutting off the Ithu'Kut lands. So, I think I'll incorporate a few elements of the Boreal culture into the mainland, and make a different, unexplored archipelago to the south east of the mainland. So, anyways, here it is: Map the Second (http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5p1zxf&s=2) I left Soviet's region in there for comparison. Once I'm solid on the map, I'll start to work on names, culture, trade and history (not necessarily in that order) |
| Darth Syntax09-30-07, 11:57 AM | Im also having trouble finding a good language translator, or better yet a way to come up with a new language. I remember you guys going over some of that earlier so if any of you could help me with that I would like that muchly. I just hate not having a common baseline for names and places. What sort of language are you thinking you might need/want. I conlang a bit so I might be able to help you sketch an outline of a sound system and some very basic grammar. I probably will not have the time to delve into the intricacies of the syntax or the finer shades of semantics, but it would be a start. |
| LefferDP09-30-07, 03:51 PM | City-States of Khauskov Each of the Dvoryanin ("Aristocrat") are actually each unique races made from an amalgam of various other creatures. Therefore more detailed statistics are probably necessary for each based on the genetic information their fore bearers focused on. In general, they tend to be tall, sinewy and pale, but whatever sort of temporary mutation they may be using might affect this. Some tend towards the demoniacally handsome or hideous to the angelically pure or beautiful. Lesser genetic mutants have individual names depending on what task they perform, but are generally referred to as krestyanin or "serf." The primary religion revolves around worship of the Blood God (yet to be named). Typical religious practices involve dropping bits of one's own blood onto the altar. This is done only about once a month, though some priests suffer from consistent anemia. The country is heavily urbanized due to the sheer number of genetic abominations living in the plains between cities. Any given Dvoryanin's troops can only cover patrol a certain size area, therefore limiting the city-state's scope. Capital: Sarzan Government Type: Monarchy Economic Type: Feudalism Current Leader: Tsar Sacha Khauskov (NE Dvoryanin Aristocrat 2/Expert 8/Fighter 8) Both a physical and mental powerhouse, even amongst the Dvoryanin, Sacha's tactically brilliance has quelled more than one attack that might have toppled a lesser man. Land Area: ~1,000 sq miles Population: ~180,000 Species Demographics: Human 10%, Dwarf 10%, Elf 10%, Goblin 10%; krestyanin 60% Urbanization: 50% Urban; 50% Rural Military Name: Ochotneek Alignment: CN Genetic Description: Feral humanoids Numbers: 562 Traits: Hands down the most powerful and utterly loyal of the genetic soldiers, these creatures live for a good fight. Consider the Myakee utterly inferior to themselves. Name: Myakee Alignment: LN Genetic Description: Psionically Gifted Humanoids Numbers: ~3,000 Traits: Slow moving, but psionic abilities allow them to monitor and hold an area well enough. About half serve as a rural warning/ward system to drive off possible mutant incursions, the other half maintain constant vigilance over the city's populace. Religion: Blood God Major Languages: Khauskovan Nominal Alignment: LE Sarzan houses the ancestral castle of the Khauskov's as well as the incredibly long-lived Ochotneek. The presence of other city states in all directions means attacks from rivals are more common than mutants, but the Tsar still remains cautious. Volk Government Type: Monarchy Economic Type: Feudalism Current Leader: Kirill Vadimov (LE Dvoryanin Aristocrat 6/Expert 6) More ambitious than most, Kirill believes Sacha will either reward his loyalty or present an opening, given time. Land Area: ~400 sq miles Population: ~80,000 Species Demographics: Humans 25%; Goblins 35%; krestyanin 40% Urbanization: 55% Urban; 45% Rural (most of the krestyanin are found here) Military Names: Volkov Alignment: Usually LN Genetic Description: Humanoid Wolves Numbers: ~2,000 Traits: Able to quickly cover ground, powerful combatants in groups, but weak when alone and outnumbered. Many patrol the population in human guise via use of genetic modification leading to werewolf myths. Religion: Blood God Major Languages: Khauskovan Nominal Alignment: LN with LE tendencies Volk is located in the open plains and therefore the Volkov are almost necessary to allow rapid transit between the edges, as mutants may attack from any side. Dyaravo Government Type: Monarchy Economic Type: Feudalism Current Leader: Yerik Fjodorov (TN Dvoryanin Expert 14) The most scientifically inclined of the Dvoryanin, much of his research focuses on perfecting plant life. His land is abnormally fertile to begin with, but the special techniques make it even more so, allowing him to support a large population. This offers him more protection than his lack of any military, diplomatic or economic knowledge would normally provide a ruler. Land Area: ~600 sq miles Population: ~200,000 Species Demographics: Human 10%; Elf 25%; Halfling 15%; Gnome 20%; Myconoid 10%; krestyanin 20% Urbanization: 64% Urban; 36% Rural (most of the krestyanin are found here) It is popular belief that the Myconoid were originally developed by Yerik's ancestors as they are rarely found elsewhere in any great number. Military Names: Dyar Alignment: Usually TN Genetic Description: Spellwarped Treants (really) Numbers: ~600 Traits: Capable of absorbing the fey magics, these are really the only of the genetic modifications that can regularly enter and leave the Black Forest. In fact, they regularly use the forest a source of magical fuel, as they are incapable of healing normally otherwise. Irregulars: Dyaravo is the only city-state that can rely heavily on irregular forces, of which the myconoid make the largest chunk. Religion: Blood God Major Languages: Khauskovan Nominal Alignment: TN Lying next to the Black Foest, Dyaravo thrives on a small parcel of land through advanced farming techniques as well as plants bred specifically for particular conditions and ingenious pesticides. More to come |
| DonThelonious09-30-07, 10:38 PM | What sort of language are you thinking you might need/want. I conlang a bit so I might be able to help you sketch an outline of a sound system and some very basic grammar. I probably will not have the time to delve into the intricacies of the syntax or the finer shades of semantics, but it would be a start. I gave the listing at the bottom of my last post. I have given up on making an entire new language (an undertaking best left to those better able). Im now more interested in using real world societies that have interesting cultures and views of the world. These act better for a baseline anyways, IMHO. I will be posting my fluff later tonight. |
| SovietCanuck10-01-07, 11:46 PM | Okay...production update - I've nearly got Draft 2 done, in terms of landmass and coastlines...and it looks like I'm going to have to scrap the Boreal Islands, since the Ithu' Kut lands can't just drop off into the sea - that mountain range has to keep going. At first I thought maybe the Boreal Islands could be the peaks of flooded mountains, but I'd still be cutting off the Ithu'Kut lands... So, I think I'll incorporate a few elements of the Boreal culture into the mainland, and make a different, unexplored archipelago to the south east of the mainland. So, anyways, here it is: Map the Second (http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5p1zxf&s=2) ... Mate, you might want to check the lattitudes of your region here...the place you were considering placing the Boreal Islands was actually in the high artic....the northernest most point of the boarder of Rimegaard is almost on the the Arctic Circle...anything much north of that becomes extremely difficult to support anything besides nomadic lifestyles. The majority of your main landmass is arctic terrain...I'd hazard it's climate would be much like Siberia...which happens to be one of the most inhospitable locations on Earth. The southern peninsula on that landmass is at the 50th parallel...which runs through central Europe, so the climate would be favorable for developing states and kingdoms, but that starts to decrease the farther north you move. Just my little comments here...it can all be explained away by magic and stuff, but it you want to keep the Boreal islands, move the central landmass down further and tilt it more E-W, and you can fit the islands in on the north. The Mountains can drop strait off into the sea...on the west coast of Canada, it goes from mountain peaks to the Pacific ocean in a dozen kilometers. There doesn't have to be any tapering off...really, your idea for the Boreal Islands being flooded mountain peaks not only works perfectly, but has real world analogues. Hope this helps! |
| Darth Syntax10-02-07, 12:22 AM | The Canuck is right about the latitudes: placing the islands that far north is going to produce some very inhospitable conditions. Nome, Alaska is at about 64°N latitude and is just below the Arctic circle (at 66° 33′ 39″N) and is already well inside the area that often includes the arctic tree line (ranging from about 60°N to 70°N). I would think that putting the Boreal Islands at between 55°N and 60°N would produce a harsh but not utterly horrific climate. |
| LefferDP10-02-07, 01:39 AM | I also like your cannibalistic fae. Do you have any notion of which existing fae (if any) you might make use of? I know the grey jester was already suggested and I would like to as the red cap and the shadar-kai as possibilities. Of course if you plan on making your own fae, please go right ahead. Could you give a brief description and the book location of these fae? What latitude do rainforests/jungles generally begin at? And uh... What point on my triangle is that? (how many inches/cms from the bottom is good enough) |
| Darth Syntax10-02-07, 02:21 AM | Leffer, as to the evil fey (sorry for my 'misspelling', it's how I learned the word) I can give a brief account of them without getting into too much detail (and thus invoking the anger of the board-gods). Shadar-Kai (Fiend Folio, page 150) are shadow themed fey with a predatory and devious nature. They make use of stealth and shadow magic to hunt down and kill ordinary mortals. I can certainly see them as vicious and cunning cannibals. Red Caps (Monster Manual III page 138) are twisted little creatures drawn from Scottish folklore. They murder travelers who stumble across their homes and use the blood to dye their caps (hence the name). Basically they are mass-murdering 'super-natural' psychopaths. -- As to rain forests and jungles, they are found in the tropics (about 23°N to 23°S latitude) which would include most of your region. Only the bottom and top 7 degrees or so would not have the potential for truly tropical rain forests. Also, rain forests need access to rain (other wise the name would be highly confusing) and so tend to be situated near coasts. Other tropical forests can exist further inland, but they will not be rainforests. I've put some potential areas for rainforests on your map draft as well as marked the approximate locations of the tropics in red lines. I hope this helps somewhat http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1117/1470826969_6f8d821f4e_o.jpg |
| Dex10-02-07, 04:07 AM | Hi! I'd like to contribute to this mapping and world-making business, so if it's permitted I'd like to grab Region 1. I'll try to duplicate the map's quality myself so Darth Syntax can have one off. My zone's going to be a relatively minor politically and societally, but adventure and quite possibly resource rich. It certainly won't get in the way of any naval warfare, and might even be a place fought over for supply purposes. When I'm done with the map and at least some background I think I'll open a couple of locations for people to call dibs on for their bases or something. |
| Darth Syntax10-02-07, 04:28 AM | Dex, don't worry to much about making the maps "correct" unless you really want to. (If that is the case I can send you a .psd file with all the layer styles and such). Taking region 1 is going to put you on the trade routes from Ilaros (the continent of regions 4, 10, and 17) to Starfall and the Supercontinent which means there are probably going to be a large number of ships passing through the area. This will probably make the region something of a hot spot for piracy, proxy wars, and colonial development. Your people may not themselves be directly major powers, but they could well become an important factor in global trade. Do you have any ideas on the overall shape of your regional landmass(es)? If you want, feel free to spill over a bit into region 10 if you need. |
| DonThelonious10-02-07, 06:37 AM | AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH:banghead: :banghead: I seem to have all these really cool ideas and as soon as I sit down to type them up, BAM!!!!!! Writers block.... GRRROOOOWL:ahem: This is getting frustrating... -- Excuse me... Im gonna try to get the ball rolling....:thinks: |
| LefferDP10-02-07, 08:32 AM | My original intention was just to slap a template of some sort on the default fae in the SRD. Having different types raises some interesting ideas. Perhaps some sort of fae hierarchy? I was really thinking of them more like an incredibly dangerous adventure area, but it might be interesting to define an actual society. The more powerful fae would no doubt be on top of any canibalistic society... How do the fae spread? Do they have sexual reproduction? Is there some sort of odd way wherein they are formed periodically via mystic sources? Perhaps they evolve upward from natural phenomenon? A lightning strike in the Black Forest might spawn a Red Cap who may eventually become some even more savage fae? Perhaps people who wander into the forest might have their essense drained and reformed into that of a fae. And no problems on the different spelling for fae, we all know what the other means. |
| Darth Syntax10-02-07, 02:03 PM | My original intention was just to slap a template of some sort on the default fae in the SRD. Having different types raises some interesting ideas. Perhaps some sort of fae hierarchy? I was really thinking of them more like an incredibly dangerous adventure area, but it might be interesting to define an actual society. The more powerful fae would no doubt be on top of any canibalistic society... I think exploring an actual society of vicious fae could be fascinating. Perhaps the 'fae of place' (Dryads and the like) act as anchoring points for the fae community between which the 'wandering fae' (such as the shadar-kai) travel in their hunt for fresh food and victims. Also, the fae might not eat other fae all that often (perhaps only in ceremonies and the like) but prefer to eat ordinary mortals. There could be any number of reasons for this. The one that springs most readily to mind is that the more vicious fae prefer their prey to experience shock and fear of a level that only ordinary mortals experience. How do the fae spread? Do they have sexual reproduction? Is there some sort of odd way wherein they are formed periodically via mystic sources? Perhaps they evolve upward from natural phenomenon? I would imagine that fae reproduce in different ways depending on the variety. Some might do so in a more or less normal way but others might reproduce in more exotic ways. Dryads, for example, might literally be born out of trees of unusual age, red caps pop into being at locations of mass slaughter and so on. A lightning strike in the Black Forest might spawn a Red Cap who may eventually become some even more savage fae? Perhaps people who wander into the forest might have their essense drained and reformed into that of a fae. The idea of people becoming fae is an interesting one. What if ordinary cannibals (perhaps driven to desperation or those possessed by madness) slowly transform into some horrific fey as opposed to the more usual ghoul. The Windego template from the Fiend Folio might serve as an inspiration. |
| NorthWind10-02-07, 04:33 PM | Whoops, I missed your posts, Soviet & Darth. I had the sneaking suspicion that I had misjudged the climate range - I was under the impression that the southern side of the triangle was a Mediterranean climate, so I pushed everything a little farther north. The next draft will be in the works shortly, I'll re-orient the major landmass, and include the Boreal islands this time (I had planned on scrapping them, but in light of recent posts, I'll be using the idea of flooded mountains). |
| Darth Syntax10-02-07, 05:17 PM | NorthWind, I've drawn up a very rough schematic of some climate zones for a general polar region. Hopefully this will help somewhat. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1197/1473490386_77da599c00_b.jpg The southern portion of the triangle will begin to gradate into sub-tropical climates (including Mediterranean, but such a clime usually only occurs on the western coasts of landmasses). |
| Dex10-02-07, 09:28 PM | Dex, don't worry to much about making the maps "correct" unless you really want to. (If that is the case I can send you a .psd file with all the layer styles and such). I'd like to give it a shot. I've PM'd you with my hotmail address, as I'm guessing it's going to be quite a large file. |
| LefferDP10-03-07, 12:33 AM | Once upon a time, there lived a group of happy fae admist the Black Forest, which wasn't very black at all at the time. They frolicked and shared, and played the occasional mischevious prank on a visitor, but never anything dreadful. Then, one day, they were attacked by a massive creature made of swirling darkness. The creature devastated the landscape with its horrid breath and cut swaths of destruction through the fae groves. Eventually, a hero emerged from amongst the fae who valliantly fought the dark creature with his mighty spear. The creature was caught off guard by this bravely amongst the fae, who until this time had been attempting to decieve it with illusions as they ran. A massive wound forced it to retreat and the brave hero followed. As he gave chase, he became aware of a growing darkness. The very heart of the forest seem to pulse with corrupted energy. It seemed the creature had infected it before ever attacking the fae, and they had simply not noticed. He perused the creature right to the forest's heart, where it lay in wait. A fierce combat ensued and the hero was mortally wounded by the creature's sharp talons and corrupt breath. With the last of his strength, he plunged his lance into the creature's chest, tearing through shadow bone and flesh until the tip found some purchase in the thing's heart. The creature was not destroyed, but it was gravely wounded, and entered into a long, long sleep. Over time, the forest became corrupted, the blackness spilling into the very creatures of it, making the fae into ravenous monsters. The trees of the dryad became knarled and black, the mushroom rings of the pixie became overgrown with deadly fungus and the gentle sidhe protectors became the insatiable red caps. Still to this day, foolhardy adventurers journey into the forest, hoping to find the mystic spear or claim the black creature's power for its own. Few return, and even fewer still return sane. Or at least... So the old story tellers amongst the Dyaravo say. |
| DonThelonious10-03-07, 12:55 AM | Very, very nice Leffer. It makes me curious as to what kinds of treants might be prowling your woods, not to mention the Druids that must have been corrupted along with the forests. |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 03:11 AM | Leffer, its an interesting idea what with the corruption and all but I have an aesthetic question. Why is it that evil is often the result of corruption rather than some kind of original state? What if the storytellers are wrong and these particular fae have always been vicious cannibals and hunters of sentients? -- Gah! Bloody awful horrible writer's block! Gah! *ahem* Now then. I seem to be suffering from a rather horrific form of writer's block whereby I am overflowing with ideas for things to write about and no clue how to go about addressing them. So I beg of you all, my esteemed colleagues, to help the Cartographer find a bit of direction. I've ideas ranging from discussing the Thri-Kreen dominated lands of Yagjadat, the mysteries of the Architect Bugs (dwarf sized insects who build truly colossal termite-like mounds which seem to conform to strange mathematical patterns and who may possess a form of sentience), the 'true' nature of spellweavers, to explaining the origins of artificial flight (dirigibles, balloons, ornithopters and so forth). And of course there is much to be discussed about the Three Kingdoms, the other Maritime Republics, The Ejantuli, the Adósians, the mask-wearing people of Sronid, and so forth and so on. So, I ask you, what sort of things might you want to hear about? Shall I discuss the use of luxury soarwhales by the obscenely wealthy or something else? Help? Thank you for your time. |
| LefferDP10-03-07, 03:43 AM | Actually, I thought I'd make a couple different stories about it and have them all be true at once... I vote for the masked peoples. |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 03:51 AM | Actually, I thought I'd make a couple different stories about it and have them all be true at once... Superlative. I vote for the masked peoples. Ah the privacy obsessed Sron. Nothing like a culture that maintains that you can't show any part of your body in public so as to maintain privacy and good order. I'll work on them then. Or at least I shall try to do so. |
| Dex10-03-07, 03:56 AM | I believe that the most important (and possibly most prominent) of the various topics you mentioned is the invention of flying vehicles and their use, misuse and their effect on exploration and transportation, since these will likely have the greatest effect on other regions of the settings. However, I would love to hear about the Architect Bugs. As for my own section: Taking region 1 is going to put you on the trade routes from Ilaros (the continent of regions 4, 10, and 17) to Starfall and the Supercontinent which means there are probably going to be a large number of ships passing through the area. This will probably make the region something of a hot spot for piracy, proxy wars, and colonial development. Your people may not themselves be directly major powers, but they could well become an important factor in global trade. Curse you and your Detect Thoughts! That was exactly what I was going to do, what with the gunpowder cannons and such. Regional Name (for quick and easy reference): Spellstorm Sea RL equivalents: Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Caribbean. Geography, culture and climate: The Spellstorm Sea can be roughly divided into four components (divide the triangle up into four smaller equilateral triangles until I put a map out :D) Top Left: The Subcontinent of Deladas. Top right, and center: The Spellstorm Islands Bottom: Ebar Islands. Deladas – The Dark Continent The subcontinent of Deladas is perhaps the true frontier within the Spellstorm Sea, and little of the tropical continent is colonized. The coastline is frequently raided by pirates and marine bandits of the Spellstorm Islands, such that very few colonies by any of the elven empires have succeeded. There are no successful humanoid civilizations on Deladas beyond hamet-size, and it is untamed for the larger part, home to one of the (if not the) largest rainforest on the surface of the world. Unlike many of the other islands, it is plant life that dominates the food chain, with agressive and carnivorous species preying on the animal life. Ilarian colonists have learned the hard way that few ordinary folk return from the jungle after nightfall. Native, sentient plantfolk of varying species dwell in the sweltering shadows of the great trees, always watchful of trespassers who would try and fell their sires. Colonies sprout up for what boils down to three reasons. Firstly, Deladas is an untamed and significantly sized piece of land. People of all nations rush to this land looking for yet unfound veins of gold and other precious metals, while military interests have set about creating docks and harvesting the suitable trees for ships. Naturalists, Herbologists and a not-insignificant number of druids on pilgrimages come to study the unique ecology. Secondly, colonies and forts are constructed in order to form a beachhead to strike back against the pirates of the Spellstorm Islands, and as a safe harbor for ships traveling through the Spellstorm islands when piracy and bad weather prohibit travel. Lastly, the colonies are established to undermine the efforts of other nation's colonies. Raids between two colonies' forts can be deadly and cruel, but cement the victor's colony as the most prominent one in the region. This denies other countries' claims to territory, and allows them to claim additional land. People and Creatures of Deladas The native people of Deladas consist of a variety of sentient plant beings in an ordered castelike system. This system is based on the care and nurturing of the rainforest's carnivorous plants, such as the Orcworts, Yellow Musk Creepers and Dark Trees, which is ordered by the Adu'jas (Dragon 119). The Adu'jas form a kind of priesthood, listening to the forest and guiding the actions of the other castes. Vine horrors are the assassins and trackers of the caste system, able to sneak through almost any defences and strangle their foes with ease. Green Warders and Needlefolk are the 'gardeners' of this arrangement, and take care of transplanting new seedlings, hauling corpses and live victims to The Splinterwaifs serve as the soldiers of the Adu'jas' will, raiding colonial forts en masse and taking prisoners back to be consumed. They serve alongside the mindless Yellow Musk Zombies and near-mindless Wortlings in these raids. The Twig Blight (MM2) are the scavengers, and seek warm-blooded prey not just for their own nourishment, but dispose of the carcasses via carnivorous plants that have not fed recently, which keeps them alive. They seek prey within the jungle itself, blending into the underbrush easily and swarming foolish travelers. Animal life Giant bats, frogs, reptiles (especially poisonous serpents) and vermin live among the trees here, as well as Gorillions, normal and dire apes, tigers and elephants. Trade and Commerce The most valuable products that Deladas generates is lumber and the herbological extracts of the exotic plant life. Lumber is both in the form of luxury, high-quality timbers like mahogany and darkwood, and for use as ship masts (due to the fact that many of the trees are exceedingly tall, straight and lack branches except at the tops). While these could be sourced from elsewhere, Deladas is simply too convenient a location to harvest them from. Ships that set sail from the supercontinent headed for Ilaros can easily pick up timber along the way, and the supplies are already where they are needed most: in the colonial battlegrounds. Up next: the Spellstorm Islands! PS, thanks Darth Syntax, I am working on the map as I type (well, not right while I'm typing now but you get the idea). |
| DonThelonious10-03-07, 04:06 AM | Gah! Bloody awful horrible writer's block! Gah! *ahem* Now then. I seem to be suffering from a rather horrific form of writer's block whereby I am overflowing with ideas for things to write about and no clue how to go about addressing them. So I beg of you all, my esteemed colleagues, to help the Cartographer find a bit of direction. I've ideas ranging from discussing the Thri-Kreen dominated lands of Yagjadat, the mysteries of the Architect Bugs (dwarf sized insects who build truly colossal termite-like mounds which seem to conform to strange mathematical patterns and who may possess a form of sentience), the 'true' nature of spellweavers, to explaining the origins of artificial flight (dirigibles, balloons, ornithopters and so forth). And of course there is much to be discussed about the Three Kingdoms, the other Maritime Republics, The Ejantuli, the Adósians, the mask-wearing people of Sronid, and so forth and so on. So, I ask you, what sort of things might you want to hear about? Shall I discuss the use of luxury soarwhales by the obscenely wealthy or something else? Help? Thank you for your time. I as well would like to hear more on the masked peoples, seeing as how I plan on making one of my tribes follow a similar custom. -- :plotting: :lightbulb :evillaugh :schemes: In that order. --- Could we perhaps collaborate on this? Perhaps it would save me from my block as well...:bigeyes: |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 04:41 AM | I believe that the most important (and possibly most prominent) of the various topics you mentioned is the invention of flying vehicles and their use, misuse and their effect on exploration and transportation, since these will likely have the greatest effect on other regions of the settings. And now a brief word on flying machines. There are very few animals native to Ilaros that are capable of being used as flying mounts. There are no griffins, no pegasi, no enormous condors, and no giant eagly things. There are soarwhales but they are large unwieldy beasts that used either as bulk transport or as passenger vessels and they have a considerable disadvantage in that they cannot land. The flying machines therefore developed to fill the niche that would otherwise be occupied by creatures such as I listed above. Ballooning is an ancient art and is widespread throughout the region. Dirigibles have been around for some time and have been used as overland transport especially by the coastal powers. The ornithopter is, however, a new invention (of the last two or three decades) and has its origins in a toy made by dromites to amuse their post-larval young. The current ornithopters can only hold between one and three people and are somewhat complicated to use. However they are much more maneuverable than the dirigibles and balloons and have become tools for short distance courier missions, spying and the like. However, I would love to hear about the Architect Bugs Rest assured they will be fully described at some point. They've been part of my imaginings sense nearly the beginning of all of this and I've been shockingly slow in getting them written up. Curse you and your Detect Thoughts! That was exactly what I was going to do, what with the gunpowder cannons and such. Well, colonialism is clearly a theme in this world, so there you go. As to cannon, are your people going to make use of them as well or no? Regional Name (for quick and easy reference): Spellstorm Sea RL equivalents: Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Caribbean. What aspects of these RL analogues might you make use of? Will there be pirates rubbing shoulders with people suspected of being cannibals? What about excellent (and huge) masks? Deladas – The Dark Continent The subcontinent of Deladas is perhaps the true frontier within the Spellstorm Sea, and little of the tropical continent is colonized. The coastline is frequently raided by pirates and marine bandits of the Spellstorm Islands, such that very few colonies by any of the elven empires have succeeded. There are no successful humanoid civilizations on Deladas beyond hamet-size, and it is untamed for the larger part, home to one of the (if not the) largest rainforest on the surface of the world. What about colonies by other powers? I know that the Maritime Republics (Nacáil, Orothos, Genato, The Dominion, the League, The Free State and the Sanctuary) all have some degree of an overseas empire although it is mostly composed of trading settlements and the like on the coasts. Unlike many of the other islands, it is plant life that dominates the food chain, with agressive and carnivorous species preying on the animal life. Ilarian colonists have learned the hard way that few ordinary folk return from the jungle after nightfall. I like the plants. But then I think carnivorous plants are quite spiffy. Also, the 'correct' adjective for people from Ilaros is 'Ilaroi' :D Native, sentient plantfolk of varying species (such as Needlefolk, among others who will be added later when I find references) dwell in the sweltering shadows of the great trees, always watchful of trespassers who would try and fell their sires. I look forward to seeing how this shapes out. If you would like I can go through the monster books (I have most of them) and look for sentient plants that you might make use of. Colonies sprout up for what boils down to three reasons. Firstly, Deladas is an untamed and significantly sized piece of land. People rush to this land looking for yet unfound veins of gold and other precious metals, while military interests have set about creating docks and harvesting the trees for ships. Naturalist come to study the unique ecology. All very logical and so forth. And let us not forget the valuable plant resources and control of trade routes. Gold being something most of the Ilaroi don't value all that highly (to them gold is something that requires far more cost to purify than the actual value of the material). Secondly, colonies and forts are constructed in order to form a beachhead to strike back against the pirates of the Spellstorm Islands, and as a safe harbor for ships traveling through the Spellstorm islands when piracy and bad weather prohibit travel. How bad is the pirate problem in the area? Also, how likely are the pirates to be amenable to turning privateer for the right amount of wealth? Lastly, the colonists attempt to undo their rival nations' colonies. Raids between two colonys' forts can be deadly and cruel, but cement the victor's colony as the most prominent one in the region. This denies other countries' claims to territory, and allows them to claim additional land. May I say: "Yay for proxy wars" -- Thel, I would be more than happy to collaborate with you on masking traditions. From what I know of the Sron, they actually cover themselves from head to toe as part of their general privacy laws and social taboos. They even go so far as to use 'false' names in public so that they might remain anonymous. |
| DonThelonious10-03-07, 04:59 AM | Thel, I would be more than happy to collaborate with you on masking traditions. From what I know of the Sron, they actually cover themselves from head to toe as part of their general privacy laws and social taboos. They even go so far as to use 'false' names in public so that they might remain anonymous. :w00t: Sron? Is that a culture from your region Im not familiar with? -- Give me a moment |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 05:02 AM | The Sron are from Sronid (a country in the northwest of region 17) |
| DonThelonious10-03-07, 06:57 AM | Government Type: Druid's Circle Ruling Welkin: Paisangue the Blood Father Current Leaders: Firona Leitor da Nuvum (NG female gnome Druid10), Rumthon Irmão da árvore (TN male Gnome Druid7/ Barbarian1/ Beast Rider2), Armand Filho de Dino (NE male Gnome Druid 6/Ranger4) Population: 100,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 80% Gnome, 15% Halfling, 3% Human, 2% Other Capitol: Fathers Beast Totem: Protoceratops War Beasts: Protoceratops, Saurolophus Nominal Alignment: TN The Paisanguen, or in common 'People of the Blood', are a secretive and mysterious tribe inhabiting the central hills and valleys of the eastern island. They patrol their lands on the backs of Protoceratops while their nomadic villages follow herds of massive primitive cattle called Bestalimnos (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13984803&postcount=1142), their Navioterras homes sometimes pulled along by the great Saurolophi. The massive Paisanguen wagons have been a suprise to many outsiders upon first sight. They appear to be nothing less than great wheeled ships, complete with sails, rigging, and even a small ceremonial anchor. The origins of the Navioterras wagons of the paisanguen are lost in myth. The story goes that in ages past, over 2000 years ago at least, the gnomes came over to this land before the star fell from the heavans. They sailed great ships out over the open sea, from a land they called Argent. They came across the seas in search of a new home, away from demons called the Troklion and the Kyoiln. Life was good for them until the day the star fell, that day the seas boiled and their once nautical culture was forced to move inland. It took many hundreds of years for the seas to calm, but in that time they had lost their seagoing heritage, becoming one with the lands around them. The great Navioterras are all that remains of their nautical heritage. The Navioterras, or in common "Land Ships", are about 80ft. long X 40ft. Wide X 30ft. tall. Three massive wheels built inside the ships along what was once the keel are the primary means of movement, with two smaller (though still giant) wheels on either side acting as blancers. Skilled Paisanguen Capitão have been known to catch a good wind and not even need the side wheels for miles at a time. Set at each end, the for and aft sections, are huge windmills that also catch the wind and help with locomotion. Their Saurolophi generally follow along in herds tended by Protoceratops riders. Ethics and Beliefs: The Paisanguen hold to the belief that there is balance in all things. Their ruling Welkin, the great Titan Paisangue the Bloodfather, has taught them that only in balancing all aspects of self are the people able to move forward. For this reason the clans do not seek either law or chaos, for in those pursuits lie death to everyone. In law there is the risk of stagnation, for Paisangue teaches that while order is needed to get things done, to much order kills personal growth. This leads to entropy as the same thing is repeated over and over, until the whole collapses in on itself. In chaos there is the risk of overstimulation. for Paisangue teaches that while chaos keeps the Gnomish mind working, to much chaos will weaken the community. A well told proverb from the followers of Paisangue states: "One rock, thrown into the pond, causes a passing disturbance. To many rocks fills the pond." When it comes to Good and Evil Paisangue teaches that both parts are needed to balance the whole. Leadership can only be maintained if all sides of the coin are seen, so evil is an accepted and celebrated part of the whole. For every good act there should be an equal and opposite evil act. It has been said that evil begets evil, but for the clans of Paisanguen, it begets good and vice versa. The purpose of all this is to give meaning to all things. When evil happens it is natural for good to come in and fill the void left behind, as others offer aid and charity. In this way an evil act can make a tribe stronger and re-establish the feelings of brotherhood and commraderie. The flip side is when good reaches the point that nobody expect an evil act. Then evil comes in and removes that sense of false-security, leaving the void mentioned above. It seems like a vicious cycle, but its needed for growth. Clans of the Paisanguen: The clans, or 'Unidafamil' in their native tongue, of the Paisanguen are very secretive with all outsiders and even other clans. This tribe fears the unknown. They stay secretive in the hopes that bad things and bad situations will not notice them and simply pass them by. Within the village of any particular clan, dress is modest at most. But in the presence of outsiders or other Unidafamils they cover themselves from head to toe in cloth, the somber dark colors vary depending on the clan. They also wear elaborate masks to ward off any evil spirits that may be accompanying others. These mask are simple affairs, usually just smooth polished wood, with simple almond shaped eye holes and a black or red shroud to cover the sides of the face and the head. The Paisanguen figure that if one were to wear some elaborate and fancy mask to frighten an evil spirit away, that spirit is going to remember what was done to it, and come back for revenge. So the easiest way to avoid that is to not even draw attention to yourself to begin with. The only time a member of the Paisanguen will reveal themselves to outsiders is when they go to war. Then, astride their painted protoceratops, they charge into battle wearing only maniacal grins and elaborate body paint. The designs they have painted on them at these times are meant to signal to all the spirits that the warrior may soon join them, and he or she would like them to see and know their potential brother or sister before death comes. There is a saying amongst the kobolds of the Pown-Dajji that goes "If I am lying, may a Paisanguen c:censored:k pass my eyes." The Paisanguen are taught that their fate is already decided, and if they are destined to live through a battle then why not make the most of it. If one is destined to die on the other hand, they want the spirits to see that they were fearless in life, so are to be respected in death. Paisanguan Warpaint: This highly saught after pigment looks just like regular war paint, but when it is applied it grants a Natural Armor bonus to AC ranging from +2 to +10 depending on the color. It takes one full round to apply and the effects last for 24 hours. Each compact is good for 10 applications before it is empty. Green: +2 AC Yellow: +4 AC Orange: +6 AC Red: +8 AC Black: +10 AC Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Barkskin; Creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed on the pigment; Price 3200gp (+2), 12,800gp (+4), 28,800gp (+6), 51,200gp (+8), 80,000gp (+10);Weight - Fallenstar warpaint was the creation of the Paisanguen tribe of gnomes, to help keep naked warriors alive in battle. The secret of its creation was a closely guarded secret, as it was only given to those members of a tribe going to war. The penalty for a non-Paisanguen to have it is death. After one particularly gruesom battle, several decades ago, a bit of the Yellow paint was captured by the Pown-Dajji, who quickly made their own variant, though it is limited to a max of +4. Since that time other tribes have picked up the process, and have begun manufacturing their own variants. None have been as successful as the Paisanguen in their endeavers though, and the secrets of making the more potent orange, red, and black are still closely guarded. Dress: As stated earlier, in the presence of non Unidafamil members, a Paisanguen will wear cloth wrappings of solid colors. In more relaxed settings, within the safety of the Fortresangue, they wear simple kilts and loose shirts. Each specific Unidafamil has its own preferance of cut and style, one uniting theme is the love of stripes and bright clashing colors. The Political Structure of the Paisanguen: The Unidafamils of the Paisanguen all pay homage to their Welkin, Paisangue the Bloodfather. Seving directly under him are the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam, the great druidic council. The Vildo Sangue das Natuzam are very strongly religious, and it shows in every facet of their politics. The druid circles predict where the Bestalimnos herds are likely to travel next, as well as what the seasons will bring. They decide when the time for war is at hand and how to go about that war. They know where the best grazing land is for the dinosaurs and where and how to get the most water. The triad leaders of the tribe are chosen by Paisangue himself every 10 years, from amongst the wisest of all the clans. The Bloodfather does rule in some ways directly, and he has a very great interest in his people. He wants them to rely on themselves more than on him though, finding their own solutions to problems and their own judgement. He will intervene directly when he feels they are being overy foolish, or going against his teachings. Though primarily a Gnomish tribe, there have been several non Gnomes gracing the great halls of the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam. Most notable of them was Alianna Mãepequen, Bride of the Bloodfather. Also known as the "Small Mother", she made peace with the fey of her homelands as well as one of the most brutal war chiefs ever. Her campaign against the Pown-Dajji was the most violent and bloody (for the Pown-Dajji) in all of the Paisanguen history. Government Type: Direct intervention Ruling Welkin: Pown-Daj the Red Death Current Leaders: The Disciple of Pown-Daj (NE female 1/2 Red Dragon/Kobold (Sorcerer4/Rogue3) Population: 120,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% Kobold, 20% Lizard Folk, 10% Slave, 5% Goblin, 5% Other Capitol: Ereshkigal Palace Beast Totem: Stokesosaurus War Beasts: Stokesosaurus, 1/2 Red Dragon/ 1/2 Stokesosaurus Nominal Alignment: NE The Pown-Dajji are a brutal and vicious offshoot of the typical kobold. They are neither cowardly nor weak, taking strength from their Welkin, the great red wyrm, Pown Daj the Red Death. The only vestiges of their pathetic past is their mastery of traps and unsurpassed skill at ambush. Their sworn enemies, the Paisanguen, have felt the bitter taste of a well laid Pown-Dajji trap on countless occasions, and have coined the oath "I'll be pricked with a Powni needle first." The Pown-Dajji control the long volcanic chain of mountains that runs along the eastern islands center, a blasted range formed by the Fallenstar, which is full of towering peaks and smoking volcanoes. They patrol this land astride their vicious and predatory stokesosaurus mounts. The greatest Pown-Dajji warriors are granted one of the fabled children of the Welkin Pown-Daj, the fearsome Kalivati, an abominable cross of their regular Stokesosaurs and her burning dragon blood. A long standing war between the Pown-Dajji and the gnomes of the Paisanguen has claimed many lives on both sides. To outsiders this seems to stem from the Paisanguen controlling large tracts of good farming land. The Pown-Dajji covet the flatter grasslands of the Paisanguen for farming. The main reason for their animosity though is that their respective Welkin are sworn enemies, Titan vs Dragon, and would like nothing more than to see the end of one another. Ethics and Beliefs: The great dragon Pown-Daj teaches her followers to believe in the superiority of their Reptilian blood. Only those with scaly skin are considered real people. All other races are mere stains to cleaned out. Some serve a purpose beyond spear decoration, and these races are destined to be the slaves of the great Pown-Dajji people, especially the hated gnomes. The Pown-Dajji are taught from birth that only the strongest hatchling from any clutch can survive. This attitude becomes horrifically apparent when the young Pown-Dajji reach their 10th birthday, when all clutch-mates must enter the 'Pit'. In the 'Pit' they are given enough food for 2 out of every 5 to survive on and told to find their way out of the other side. The 'Pit' is an unholy passageway stretching miles uder the mountain beneath Ereshkigal Palace. It is full of traps and the freakish offspring of Pown-Daj and some the less wholesome creatures living there. Only the strongest, fastest, and smartest young Pown-Dajji make it out alive and recieve their ceremonial Gadar Kukri. The Gadar Kukris are made of copper and then fortified and strengthened with magic. Outsiders have often wondered as to how the Pown-Dajji feel about their goddess propagating with other species. The truth is they see the dragon as a source of strength, so when she chooses to bless a creature with 1/2 breed offspring then those offspring become holy. They see nothing wrong with her doing these things. Clans of the Pown-Dajji: The clans of the Pown-Dajji are broken down into three groups: The Fakiir- These are the most feared of the clans, and are the favored of Pown-Daj. They are all descended from Pown-Daj directly (some by just a single generation) and are identified by their quick minds, elaborate scarification on the face and neck, and vicious Kalivati war mounts. It is from these clans that the Disciple of Pown-Daj is often chosen. The Acharya- The middle classes of the Pown-Dajji, these clans interpret the word of Pown-Daj and act as teachers and spiritual guides for the Pown-Dajji peoples. They are best recognized for their inability to speak, since upon reaching adulthood their tongues are cut out. This is done to ensure that everyone they teach must learn to read and write in proper Dajjian. This also help to limit the Acharyans from from becoming powerful spellcasters for without the ability to speak they are seriously hampered. The Harijan- These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji tribes, and are the lowes caste composed of workers, slavemasters, merchants, farmers, herdmasters and simple common folk. They are easily identified by the symbolic dragon tattooed on their face upon reaching adulthood. These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji army. Marraige between castes is not uncommon. The Pown-Dajji believe that ones station in life is decided by ones mothers side, since they worship a female Welkin. What station the father had matters little, he is seen as little more than a breeder, so if ones mother was a Fakiir then you will be born into the Fakiir as well, even if your father was a simple Harijan herdmaster. Dress: The Pown-Dajji generally dress in simple leather robes, and thong sandals. Warriors often wear a patchwork clolak made from pieces of his enemies skin, as well as elaborate headdresses made from the feathers of the rare and mystical Coralorax bird. Common colors are red, green brown, and dark gray. Females of this tribe often burn design into the leather, family crests being the most popular choice. The Political Structure of the Pown-Dajji: The great red wyrm Welkin, Pown-Daj, takes a very active roll in the rulership of her tribe. Every seven years, from the ranks of the Fakiir half dragons, she choses a new disciple to act as her intermediary when she is indisposed as well as seeing to the more mundane tasks of running everything. The new disciple is always a female. The previous disciple is, of course, sacrificed and then consumen by the new disciple before she can take office. This simple solution guarantees that there will be no animosity between old and new, and also acts a way of affirming the new disciples place as The Disciple Of Pown-Daj. The dragon does not intervene on this. Outsiders have suggested that she would naturally have favored Desciples, when in fact there are no favored Disciples. Pown Daj believes this helps to affirm her place as a dispassionate goddess. |
| Dex10-03-07, 07:52 AM | *Updating Deladas description. I like your gnomes, DonThelonious. Kind of reminded me of Scottish/Norwegian culture, I particularly liked their saying. True, that. You'll have to forgive me for only using examples of the countries and empires that stuck in my head, so of course colonies on the coast of Deladas were by the various Kingdoms of the Realms as well as the Ilaroi. It is this various mix of colonies that I meant to refer to as "seeking unfound gold", as opposed to just Ilaroi peoples. The colonies are in a constant state of flux as they are invaded by other colonies, raided and burned to the ground by pirate raids and reclaimed by the jungle. How bad is the pirate problem in the area? Also, how likely are the pirates to be amenable to turning privateer for the right amount of wealth? The pirates of this region will be detailed when I get round to writing the Spellstorm Islands section of my region. Let's just say that there's your background level piracy, and then there's Piracy with a capital "P". Because of the vast distance between Ilaria and the Supercontinent, it is common for ships to encounter pirates two or three times if they are traveling the most popular routes. Not all pirates ships are as good as the Black Pearl or the Flying Dutchman, of course, and only a few actually sport gunpowder cannon, the majority making do with less fickle weaponry, like ballista, archers, and spellcasters. What aspects of these RL analogues might you make use of? Will there be pirates rubbing shoulders with people suspected of being cannibals? What about excellent (and huge) masks? Primarily the extreme contrasts between the mostly civilized and clean-living colonists, the anarchic and hard-drinking pirates, and the technologically primitive, yet wise and usually insightful native peoples. In the Spellstorm islands, people don't suspect you're a cannibal. They know you're a cannibal. And yes, natives might be quite fond of oversized, finely carved masks, so if you wish feel free to introduce the tropical cousins of the Sronids/Sroni as also living in the Spellstorm Islands. This region is biologically separate from Deladas, in that plantfolk are not a majority and the jungles are relatively normal (for D&D jungles, anyway). I also have a W.I.P. up so you guys have a bit of an idea of what's going on if the description isn't enough. It is nowhere near done, and only has the beginnings on it. It's 200kb so it may take a little to load depending on the connection, so I won't insert the image here. Flickr page here. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14541045@N08/) The horizontal black line is the equator, with the wide black strip being the most likely travel route to the supercontinent (I assume they go around the Fallenstar votex :P). The other black triangles match to my earlier description (top left, top right, center and bottom). |
| LefferDP10-03-07, 11:10 AM | So, random ideas for other societies in the area: Nation of necromancers. The dead are used for every day tasks like cleaning the house. Zombie animals are preferred to living because they don't tire. Heavy importers of dead bodies. Mummies who force the populace to build massive monuments. A domain ruled over by a noblewoman who has each village offer her a husband each year whom she murders when they displease her, which can be quite often. The population continues simply because the remaining women do what they can to mate with males as early as possible. Cults/fallen paladin/? that have corrupted the teachings of a LG god until their society is LE, repressing the people with strict rules forbidding an insane number of things. A land that "phases out" at night. Perhaps becoming inhabited with ghosts and ghostly structures. A society permeated by doppelgangers who take on the guise of those in high places and begin doing as they please until theyy tire and simply move on to another role where they begin anew. The populace views this as a common form of insanity the land seems to cause. The illusionist ruler keeps the populace in check through all manner of horrific phantasms. A wilderness where were-creatures constantly war with one another. Any of my features look odd? http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/1476704225_7901e79fbf_o.jpg |
| DonThelonious10-03-07, 12:20 PM | Any of my features look odd? You whole place seem odd. I like it. But whats to stop them from invading and taking Araes' turf over? Given the highly magical and very violent bend of your place I think you should considor adding some sort of intangible (or perhaps VERY tangible) boundary. Just a thought... |
| SovietCanuck10-03-07, 02:21 PM | Right-o folks. As I'm encountering writers block relating to finishing up the kith (particularly kith psychology, arts and crafts, and folklore and legends), I decided to work on something else to try and spark up my creativity...so here it is, an overview of the human ethic groups of Caelea Ilastian The largest human ethnic group, the first Ilasts settled in the Caelen region almost 3000 years ago. They are the dominate group of humans in Deraille, Caelea, and Castillia, and form significant minorities almost everywhere else. The Ilasts tend to be shorter than most of their neighbors, their slender bodies averaging between 5'2” and 5'9” tall. The predominate hair color amongst the Ilasts is a dark brown, black and pale brown being slightly less common. Their eyes are mostly brown or hazel in color. Other defining features of Ilasts are pale olive skin, large eyes, thick eyebrows, and a full, rounded face. Roenic The tallest humans, the Roens' broad form normally stands between 5'6” and 6'1” tall. They settled along the northern coast of the Castillian peninsula well over 4500 years ago, following their legendary king, Roen The Great. They form the majority in Rimegaard, Holtland and the Chalice, and make up the ruling class of the Vestenreich. The Roens are known for their fine, brilliant red or red-blond hair (indeed, the Durnic word for red, Roën, comes from the color of these people's hair), dark blue or grey eyes, and pale white skin. Other defining physical traits of the Roens are long, narrow faces, strait noses and shard chins. Dasnac The Dasnacs came from the south 4000 years ago, and settled in the southern reaches of the Caelen Region. They formed the majority population around the Sea of Blades, but since the rise of the Elven Empire, they have lost much of their homelands. Now, the only states with Dasnac majorities are Gereich and the Vestenreich, but there is a significant Dasnac population in northwestern Qalitz and central Castillia. The Dasnac people are a tall folk, ranging from 5'6” to 5'10”, and have strait medium brown to ash blond hair. Besides their pale blue or light grey eyes, Dasnacs are known for their ivory or pale brown skin, small eyes, heavy jaws, and prominent cheekbones. Flansh The Flansh were the first humans of the Caelen regions, and due to their strong ties with the elves, most have traces of elven blood. The Flansh now live in an arc from the northern Verfel hills along the Holt-Roënic border through the independent Flansh city-state of Ard, to the eastern reaches of the Chalice. Their normally slim and lithe bodies stand between 5'4” and 5'8” tall. Flansh typically have vibrant green or golden eyes, stait blond or red-gold hair, and fair white skin. They also have slim, high-cheeked faces, small noses, and slightly-pointed ears. Qalic The Qalic people are descended from the wild Horselanders of the steppes, and their sharp features hark back to that past. The Qalic people form the majority in the Qalitz Empire, Hala, and several southern Castillian states. They stand between 5'4” and 5'9” tall, and have olive or dark brown skin. They have dark brown, hazel, or rich blue eyes, with curly black or dark brown hair. The Qalic people tend to have slender shoulders, strait noses, and big eyes. Andarian The Andarians were the first humans to form a kingdom in the Caelen Region, and the Andarian Empire formed the model for all the nations that would follow after. The Andarians are the shortest humans, averaging 4'10” to 5'3” tall. They have dark or mixed-brown eyes, light brown skin, and dark brown to black hair. The most defining trait of the Andarians, besides their height, is their large, long nose, often called a 'Noble's Nose', because Cael and his decedents, the modern-day kings, have inherited this nose from the Andarian ancestors. Besides their noses, Andarians have thick eyebrows, wide foreheads, and prominent cleft chins. Alstanic The Alstanic people are one of the newest arrivals to the Caelen peninsula, arriving little over 1500 years ago. They are nearly as tall as the Roenic peoples, standing between 5'8” and 6” tall, but lacking the bulky frames typically associated with the northerners, instead possessing a slim, tall stature. Their kingdom once spread across the southern reaches of the Thalish peninsula, though that land has now been claimed by the elves. Now, the majority of free Alstanics live in southern Deraille or in the larger cities of Holtland. Their eyes are normally a dark brown, black or a grey-brown mixture, and their skin ranges from dark brown to brown-black. Their frizzy hair is normally blue-black or brown-black in color, though pale blond is not unheard of. Other defining traits of the Alstanic people are their strait noses, strong chins, high foreheads, and large eyes. Of course, these overviews of races assume pure-bloodedness. This is often not the case, and most Caelen humans appear as a blend of all of the above races. However, local traits tend to be more prominent in their regions of origin, so on average the people appear as described above. Only the Andarians, Flansh and Qalic peoples are really 'native' to the Caelen region. All the others migrated here, either en mass or in waves, and thus have stories and legends about their ancestral homelands. The other races of Caelea do posses ethnic groups as well, though there are fewer of them per race (Three dwarven (Standen, Durnic, and Borel), three halfling (Ran, Meral, and Vorgen), two kith (Drak'il and Drend'il), and two elves (Low, or Wood, and High, or Imperial). I'll detail these in a separate document later. Also, most of my races arrived here from other lands, so if you think one of my peoples could have come from your region, feel free to claim them (I think Roens came from NorthWind's area, right? And Leffer, as your region has a Slavic flare, and I based the Dasnians off of South Slaves, it could be logical the Dasnians came from your region. Maybe refugees from some war or another, eh?) |
| LefferDP10-03-07, 08:08 PM | You whole place seem odd. I like it. But whats to stop them from invading and taking Araes' turf over? Given the highly magical and very violent bend of your place I think you should considor adding some sort of intangible (or perhaps VERY tangible) boundary. Just a thought... Well, I think these things actually take care of themselves. For one, the Kauskov don't actually use standard magic. They've got some sort of genetic modification ability that's really more of a spell like ability that the Dvoryanin posses, but they're really not capable of throwing fireballs and the like. Most of them wouldn't trust the others or the wastelands themselves, as well... They know the moment they move their army out of their city-states, their city will be attacked. Khauskov and its wasteland is powerful enough to keep anyone out who might try to invade from Areas' land or from further inland. The fae are kept in check by the spellwarped treants, at least on this side, not so such about the other. Also, most of my races arrived here from other lands, so if you think one of my peoples could have come from your region, feel free to claim them (I think Roens came from NorthWind's area, right? And Leffer, as your region has a Slavic flare, and I based the Dasnians off of South Slaves, it could be logical the Dasnians came from your region. Maybe refugees from some war or another, eh?) My region is near the equator, so the people really need to have darker skin. Otherwise I think they work. Perhaps mating with the Northerns has made them soft and pale skinned. The Khauskov were originally sea raiders along the coasts to the north and south, before the Kith island slammed down. Actually, it's quite possible some of the warrior populations from Khauskov left their homelands for the north where there was "weaker" peoples. The realization of genetic limits meant many of the most powerful warriors were actually weak after the engineering. More about that later. |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 08:14 PM | Wouldn't they be Sroni then? What are they specifically? My masked tribe is Gnomish. Sronid would translate roughly as "place of the Sron". '-id' is a locative affix and is cognate with the Adósian -odh [ɔð] meaning 'stay or remain'. As to the species, the Sron are largely human and are related culturally and linguistically to the people of Adós although there are considerable differences between them. The Paisangue Tribe: Mysterious Gnomes Government Type: Druid's Circle Ruling Welkin: Paisangue the Blood Father Current Leaders: Firona Leitor da Nuvum (NG female gnome Druid10), Rumthon Irmão da árvore (TN male Gnome Druid7/ Barbarian1/ Beast Rider2), Armand Filho de Dino (NE male Gnome Druid 6/Ranger4) Population: 100,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 80% Gnome, 15% Halfling, 3% Human, 2% Other Capitol: Fathers Beast Totem: Protoceratops War Beasts: Protoceratops, Saurolophus Nominal Alignment: TN Thel, what exactly would rule by druid circle look like I know that there is an element of "rule by the wise" involved, but what sort of decisions is such a body likely to make? Do they conflate religious structures with general laws (I would imagine they do)? Also, when you refer to them as tribe, what sort of structure are you imagining? I assume they trace tribal membership through kinship ties and things of that nature. Also, how is their kinship system structured? If you want an example of a possible gnome kinship system I can outline the system the Nyezza (the gnomes of the maritime republics) make use of. (I tend to overthink my gnomes afterall) The Paisanguen, or in common 'People of the Blood', are a secretive and mysterious tribe inhabiting the central hills and valleys of the eastern island. They patrol their lands on the backs of Protoceratops while their nomadic villages follow herds of massive primitive cattle called Bestalimnos, their wagon homes pulled along by the great Saurolophi. If I remember my paleobiology rightly, the protoceratops lived in a rather warmish and open environment (rather like a steppe or desert), as did the saurolophus. So this fits. Also, your reference to wagons makes me think of grasslands, would I be correct in my assumption here? Ethics and Beliefs: The Paisanguen hold to the belief that there is balance in all things. Their ruling Welkin, the great Titan Paisangue the Bloodfather, has taught them that only in balancing all aspects of self are the people able to move forward. For this reason the clans do not seek either law or chaos, for in those pursuits lie death to everyone. In law there is the risk of stagnation, for Paisangue teaches that while order is needed to get things done, to much order kills personal growth. This leads to entropy as the same thing is repeated over and over, until the whole collapses in on itself. So they are of the "balance is all" school of neutrality rather than either the "I don't care" school or the "third way" school. I'm not sure that order necessarily stifles growth (chaos is, my view, the more likely culprit as it prevents any pattern recognition which is necessary to change and adapt). Order can lead to over complexity and rather high degrees of change as well. Look at fractals and the like, highly ordered complex structures with effectively endless growth potential. What they might 'fear' in order is (somewhat paradoxically) a lack of meaning. If I arrange all possible books in a library and arrange them according to the material of the paper or perhaps the fourth word of the second line on the twenty seventh page (which is both orderly and nonsensical) I will have created a perfectly ordered and essentially meaningless system. In chaos there is the risk of overstimulation. for Paisangue teaches that while chaos keeps the Gnomish mind working, to much chaos will weaken the community. A well told proverb from the followers of Paisangue states: "One rock, thrown into the pond, causes a passing disturbance. To many rocks fills the pond." There is also the risk of total breakdown with chaos. If everything expends its energy without direction or purpose it winds down into nothingness. Nothing can build on anything else and you're left with only the simplest of things. I can see why they would view this sort of thing as detrimental to the functioning of the community as a whole. When it comes to Good and Evil Paisangue teaches that both parts are needed to balance the whole. Leadership can only be maintained if all sides of the coin are seen, so evil is an accepted and celebrated part of the whole. For every good act there should be an equal and opposite evil act. It has been said that evil begets evil, but for the clans of Paisanguen, it begets good and vice versa. This makes sense to me and an essentially similar system occurs in the Jauric religions. 'Evil' is actually seen as the active force for innovation, correction, and thoughtful change. 'Good' by contrast is essentially seen as a kind of cosmic comfort (the universal hug and cup of tea) and is restful, serene, and tranquil. Without the potential of 'evil' to correct the mistakes of the cosmos and the people in it, nothing will be learned and no progress made. Likewise, once the correction is meted out, one goes looking for solace and comfort and this is the province of good. Essentially, they are complimentary forces that would each destroy the cosmos on their own. (however the Jaur hold that absolute cosmic order is not only necessary but is inherent and that chaos and disorder are illusions of the foolish and the deluded). Among your gnomes, what is the purpose of the complimentary forces of good and evil? Clans of the Paisanguen: The clans, or 'Unidafamil' in their native tongue, of the Paisanguen are very secretive with all outsiders and even other clans. Within the village of any particular clan dress is modest at most. But in the presence of outsiders or other Unidafamils they cover themselves from head to toe in cloth, the somber dark colors vary depending on the clan. They also wear elaborate masks to ward off any evil spirits that may be accompanying others. These mask are simple affairs, usually just smooth polished wood, with simple almond shaped eye holes and a black or red shroud to cover the sides of the face and the head. What is the origin of the Paisanguen secretiveness? Is it merely an expression of the general gnomish tendency to be enigmatic and secretive or is there something else going on as well? If the masks are to ward off spirits why are they so simple in design? Usually objects to protect the wearer or owner form evil spirits are elaborate and frightening. The only time a member of the Paisanguen will reveal themselves to outsiders is when they go to war. Then, astride their painted protoceratops, they charge into battle wearing only maniacal grins and elaborate body paint. The designs they have painted on hem at these times are meant to signal to all the spirits that the warrior may soon join them, and he or she would like them to see and know their potential brother or sister before death comes. There is a saying amongst the kobolds of the Pown-Dajji that goes "If I am lying, may a Paisanguen c:censored:k pass my eyes." From this it seems like they are somewhat reckless in battle; throwing themselves at the enemy and relying on shear martial prowess. Do they intend to frighten their foes into retreating by their ferocious look? The Political Structure of the Paisanguen: The Unidafamils of the Paisanguen all pay homage to their Welkin, Paisangue the Bloodfather. Seving directly under him are the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam, the great druidic council. The triad leaders of the tribe are chosen by Paisangue himself every 10 years, from amongst the wisest of all the clans. Though primarily a Gnomish tribe, there have been several non Gnomes gracing the great halls of the Vildo Sangue das Natuzam. Most notable of them was Alianna Mãepequen, Bride of the Bloodfather. Also known as the "Small Mother", she made peace with the fey of her homelands as well as one of the most brutal war chiefs ever. Her campaign against the Pown-Dajji was the most violent and bloody (for the Pown-Dajji) in all of the Paisanguen history. From what you have written, it seems like the Bloodfather takes great interest in his people. Why then does he not rule them directly? Also, what is the Bloodfather? -- As to your kobolds I shall refrain from commenting on them do to my irrational hatred for all things kobold (and more generally things of a draconic nature that are not dragons). I don't want to let my bias against kobolds get in the way. -- Hey D_S, could you maybe fill in some details on this I'll do what I can Thel. The town of Kuilnos is a small Orothoi colony at the mouth of the river. The main section of the town is built upon a small collection of islands some little way from the mouth itself and is connected to the mainland by a long stone bridge which is itself a neighborhood of the town. Buildings are constructed mostly in a modified Orothoi style with large windows, balconies, and lighter colors to make living in the tropics more bearable for a people used to cool and damp, not hot and humid. Like many Orothoi settlements transport about town is primarily by foot or by boat and very few of the "roads" would accommodate a large animal or cart. Overland traders coming from the interior generally transfer their goods to barges or smaller carts on the mainland side and then ferry them over to the town proper on the islands. Kuilnos is a Charter Colony and is run primarily by [I]The Society of the Indefatigable Ibis, a spice and plant products trading company with interests in the alchemical applications of the plants of the Starfall. The official government representative is the colonial governor (called a Doge) who is one of the principle stock holders of the Indefatigable Ibis. The population of Kuilnos is typical of the Orothoi tropical colonies being composed largely of laborers and low to middle class merchants and traders with a handful of more wealthy merchants and the like forming the upper class Gnomes, humans, dromites, and other common species of Orothos make up the majority of the population but there are some more 'colorful' citizens and residents. A mercane who goes by the name of Aulirnarme acts as a kind of central clearing house of financial information and predictions for the Indefatigable Ibis and the smaller merchant groups and is highly respected for being both perfectly accurate and endlessly devious. What his motives are in moving to the colony are anyones guess, although it is generally agreed that the presence of a mercane is a good sign for profits, and he spends most of his time playing adrazo (a card-game rather like a cross between poker, monopoly and the stock market) with a collection of card sharks and hustlers in an opium den (the Orothoi indulge in this vice rather freely as it is considered far more civilized than drunkenness) located on the bridge. Trade is brisk in Kuilnos and ships from other colonies, Orothos itself, and abroad make supply stops at the port. Goods from all over the far flung Orothoi trading empire can be found in Kuilnos as can many goods from foreign powers and a large selection of local items. Outside the town itself the colony extends a ways up the river and small plantations of various local plants can be found being worked by indentured servants, debt slaves, criminals, and general laborers. (I would imagine they might want to make use of locals as well as they would have experience with the plants). Although the colony is well defended by the Orothoi it is not in much of a possition to claim territories further inland. Indeed to do so would be a violation of the treaty of Sýrenvo of 1532 CR which limited all of the Maritime Republics to maintaining only Thalassocratic empires (coastal and island only). Naval conflicts are, however, common and privateers in the employ of the government raid the colonies of competing powers. These small conflicts and proxy wars are just part of doing business in the colonies. -- As to the actual location of Kuilnos, I've come up with several possibilities. I've marked them here on the map in Orothoi red. Personally the three in the northerly part are the most appealing locations for me, but I'll leave the final choice up to Thel. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1351/1479879504_e7c05db351_o.jpg -- I'll be back with some cartographic thoughts after these messages from our sponsors. |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 09:25 PM | Alright, some cartographic things then. Dex, the map is looking good overall but there are a few things. 1. Your sub-continent is a bit too regular in shape and as a result looks a bit artificial. 2. Your mountain ranges are doing some rather odd things especially with the perpendicularness of things. Generally speaking mountains do not form in "L" or "T" shapes due to the way plates and the like function. There are very often curves and the like going on but a single mountain range tends to be a generally linear thing. I would keep the parallel mountain ranges and eliminate the horizontal one at the top. Here is a very rough possible edit of the landmass http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1106/1479710775_b8b23d83d4_o.jpg -- Leffer, the positioning of your "Dark Forest" is a little odd considering that the prevailing winds in the north go from west to east. If, however your "genetic wastelands" were carved out of the forest then it would make a bit more sense. I would move the grasslands further inland and have the wastes interspirsed with pockets of forest. |
| LefferDP10-03-07, 11:00 PM | I thought my landmass was equatorial, not northernly...? And the grasslands simply represent areas where the fae have found the genetic mutants and eaten them as well as staved off mutant plants and the like. The other bits of grassland are city-states that work to maintain a certain quality of local plants to keep them from become wasteleands. Would it help if the moutains extended a bit deeper into the forests? |
| Darth Syntax10-03-07, 11:39 PM | You're right about the wind bit. I'm a bloody idiot. I've spent too much time thinking from the bottom of the world. Anyway, as the winds will be going the other way in the southern portion of the map, the forest might well extend all the way to the eastern coast (which is where is will be deriving much of its rain. |
| SovietCanuck10-04-07, 12:28 AM | Actually Darth, winds blow the same direction in at the poles (west to east), while at the equator they blow west to east (the trade winds) :D See here (http://www.gerhards.net/astro/wolken_200705_en.html) |
| Darth Syntax10-04-07, 12:42 AM | Again, I am wrong. I knew there was some switch in the wind directions I just got it horribly horribly wrong. It's been that sort of day I guess. Well then, now that I'm properly informed let us carry on then. I believe that my comment to extend the equatorial forest to the east still makes a bit of sense as the equatorial winds do blow that way more or less. You don't have to do it of course, just a thought Well then. Yeesh. Sorry about all that. |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 04:24 AM | Thel, what exactly would rule by druid circle look like I know that there is an element of "rule by the wise" involved, but what sort of decisions is such a body likely to make? Do they conflate religious structures with general laws (I would imagine they do)? Druid Circles are very strongly religious, and it shows in every facet of their politics. The druid circles predict where the Bestalimnos herds are likely to travel next, as well as what the seasons will bring. They decide when the time for war is at hand and how to go about that war. Thay know where the best grazing land is for the dinosaurs and where and how to get the most water. Also, when you refer to them as tribe, what sort of structure are you imagining? I assume they trace tribal membership through kinship ties and things of that nature. Also, how is their kinship system structured? I hadn't given as thorough thought to that as should have. I'm not sure.:blush: I need to dig up a little more on portugues community structure, though I am thinking of having leadership decided by three things: Abattle of wits, a battle of skill, and a battle of arms. Though given how neutral they are, Im not certain as to how these would work out. I'll get back to you on this. If you want an example of a possible gnome kinship system I can outline the system the Nyezza (the gnomes of the maritime republics) make use of. (I tend to overthink my gnomes afterall) Hmmm... :plotting: Maritime gnomes... It could be possible that my gnomes are an offshoot of yours that landed here before the fall. That way we could be better connected, I could have reason for why I have gnomes, and you have an outlet for your overthinking... If I remember my paleobiology rightly, the protoceratops lived in a rather warmish and open environment (rather like a steppe or desert), as did the saurolophus. So this fits. Also, your reference to wagons makes me think of grasslands, would I be correct in my assumption here? Right you are, though think rugged hilly grasslands with wide flat valleys in places. So they are of the "balance is all" school of neutrality rather than either the "I don't care" school or the "third way" school. Oh yes, they are very much into the balance of all things, as is the true druid way.:D I'm not sure that order necessarily stifles growth (chaos is, my view, the more likely culprit as it prevents any pattern recognition which is necessary to change and adapt). Order can lead to over complexity and rather high degrees of change as well. Look at fractals and the like, highly ordered complex structures with effectively endless growth potential. What they might 'fear' in order is (somewhat paradoxically) a lack of meaning. If I arrange all possible books in a library and arrange them according to the material of the paper or perhaps the fourth word of the second line on the twenty seventh page (which is both orderly and nonsensical) I will have created a perfectly ordered and essentially meaningless system. The type of order that they fear is to much control. They don't mind things being neat and tidy, what they don't like is when EVERYTHING has to be controlled, maintained, and regulated. They fear to much order will replace inventive thinking with rigid control, and that is the stiffling they fear. There is also the risk of total breakdown with chaos. If everything expends its energy without direction or purpose it winds down into nothingness. Nothing can build on anything else and you're left with only the simplest of things. I can see why they would view this sort of thing as detrimental to the functioning of the community as a whole. You have totally hit the nail on the head with this. Among your gnomes, what is the purpose of the complimentary forces of good and evil? The purpose is to give meaning to all things. When evil happens it is natural for good to come in and fill the void left behind, as others offer aid and charity. In this way an evil act can make a tribe stronger and re-establish the feelings of brotherhood and commraderie. The flip side is when good reaches the point that nobody expect an evil act. Then evil comes in and removes that sense of false-security, leaving the void mentioned above. It seems like a vicious cycle, but its need. :D "You can't spell slaughter without laughter":D What is the origin of the Paisanguen secretiveness? Is it merely an expression of the general gnomish tendency to be enigmatic and secretive or is there something else going on as well? They fear the unknown. They stay secretive in the hopes that bad things and bad situations will not notice them and simply pass them by. I suppose it is a form of the gnomish tendancies. If the masks are to ward off spirits why are they so simple in design? Usually objects to protect the wearer or owner form evil spirits are elaborate and frightening. As I said above, they want to keep the bad things and bad situations from even noticing them. They figure that if you wear some elaborate and fancy mask to frighten an evil spirit away, that spirit is going to remember what was done to it, and come back for revenge. So the easiest way to avoid that is to not even draw attention to yourself to begin with. From this it seems like they are somewhat reckless in battle; throwing themselves at the enemy and relying on shear martial prowess. Do they intend to frighten their foes into retreating by their ferocious look? Yes, these gnomes are quite reckless in battle. They are taught that their fate is already decided, and if they are destined to live through it then why not make the most of it. If one is destined to die on the other hand, they want the spirits to see that they were fearless in life, so are to be respected in death. As to intending to frighten their enemies, no that is not the intent. Its a fringe benefit. (Im imagining a PC Paisanguen, he has to get naked before he can go into any major battle. That would make for some awesome RP, IMHO) From what you have written, it seems like the Bloodfather takes great interest in his people. Why then does he not rule them directly? Also, what is the Bloodfather? The Bloodfather does rule in some ways directly, and yes, he ahs a very great interest in his people. He wants them to rely on themselves more than on him though, finding their own solutions to problems and their own judgement. He will intervene directly when he feels they are being overy foolish, or going against his teachings. As to what he is, well, he is one of the mighty Titan Welkin. -- As to your kobolds I shall refrain from commenting on them do to my irrational hatred for all things kobold (and more generally things of a draconic nature that are not dragons). I don't want to let my bias against kobolds get in the way. Don't be overly harsh with the little buggers, I think if you look over mine they make an excellent evil BBEG tribe. And I would love to hear some of your bias :lop: cuz they can dish it right back:mad: -- I'll do what I can Thel. As to the actual location of Kuilnos, I've come up with several possibilities. I've marked them here on the map in Orothoi red. Personally the three in the northerly part are the most appealing locations for me, but I'll leave the final choice up to Thel. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1351/1479879504_e7c05db351_o.jpg I think the one on the north edge of the eastern island would work perfect. The Hatirothian and their Black Dragon Welkin control most of the notheaster island, and your people are gonna want to avoid them (They will eat ANYTHING) -- Thank you for all the insightful questions, you have given me a lot to think about. |
| Dex10-04-07, 04:55 AM | I think the one on the north edge of the eastern island would work perfect. The Hatirothian and their Black Dragon Welkin control most of the notheaster island, and your people are gonna want to avoid them (They will eat ANYTHING) They would make an excellent addition as natives to some of the easternmost Spellstorm Islands, which are not more than a swallow's flight away. Your gnomes are shaping up to be a truly diverse bunch. And thanks for the comment on my map Darth Syntax, I've addressed those points. |
| Darth Syntax10-04-07, 04:57 AM | On the possible relation between the Nyezza and the Paisangue If they are related then I would imagine the connection would be rather distant, or the Paisanguen abandoned much of their old culture upon arrival in your region. The Nyezza are the epitome of insanely orderly; if something isn't written down in triplicate, signed, witnessed, properly stamped, sealed, and duly noted then it wasn't properly done. They love bureaucracy and the more elaborate and confusing the better. Puzzles are highly valued and their whole society is puzzle-like. The governmental system of the Republic of Orothos is essentially a Nyezzan system (indeed much of the culture in general is derived for the nyezza) which requires an active an analytical mind in order to attain any real power and position. Those who are not curious, devious, intelligent and methodically amoral do do deserve to have any say in the operation of society. It would certianly be quite a change between the two groups. That said I think I could be an interesting idea and it would certianly shock the nyezza themselves. |
| LefferDP10-04-07, 04:57 AM | Perhaps some magic body paint that provides a luck bonus to AC and fear checks as long as it's worn instead of any armor or clothing? |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 06:10 AM | On the possible relation between the Nyezza and the Paisangue If they are related then I would imagine the connection would be rather distant, or the Paisanguen abandoned much of their old culture upon arrival in your region. The Nyezza are the epitome of insanely orderly; if something isn't written down in triplicate, signed, witnessed, properly stamped, sealed, and duly noted then it wasn't properly done. They love bureaucracy and the more elaborate and confusing the better. Puzzles are highly valued and their whole society is puzzle-like. The governmental system of the Republic of Orothos is essentially a Nyezzan system (indeed much of the culture in general is derived for the nyezza) which requires an active an analytical mind in order to attain any real power and position. Those who are not curious, devious, intelligent and methodically amoral do do deserve to have any say in the operation of society. It would certianly be quite a change between the two groups. That said I think I could be an interesting idea and it would certianly shock the nyezza themselves. Here is my thought, lets say your Nyezza had a bit of a falling out around 700 years ago, and a group of them split off from the whole. These guys were tired of the bureaucracy and all the rules and regulations and craved a simpler life. These gnomes came over to my region while it was still at the peak of civilization. they set up communities and became a part of the whole. Then after Starfall, they were decimated. The whole civilisation was thrust into the heart of chaos, and these enterprising gnomes fell back on their old ways and from the chaos order grew. The gnomes didn't want to make the same mistake they had so recently escaped from, yet knew in chaos there was only death. Under the guidance of the recently awoken Titan Welkin, Paisangue, they built a socioty that was truely neutral, seeking neither the good of all, or the benefit of the few, but simply to move forward. How does that sound? -- Perhaps some magic body paint that provides a luck bonus to AC and fear checks as long as it's worn instead of any armor or clothing? Already ahead of you there, though some of the MAJOR details have yet to be worked out: Fallenstar Warpaint: See post below:) |
| LefferDP10-04-07, 06:45 AM | Well, if we look at the bracers of armor, which is the closest thing to this I see: Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, mage armor, creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed in the bracers; Price 1,000 gp (+1), 4,000 gp (+2), 9,000 gp (+3), 16,000 gp (+4), 25,000 gp (+5), 36,000 gp (+6), 49,000 gp (+7), 64,000 gp (+8) I think the Caster Level is good, and either mage armor or shield of faith should suffice for its creation. My gut feeling is that your item's AC bonus is just too great. My suggestion is to offer some sort of armor abilities rather than exceeding +8 armor AC. I recognize you're trying to make up for Platemail +5 and the like, but it seems like too much. Cost: Well, if we were to make an item that casts mage armor, which grants +4 armor bonus, for 24/hrs 10 times, we'd be looking at a ((1st level spell x 24th caster level x 50gp) x 10 uses) = 12,000. Which would make it worth just a little less than the standard +4 bracers. If we use the creating magic items guide, it says "Charged (50 charges), ½ unlimited use base price"... So for 10 charges, we divide by 10. Thus, +4 would be 1,600 gp, which seems about right to me. |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 06:52 AM | Well, if we look at the bracers of armor, which is the closest thing to this I see: I think the Caster Level is good, and either mage armor or shield of faith should suffice for its creation. My gut feeling is that your item's AC bonus is just too great. My suggestion is to offer some sort of armor abilities rather than exceeding +8 armor AC. I recognize you're trying to make up for Platemail +5 and the like, but it seems like too much. Cost: Well, if we were to make an item that casts mage armor, which grants +4 armor bonus, for 24/hrs 10 times, we'd be looking at a ((1st level spell x 24th caster level x 50gp) x 10 uses) = 12,000. Which would make it worth just a little less than the standard +4 bracers. If we use the creating magic items guide, it says "Charged (50 charges), ½ unlimited use base price"... So for 10 charges, we divide by 10. Thus, +4 would be 1,600 gp, which seems about right to me. Okay, I will make some quick changes, but will need more help coming up with costs. :dancin: Thanks Leffer! -- Here is the final product. Feel free to fight for shipping rights to it now... Fallenstar Warpaint: This highly saught after pigment looks just like regular war paint, but when it is applied it grants an armor bonus to AC ranging from +2 to +10 depending on the color. It takes one full round to apply and the effects last for 24 hours. Each compact is good for 10 applications before it is empty. Green: +2 AC Yellow: +4 AC Orange: +6 AC Red: +8 AC Black: +10 AC Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Barkskin; Creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed on the pigment; Price 1600gp (+2), 6400gp (+4), 14,400gp (+6), 25,600gp (+8), 40,000gp (+10);Weight - Fallenstar warpaint was the creation of the Paisanguen tribe of gnomes, to help keep naked warriors alive in battle. The secret of its creation was a closely guarded secret, as it was only given to those members of a tribe going to war. The penalty for a non-Paisanguen to have it was death. After one particularly gruesom battle, several decades ago, a bit of the Yellow paint was captured by the Pown-Dajji, who quickly made their own variant, though it is limited to a max of +4. Since that time other tribes have picked up the process, and have begun manufacturing their own variants. None have been as successful as the Paisangue in their endeavers though, and the cesrets of making the more potent orange, red, and black are still closely guarded. |
| Darth Syntax10-04-07, 02:03 PM | Here is my thought, lets say your Nyezza had a bit of a falling out around 700 years ago, and a group of them split off from the whole. These guys were tired of the bureaucracy and all the rules and regulations and craved a simpler life. These gnomes came over to my region while it was still at the peak of civilization. they set up communities and became a part of the whole. Then after Starfall, they were decimated. The whole civilisation was thrust into the heart of chaos, and these enterprising gnomes fell back on their old ways and from the chaos order grew. The gnomes didn't want to make the same mistake they had so recently escaped from, yet knew in chaos there was only death. Under the guidance of the recently awoken Titan Welkin, Paisangue, they built a socioty that was truely neutral, seeking neither the good of all, or the benefit of the few, but simply to move forward. How does that sound? It's not a bad idea, but I think the time-depth is a bit shallow for a species that can live to be 300 (unless we are going to scrap all of the age things and rework them). I would have thought that the split would have occurred much earlier say during the pre-republic period some 1600 years ago. The Nyezza and the Esh (the major human ethnic of the area) were doing some minor exploring. It have been entirely possible for a group of early colonist nyezza to have island hopped all the way to your region. There they would have tried to establish a trading city and all the usual bits, but the great distance and the slowness of oceanic travel at the time would have kept them from maintaining close ties to their people back home. So, they went a bit 'native'. They would have incorporated many local customs and ideas into their own traditions and within a few generations they would have been a substantially different culture. Then the whole region goes to hell with the starfall*. Upon recovery they could not just go back to the old city-state ways as they were lost and nearly forgotten in the years of the disaster. Left only with a now mythic past full of strange, invisible cities the descendants of the Nyezza drifted ever further from their original culture. Ah ha! I've got it. When the starfall occurred I would imagine that the oceans did some rather crazy things (boiling, spewing forth all manner of horrid things) which could easily have shattered the psyche of a people who have been sailors, merchants, and fishers their whole collective lives. So they moved inland but they still carried with them the shipwright traditions of their ancestors. On the grasslands they constructed a new kind of ship, one with wheels. Perhaps the wagons of the Paisangue still make use of nautical designs (hydrodynamic shapes, keels, that sort of thing) and even have sails so that they can sometimes travel overland without the need for beasts of burden. Even the word for their wagons might have its origins in the word for ship or boat. Another thought occurs. Your Paisangue wear concealing clothing in a tropical environment which is somewhat unusual. The Nyezza tend to be a bit on the pale side and so might have taken up wearing concealing clothes to protect them from the harmful rays of the sun. I can see how this would evolve into "clothing as protection from evil". As to the naked in battle thing, thats probably something they invented in your region. Other possible hold-overs from the early days and the old culture might include any (or none) of the following. somewhat matralinial kinship systems broadly similar to this one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_kinship) a distaste for hereditary power (as they seem to be ruled by priest chosen for their merit and wisdom I can see this being the case) A large number of dark red haired people (red and dark red hair occur with a fair degree of regularity among the nyezza and blonde hair is all but unknown) A love of games and puzzles which are taken very seriously (perhaps the solving of puzzles has evolved into a form of prayer or meditation) An emphasis upon transformation and becoming in philosophy and religion. I don't know how this would translate into a druidic tradition, but they might have a tendency to "know a thing by becoming it" Universal cremation of the dead Anyway, these are just some thoughts, but I think the idea has potential; and Thel, your right, it does give me something to think about. :plotting: * A thought occurs to me about the starfall. It would have taken centuries for the people to recover from such a cataclysmic event, not to mention the world. Perhaps the impact occured earlier but about 700 years ago the people of the region effectively recovered enough to arrive at their current state. |
| Darth Syntax10-04-07, 05:41 PM | Don't be overly harsh with the little buggers, I think if you look over mine they make an excellent evil BBEG tribe. And I would love to hear some of your bias :lop: cuz they can dish it right back:mad: What I meant is that I am afraid that my bias agaist kobolds will prevent me from fairly evaluating them on their own merits. That said, I'll try my best. However I warn you that this may be rather like trying to get someone who detests bleu cheese to give you an honest opinion of your fine, cave-aged Roquefort. Also, are attempting to imply that I am her Serenity the Lady of Pain? I fear my ability to "argument-flay" may have something to do with this . . .ah well. Government Type: Direct intervention Ruling Welkin: Pown-Daj the Red Death Current Leaders: The Disciple of Pown-Daj (NE female 1/2 Red Dragon/Kobold (Sorcerer4/Rogue3) Population: 120,000+ Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% Kobold, 20% Lizard Folk, 10% Slave, 5% Goblin, 5% Other Capitol: Ereshkigal Palace Beast Totem: Stokesosaurus War Beasts: Stokesosaurus, 1/2 Red Dragon/ 1/2 Stokesosaurus Nominal Alignment: NE Before I get too far into things, I (as always) have some questions. In this case specifically directed at the dinosaurs of your region. Will you be incorporating the latest paleontological findings that indicate that many (if not most) of the Dromaeosauridae (raptors) were feathered? -- Moving right along then I note that you have listed quite a few half-dragons. How do the pown-dajji feel about their living god (and its kin I would assume) propagating with all manner of beings? I can see it being alright in certain circumstances (such as breeding with the kobolds themselves) but I wonder about the half-dragon war dinos. Also, might it be that the half-dragons are created in a different manner from mundane reproduction? Perhaps some strange ritual involving infusing the essence of the Welkin into eggs or whathaveyou? (incidentally, are use using this term because both of it's archaic nature and it's meaning as it relates to 'the heavens'?) The Pown-Dajji are a brutal and vicious offshoot of the typical kobold. They are neither cowardly nor weak, taking strength from their Welkin, the great red wyrm, Pown Daj the Red Death. The only vestiges of their pathetic past is their mastery of traps and unsurpassed skill at ambush. Their sworn enemies, the Paisanguen, have felt the bitter taste of a well laid Pown-Dajji trap on countless occasions, and have coined the oath "I'll be pricked with a Powni needle first." How did the dragon come to claim the kobolds as her tribe? Also I have forgotten, did the whole Welkin thing occur after the starfall or did it start before that? The Pown-Dajji control the long volcanic chain of mountains that runs along the eastern islands center, a blasted range formed by the Fallenstar, which is full of towering peaks and smoking volcanoes. They patrol this land astride their vicious and predatory stokesosaurus mounts. The greatest Pown-Dajji warriors are granted one of the fabled children of the Welkin Pown-Daj, the fearsome Kalivati, an abominable cross of their regular Stokesosaurs and her burning dragon blood. Do the pown-dajji have any holdings on the large easter island? How do the kobolds ride these rather large and ferocious dinosaurs? Do they make use of saddles, howdahs, or some other method? Also, it seems as though they have a fair number of these Stokesosaurs which would indicate that they have some way of feeding them. How do they go about this? Perhaps they raise some animal for food? Ethics and Beliefs: The great dragon Pown-Daj teaches her followers to believe in the superiority of their Reptilian blood. Only those with scaly skin are considered real people. All other races are mere stains to cleaned out. Some serve a purpose beyond spear decoration, and these races are destined to be the slaves of the great Pown-Dajji people, especially the hated gnomes. The Pown-Dajji are taught from birth that only the strongest hatchling from any clutch can survive. What is the source of animosity between the gnomes and the kobolds? A feud over resources perhaps, some hatred between their respective Welkin? This attitude become horrifically apparent when the young Pown-Dajji reach their 5th birthday, when all clutch-mates must enter the 'Pit'. In the 'Pit' they are given enough food for 2 out of every 5 to survive on and told to ind their way out of the other side. The 'Pit' is an unholy passageway stretching miles uder the mountain beneath Ereshkigal Palace. It is full of traps and the freakish offspring of Pown-Daj and some the less wholesom creatures living there. Only the strongest, fastest, and smartest young Pown-Dajji make it out alive and recieve their ceremonial Gadar Kukri. An interesting system, and one that would rather effectively weed out the week, the unlucky, and the dim. However, it might be a bit too deadly which would hurt the overall population of the tribe. So speak of kukris, do they forge their own metal or are the kukris the relics of a bygone erra? Clans of the Pown-Dajji: The clans of the Pown-Dajji are broken down into three groups: The Fakiir- These are the most feared of the clans, and are the favored of Pown-Daj. They are all descended from Pown-Daj directly (some by just a single generation) and are identified by their quick minds, elaborate scarification on the face and neck, and vicious Kalivati war mounts. It is from these clans that the Disciple of Pown-Daj is often chosen. It sounds to me as though the Pown-Daj have a caste system of some form with the martial caste (or castes) occupying the highest rank. Are there any laws or customs that prevent the clans (or castes) from intermixing or which govern the nature of their interaction? The Acharya- The middle classes of the Pown-Dajji, these clans interpret the word of Pown-Daj and act as teachers and spiritual guides for the Pown-Dajji peoples. They are best recognized for their inability to speak, since upon reaching adulthood their tongues are cut out. This is done to ensure that everyone they teach learns to read and write correctly. If they Acharya are made forcibly mute how do they communicate their spiritual advice or teach others to read? Do they make use of a sign language (which raises the question why allow them to communicate in this way yet deny them speech) or some other method? Another reason for the cutting out of the tongues might be to prevent the Acharya from becoming powerful casters for without the ability to speak they would be seriously hampered. The Harijan- These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji tribes, and are the lowes caste composed of workers, slavemasters, merchants, and that sort. They are easily identified by the symbolic dragon tattooed (<--funny word there) on their face as a sign of adulthood. These clans make up the bulk of the Pown-Dajji army. I not that while you mention slavemasters and merchants you don't reference farmers or herdsmen (herdskobolds? herdsbolds?). Do they not practice either pastoralism or agriculture? Are they hunter-gatherers? Dress: The Pown-Dajji generally dress in simple leather robes, and thong sandals. Warriors often wear a patchwork clolak made from pieces of his enemies skin, as well as elaborate headdresses made from the feathers of the rare and mystical Coralorax bird. I am reminded of certain Aztec priests who were said to wear the flayed skin of their sacrifices. Always a nice touch. The Political Structure of the Pown-Dajji: The great red wyrm Welkin, Pown-Daj, takes a very active roll in the rulership of her tribe. Every seven years, from the ranks of the Fakiir half dragons, she choses a new disciple to act as her intermediary when she is indisposed as well as seeing to the more mundane tasks of running everything. The new disciple is always a female. The previous disciple is, of course, sacrificed and then consumen by the new disciple before she can take office. This simple solution guarantees that there will be no animosity between old and new, and also acts a way of affirming the new disciples place as The Disciple Of Pown-Daj. An intereting system with a pleasing air of pointless savagery. However, what would occur when a particular leader whom the Dragon is fond of is supposed to step down and be sacrificed? Can the dragon declare that "there will be no sacrifice today" ? -- Well, I tried, but I don't know how well I did. Hopefully I wasn't too nasty. -- Thel, if I could trouble you to mark the locations of your various tribes on the map that would be wonderfully helpful. |
| LefferDP10-04-07, 09:11 PM | Once upon a time, the Black Forest was the domain of a powerful witch. Though she had powerful magics, she continued to bemoan the loss of her daughter at an early age and longed to have her returned. Thus, when she heard a neighboring king was giving a festival to honor the birth of his daughter, she hatched a devious plot. Riding the moonlight, she drifted into the nativity room and spirited away the princess to the Black Forest. The king sent out many search parties and eventually went to war with another kingdom over the entire affair. A time passed, and the princess grew up and the witch grew more possessive. She had clearly inherited her mother's beauty and good nature, and this made the witch clutch to her even more. After a woodsman happened to spot her, numerous princes and knights began to make incursions into the woods in search of this fair maiden. The witch would have none of that and built a large tower with a single room at the top where she placed the princess. The witch would climb up and down the princess' long hair to bring her food and water and the like. One day, a prince happened upon the maiden in the tower and observed as the witch called her to let down her long hair. The prince waited until the witch departed and called up himself, to which the maiden lowered her hair and he promptly climbed up. Realizing he had no means of actually getting the lovely maiden down, he promised he would return in a fortnight to release her from her prison and departed. The witch, jealous old crone that she was, overheard these proceedings via magic and made ready, enchanting the very forest itself around the tower into deadly traps to defeat the prince and any men he brought with him. Then, she spake to the princess, who infuriated her so that she took her knife to the long tresses, pledging to let the maiden rot up in the tower. This was a bit poor conceived as the long hair was the only thing supporting the witch at the time. She fell to her doom, her body and blood spilling all over the forest's floor, coating the trees and bushes she had earlier enchanted. The prince and his men arrived unimpeded to the tower. He called out to the maiden, who cried out words of warning, but it was too late. Strange creatures emerged from the forest, leaping upon them, tearing chunks of flesh and shattering bone with their sharp teeth. They feasted for over an hour on the prince and his men. Their horrific sounds reached up to the tower's maiden, who went quite mad from the scene, cowering in a corner in fear until she quite starved to death. Thus, were born the fae folk... |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 10:42 PM | Wow. Looks like I stirred the pot with you D_S:P -- It's not a bad idea, but I think the time-depth is a bit shallow for a species that can live to be 300 (unless we are going to scrap all of the age things and rework them). I would have thought that the split would have occurred much earlier say during the pre-republic period some 1600 years ago. I have been thinking about the whole time period, and have decided to scrap the 600 years idea. I am now looking at a timeline of just under 1700 years. My new date is 1675AF, so that there has been plenty of time for the longer lived races to fall into savagery and come back up to some degree. I am also doing away with elves, by disease no less. So be warned: Starfall is a particularly dangerous place for those of elven blood. The Nyezza and the Esh (the major human ethnic of the area) were doing some minor exploring. It have been entirely possible for a group of early colonist from nyezza to have island hopped all the way to your region. There they would have tried to establish a trading city and all the usual bits, but the great distance and the slowness of oceanic travel at the time would have kept them from maintaining close ties to their people back home. So, they went a bit 'native'. They would have incorporated many local customs and ideas into their own traditions and within a few generations they would have been a substantially different culture. Works for me. We'll say 650BF? For a grand total of 2325 years ago that they came and settled on my region. Then the whole region goes to hell with the starfall*. Upon recovery they could not just go back to the old city-state ways as they were lost and nearly forgotten in the years of the disaster. Left only with a now mythic past full of strange, invisible cities the descendants of the Nyezza drifted ever further from their original culture. Sounds about right. Ah ha! I've got it. When the starfall occurred I would imagine that the oceans did some rather crazy things (boiling, spewing forth all manner of horrid things) which could easily have shattered the psyche of a people who have been sailors, merchants, and fishers their whole collective lives. So they moved inland but they still carried with them the shipwright traditions of their ancestors. On the grasslands they constructed a new kind of ship, one with wheels. Perhaps the wagons of the Paisangue still make use of nautical designs (hydrodynamic shapes, keels, that sort of thing) and even have sails so that they can sometimes travel overland without the need for beasts of burden. Even the word for their wagons might have its origins in the word for ship or boat. My emphasis. :eek: I REALLY like this idea. This would also explain why they have huge wagons. I am not to sure about having functional sails, but I could see them keeping some sort of ceremonial rigging, sails that are put up in celebration. Another thought occurs. Your Paisangue wear concealing clothing in a tropical environment which is somewhat unusual. The Nyezza tend to be a bit on the pale side and so might have taken up wearing concealing clothes to protect them from the harmful rays of the sun. I can see how this would evolve into "clothing as protection from evil". As to the naked in battle thing, thats probably something they invented in your region. Thanks for some more fluff on the people! I will keep the pale skin, and avoiding the sunlight is perfectly logical reason for them to originally cover themselves. Other possible hold-overs from the early days and the old culture might include any (or none) of the following. somewhat matralinial kinship systems broadly similar to this one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_kinship) a distaste for hereditary power (as they seem to be ruled by priest chosen for their merit and wisdom I can see this being the case) A large number of dark red haired people (red and dark red hair occur with a fair degree of regularity among the nyezza and blonde hair is all but unknown) A love of games and puzzles which are taken very seriously (perhaps the solving of puzzles has evolved into a form of prayer or meditation) An emphasis upon transformation and becoming in philosophy and religion. I don't know how this would translate into a druidic tradition, but they might have a tendency to "know a thing by becoming it" Universal cremation of the dead The matrilineal system is a great idea idea, I will have to see how I can incorporate it. In regards to hereditary rulership, the Paisanguen see it this way: "Why in the hells would we pick a ruler based on who slept with who first?" So dark red hair? That would make their scalps valuable. I think I now have a new tradition for the Pown-Dajji.:evillaugh Solving puzzles is the primary form of entertainment among the Paisanguen. They especially enjoy word games that involve rhyming. Their songs are very complex and also very haunting... Knowing things by becoming it...:lightbulb That has become the territory of the druids among the Paisanguen, the average people leave it to the Druids to experience the world from another point of view and then tell them about it. |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 11:34 PM | [QUOTE]Also, are you attempting to imply that I am her Serenity the Lady of Pain? I fear my ability to "argument-flay" may have something to do with this . . .ah well. I attempt to imply nothing! You are what you are. Will you be incorporating the latest paleontological findings that indicate that many (if not most) of the Dromaeosauridae (raptors) were feathered? Yes, I have been reading up on this and agree with it. I am seeing raptor feather headdresses and ceremonial clothes that incorporate the "look" of each particular dinosaur. -- Moving right along then I note that you have listed quite a few half-dragons. How do the pown-dajji feel about their living god (and its kin I would assume) propagating with all manner of beings? I can see it being alright in certain circumstances (such as breeding with the kobolds themselves) but I wonder about the half-dragon war dinos. The Pown-Dajji see the dragon as a source of strength, so when she chooses to bless a creature with 1/2 breed offspring then those offspring become holy. They see nothing wrong with her doing these things. Also, might it be that the half-dragons are created in a different manner from mundane reproduction? Perhaps some strange ritual involving infusing the essence of the Welkin into eggs or whathaveyou?(incidentally, are use using this term because both of it's archaic nature and it's meaning as it relates to 'the heavens'?) Nope! She does it the old fashioned way. That is why only the highest ranking Pown-Dajji are allowed to ride her blessed offspring. Therefor the infusion of essence is direct. Literally. How did the dragon come to claim the kobolds as her tribe? Also I have forgotten, did the whole Welkin thing occur after the starfall or did it start before that? The Welkin were awakened be the starfall, and each claimed the group of humanoids closest to them. The Welkin had a war going on in the ages past, and were eventually put into slumber by a divine avatar before their war could spill over and destroy the world. Only a small number of the Welkin survived the ages and were able to reawaken, and when they did rouse they went straight into their war again. Do the pown-dajji have any holdings on the large eastern island? Ereshkigal Palace is the primary city, but they also have mines and fortresses at strategic points across their territory. Holdings are covered in more detail further down. How do the kobolds ride these rather large and ferocious dinosaurs? Do they make use of saddles, howdahs, or some other method? Also, it seems as though they have a fair number of these Stokesosaurs which would indicate that they have some way of feeding them. How do they go about this? Perhaps they raise some animal for food? The Pown-Dajji use special saddles to ride. It is situated just above the dinosaurs hind legs. As to how they are able to feed the dinos, its simple: they have large farming communities in broad flat valleys deep in the mountains. There they grow corn and barley, as well as raise domesticated small herd dinosaurs, not sure which yet. What is the source of animosity between the gnomes and the kobolds? A feud over resources perhaps, some hatred between their respective Welkin? A conflict for resources would have been reason enough, the Pown-Dajji covet the flatter grasslands of the Paisangue for farming. The main reason though is that their respective Welkin are sworn enemies, Titan vs Dragon, and would like nothing more than to see the end of one another. An interesting system, and one that would rather effectively weed out the week, the unlucky, and the dim. However, it might be a bit too deadly which would hurt the overall population of the tribe. They are kobolds. They breed like rabbits, so its more like a population control mechanism. But it does guarantee only the strongest are able to make like the rabbits. So speak of kukris, do they forge their own metal or are the kukris the relics of a bygone era? The Gadar Kukris are made of copper that is fortified and strengthened with magic. I know I said there owuld be no metal working in my region, but I changed my mind. There is no IRONworking in my region. It sounds to me as though the Pown-Daj have a caste system of some form with the martial caste (or castes) occupying the highest rank. Are there any laws or customs that prevent the clans (or castes) from intermixing or which govern the nature of their interaction? Not really. I am thinking that ones station in life is decided by ones mothers side, since they worship a female Welkin. What station the father had matters little, he was basically a sperm donor, but if ones mother was a Fakiir then you will be born into the Fakiir as well even if your father was a simple Harijan. If they Acharya are made forcibly mute how do they communicate their spiritual advice or teach others to read? Do they make use of a sign language (which raises the question why allow them to communicate in this way yet deny them speech) or some other method? Another reason for the cutting out of the tongues might be to prevent the Acharya from becoming powerful casters for without the ability to speak they would be seriously hampered. They communicate through writing, thereby ensuring all Pown-Dajji are able to read. They do have a simple sign language but they are forbidden from sharing it with any of the other castes. The written word is very important to the Pown-Dajji, they see it as a form of control over the intangible. Limiting the spellcasters?:plotting: That thought hadn't even occurred to me. Its brilliant! I note that while you mention slavemasters and merchants you don't reference farmers or herdsmen (herdskobolds? herdsbolds?). Do they not practice either pastoralism or agriculture? Are they hunter-gatherers? See above. I am reminded of certain Aztec priests who were said to wear the flayed skin of their sacrifices. Always a nice touch. Thanks, that was what I had in mind for that. An intereting system with a pleasing air of pointless savagery. However, what would occur when a particular leader whom the Dragon is fond of is supposed to step down and be sacrificed? Can the dragon declare that "there will be no sacrifice today" ? The dragon does not intervene on this. There are no favored Disciples. Pown Daj believes this helps to affirm her place as dispassionate goddess. -- Well, I tried, but I don't know how well I did. Hopefully I wasn't too nasty. You weren't nasty at all. In fact you were your regular insightful self. :w00t: To you. -- Thel, if I could trouble you to mark the locations of your various tribes on the map that would be wonderfully helpful. I will do what I can, but my graphics capabilities are extremely limited. See what I can get up later. |
| DonThelonious10-04-07, 11:52 PM | Now its time to watch Last One Standing on Discovery Channel!!! Its all about primitive tribes and the games they play, often brutally. :dancin: :cheer: :clap: :bow: :duel: :monk: :lop: :drool: |
| LefferDP10-04-07, 11:52 PM | The Gadar Kukris are made of copper that is fortified and strengthened with magic. I know I said there owuld be no metal working in my region, but I changed my mind. There is no IRONworking in my region. You could always make them out of bone... I imagine dinosaur femurs turned into kukris. |
| DonThelonious10-05-07, 12:41 AM | I thought about making them out of dinosaur bone, but then I thought about what the Kobolds might me mining. I decided on copper since it is a rather easily mined and worked metal, and they would need it in order to build the Welkins stone palace. ---------------------- Just finished watching Last One Standing. Oh my god! That show has me near to bursting with ideas for some more tribes. I think I have A new favorite show. I will be posting more on them later. |
| Darth Syntax10-05-07, 01:15 AM | Wow. Looks like I stirred the pot with you D_S:P Well, thats what happens when you dangle a tantalizing idea in front of me. Its the overthinker's version of "oooo shiny" I have been thinking about the whole time period, and have decided to scrap the 600 years idea. I am now looking at a timeline of just under 1700 years. My new date is 1675AF, so that there has been plenty of time for the longer lived races to fall into savagery and come back up to some degree. Makes sense to me. It does allow for more time for the people and the world to recover from the event. I am also doing away with elves, by disease no less. So be warned: Starfall is a particularly dangerous place for those of elven blood. Interesting. This is going to **** the Ejantuli off no end as it will limit their ability to establish colonies in the region. Excellent, a further source of conflict. Works for me. We'll say 650BF? For a grand total of 2325 years ago that they came and settled on my region. Between 650 and 400 BF would work fine for me (about 600BF would be ideal). The early colonialism and exploration were in full swing at that point and the city-states of the Esuin sea and beyond would have been racing to establish trading centers and consolidate their economic power. Any ideas where this particular bunch of Nyezza might have originated? I would say the the cities of Trokoilon, Theneka, Sýrenvo, Argeno, or Oudzana would be all good options. The modern countries in question would be The Republic of Orothos, the Esuin League, the Commonwealth of Genato, and the Nurantine Dominion. Now, you don't have to come up with an exact origin but it might prove interesting if one of the Maritime Republics could go on about a "lost colony" and all of that jazz. My emphasis. :eek: I REALLY like this idea. This would also explain why they have huge wagons. I am not to sure about having functional sails, but I could see them keeping some sort of ceremonial rigging, sails that are put up in celebration. It's up to you whether or not the rigging and sails function, but it does make for an interesting image. A ship upon a sea of grass, majestically moving with the wind. Its enough to almost make one forget the glories of the sailing upon the ocean. If only for a while. I can definatly see the sails not being used all the time and the gnomes resorting to beasts of burden to move the "grass-ships" when they become becalmed. Thanks for some more fluff on the people! I will keep the pale skin, and avoiding the sunlight is perfectly logical reason for them to originally cover themselves. The explanation came to me in one of those "lightening bolts of epiphany" that I really wish I had more often. It was just all so clear. Of course I only ever get these about fictional worlds and the like. Ah well. The matrilineal system is a great idea idea, I will have to see how I can incorporate it. Other than calling all your mother's sisters mother, and being on close speaking terms with your 3rd cousin six times removed, I don't know much about the Nyezzan kinship system at the moment. I've done some basic outlining but that's about it. One thing that might happen is that children take their mother's family names as their own and are considered to belong to her family more strongly than to the father's family. In regards to hereditary rulership, the Paisanguen see it this way: "Why in the hells would we pick a ruler based on who slept with who first?" Indeed. The Nyezzan objection to hereditary rule has its origins in keeping the family secrets (which are considered to be more valuable as any worldly possessions and are passed on to a chosen heir) out of the public sphere. Politics, you see, is a public affair and it simply would not do to drag the family into it. To this day it is considered bad form to attack a politician's family or personal life. They also object to hereditary rule on the grounds that it is both arbitrary and needlessly prevents those best suited to rule from doing so. So dark red hair? That would make their scalps valuable. I think I now have a new tradition for the Pown-Dajji.:evillaugh Always glad to help. Solving puzzles is the primary form of entertainment among the Paisanguen. They especially enjoy word games that involve rhyming. Their songs are very complex and also very haunting... Clearly the Paisanguen are related to the Nyezza. Riddles and word play are considered and art form. Much of the old oral tradition consisted of riddles told of the exploits of clever mythic heroes in their answers. Knowing things by becoming it...:lightbulb That has become the territory of the druids among the Paisanguen, the average people leave it to the Druids to experience the world from another point of view and then tell them about it. This makes sense considering the druids' ability to shapeshift and the like. I can see the druids gathering people about them and telling the tale of what it is like to exist as a fern or a frog. In riddles of course. |
| LefferDP10-05-07, 03:11 AM | Hm... I think the mummy idea has merit. I have some bizare idea of a martial arts style that heavily relies on bandages and chains to ensare one's opponent. Trying to come up with atypical ideas for a classic scenario is a bit odd. |
| DonThelonious10-05-07, 03:40 AM | Makes sense to me. It does allow for more time for the people and the world to recover from the event. That is what I was hoping for. Interesting. This is going to **** the Ejantuli off no end as it will limit their ability to establish colonies in the region. Excellent, a further source of conflict. I imagine them making use of human citizens, kind of a "Homestead for us and get a bit of money!!" Between 650 and 400 BF would work fine for me (about 600BF would be ideal). The early colonialism and exploration were in full swing at that point and the city-states of the Esuin sea and beyond would have been racing to establish trading centers and consolidate their economic power. 600BF it is then. I havn't worked out all the details as of yet on what the region was like at that time. But once it gets hammered I will give you the notes on interaction. Any ideas where this particular bunch of Nyezza might have originated? I would say the the cities of Trokoilon, Theneka, Sýrenvo, Argeno, or Oudzana would be all good options. The modern countries in question would be The Republic of Orothos, the Esuin League, the Commonwealth of Genato, and the Nurantine Dominion. Now, you don't have to come up with an exact origin but it might prove interesting if one of the Maritime Republics could go on about a "lost colony" and all of that jazz. Argeno sounds good to me, it has the same feel as the language I am basing Paisanguen off of (which is Portugues:D ). Ultimatly it will be up to you though. It's up to you whether or not the rigging and sails function, but it does make for an interesting image. A ship upon a sea of grass, majestically moving with the wind. Its enough to almost make one forget the glories of the sailing upon the ocean. If only for a while. Hmmm:lightbulb picture this: You are riding over the gentle slopes and hills of the southern Paisanguen territory. The sky is the clearest blue you had ever imagined, and a strong wind from the east is laying the tall prairy grass low. In the distance you make out a large dark shape moving with the wind, surrounded by smaller shapes moving around it. As you ride on the large dark shape resoves itself into a massive ship, rolling along on wheels twice as tall as a man! Huge sails are pulled taut by the swift wind and of the for and aft decks are what appear to be windmills! Small humanoids dressed head to toe in silky dark blue fabric, wearing simple smooth masks with only their eyes showing, move about the deck quickly. They stow lines and trim sail to get the most of the now dying wind, as your approached from either side by small well armed men on the back of camofaluged Protoceratops... This sounds neat! I can definatly see the sails not being used all the time and the gnomes resorting to beasts of burden to move the "grass-ships" when they become becalmed. I suppose that would work, having the huge draft dinosaurs following behind until they are needed. The explanation came to me in one of those "lightening bolts of epiphany" that I really wish I had more often. It was just all so clear. Of course I only ever get these about fictional worlds and the like. Ah well. Indeed... One thing that might happen is that children take their mother's family names as their own and are considered to belong to her family more strongly than to the father's family. Hehe, I have almost the same thing for the Pown-Dajji, except for totally different reasons. The Nyezzan objection to hereditary rule has its origins in keeping the family secrets (which are considered to be more valuable as any worldly possessions and are passed on to a chosen heir) out of the public sphere. Politics, you see, is a public affair and it simply would not do to drag the family into it. To this day it is considered bad form to attack a politician's family or personal life. That would perfectly explain the secrecy circling the various clans of the Paisanguen. The only time they are without the traditional coverings is when they are relaxing in the presence of their families. They also object to hereditary rule on the grounds that it is both arbitrary and needlessly prevents those best suited to rule from doing so. Makes sense, but I like the Paisanguen reasoning better:P . Clearly the Paisanguen are related to the Nyezza. Riddles and word play are considered and art form. Much of the old oral tradition consisted of riddles told of the exploits of clever mythic heroes in their answers. Riddles are more like childrens games for the Paisanguen, a way of helping the little ones get a grasp pf the language and to understand the finer meanings of any given word. They prefer long and elaborate songs for oral histories, often times needing 2-3 different singers to take over when one gets tired. This makes sense considering the druids' ability to shapeshift and the like. I can see the druids gathering people about them and telling the tale of what it is like to exist as a fern or a frog. In riddles of course. Once again the riddles are more for the children, though the adults will get into some pretty feirce games. In this case the druid would most likely sing a song of what life is like for these creatures. |
| Darth Syntax10-05-07, 04:40 AM | I imagine them making use of human citizens, kind of a "Homestead for us and get a bit of money!!" I can see them doing this, but for the Ejantuli this would be somewhat troubling as without the proper overseers of the proper castes managing things would be difficult. 600BF it is then. I havn't worked out all the details as of yet on what the region was like at that time. But once it gets hammered I will give you the notes on interaction. Good good and all that. At the time of the colonization the nyezza would have been approximatly of the technical level of the people of Hellenistic Alexandria. So the would have been fairly advanced in the philosophical department and none too shabby with the technical abilities but by no means anywhere close to where the maritime powers are now. Argeno sounds good to me, it has the same feel as the language I am basing Paisanguen off of (which is Portugues:D ). Ultimatly it will be up to you though. Argeno is a city in the Esuin League very close to the boarder with the Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos. It was (and is) a rather minor power in the region although it is known for its excellent ships and fine paper products. At the time in question Argeno was trying to compete with Trokoilon and Kyoiln for resources and access to the trade routes. They might well have been desperate to gain access to resources that were, as yet, unknown and thus sent their ships further afield. As to the languages, the Nyezzan langauges are broadly based of the Venetian, Koine Greek, and Georgian so there is a Latin-esque element to them. The grammar, however, is polysynthetic and makes use of noun incorporation (the direct objects of verbs become part of the verb itself, ie "book-read", "ship-sail", "song-sing"). Your gnomes language would certainly have evolved a great deal (hence the Portuguese). Hmmm:lightbulb picture this: You are riding over the gentle slopes and hills of the southern Paisanguen territory. The sky is the clearest blue you had ever imagined, and a strong wind from the east is laying the tall prairy grass low. In the distance you make out a large dark shape moving with the wind, surrounded by smaller shapes moving around it. As you ride on the large dark shape resoves itself into a massive ship, rolling along on wheels twice as tall as a man! Huge sails are pulled taut by the swift wind and of the for and aft decks are what appear to be windmills! Small humanoids dressed head to toe in silky dark blue fabric, wearing simple smooth masks with only their eyes showing, move about the deck quickly. They stow lines and trim sail to get the most of the now dying wind, as your approached from either side by small well armed men on the back of camofaluged Protoceratops... This sounds neat! Nicely put Thel. So here is a question: Where are the wheels located? I would imagine either at the sides (making them look a bit like side-wheeled paddle boats) or possibly in the center of the craft. That would perfectly explain the secrecy circling the various clans of the Paisanguen. The only time they are without the traditional coverings is when they are relaxing in the presence of their families. It does makes sense. Almost too much sense. Have the Paisanguen kept the tradition of telling all of one's secrets to a chosen successor when one is near death? Makes sense, but I like the Paisanguen reasoning better:P . As well you should considering they are your people. Riddles are more like childrens games for the Paisanguen, a way of helping the little ones get a grasp pf the language and to understand the finer meanings of any given word. They prefer long and elaborate songs for oral histories, often times needing 2-3 different singers to take over when one gets tired. I should have explained Nyezzan riddles better. Imagine The Odyssey being told in such a way that all of the plot is revealed only through very oblique, metaphorically phrased passages that must be solved in order to follow what is really going on the story. [/QUOTE] |
| DonThelonious10-05-07, 06:19 AM | I can see them doing this, but for the Ejantuli this would be somewhat troubling as without the proper overseers of the proper castes managing things would be difficult. Hmmm, guess the elves are f:censored: . Argeno is a city in the Esuin League very close to the boarder with the Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos. It was (and is) a rather minor power in the region although it is known for its excellent ships and fine paper products. At the time in question Argeno was trying to compete with Trokoilon and Kyoiln for resources and access to the trade routes. They might well have been desperate to gain access to resources that were, as yet, unknown and thus sent their ships further afield. Works for me, I am thinking that around that time the elves in my region had reached the peak of civilization, understanding advanced intricacies of metallurgy, medicin, philosophy, and things of that nature. Don't quote me on this yet, though. As to the languages, the Nyezzan langauges are broadly based of the Venetian, Koine Greek, and Georgian so there is a Latin-esque element to them. The grammar, however, is polysynthetic and makes use of noun incorporation (the direct objects of verbs become part of the verb itself, ie "book-read", "ship-sail", "song-sing"). Your gnomes language would certainly have evolved a great deal (hence the Portuguese). So my Paisanguenese is either a bastardization or evolutution of Nyezzen. Work for me. So here is a question: Where are the wheels located? I would imagine either at the sides (making them look a bit like side-wheeled paddle boats) or possibly in the center of the craft. I am thinking the primary wheels will be in the center, along what used to be the keel. On the out side will something akin to training wheels to help balance the landship as its moving. It does makes sense. Almost too much sense. Have the Paisanguen kept the tradition of telling all of one's secrets to a chosen successor when one is near death? I am thinking so. This is turning out to quite an interesting evolution of cultures here. I should have explained Nyezzan riddles better. Imagine The Odyssey being told in such a way that all of the plot is revealed only through very oblique, metaphorically phrased passages that must be solved in order to follow what is really going on the story. Okay I get it. Since you put it that way then yes they would use riddles to tell histories, only they put a musical twist to it. ------------------------ Here is a present for you D_S, its a map of my region with the territories so far marked out. I also marked off three locations for you to have settlements, those are in pink. If you would like more than let me know. Your first colony, Kuilnos, is the little pink dot at the far northern end of the eastern island. The Paisanguen are in yellow and the Pown-Dajji are green. Oh and fair warning, it was done with paint and not very well. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1224/1488333437_13f653f0eb_o.jpg Gods this looks like crap... |
| Crebain10-05-07, 09:06 AM | Hi, I didn't want to read the whole thread but is space 12 still available? |
| DonThelonious10-05-07, 09:32 AM | Hi, I didn't want to read the whole thread but is space 12 still available? No, but if memory seves 18, 14, and 15 are. I understand not wanting to slog through all 16 pages of this thread, but my advice is to at least skim through most of it so you can get some idea of what everyone has so far. -- You are more than welcome to just dive in though:) --------- Just updated my Warpaint. It now gives a natural armor bonus, so its abusable to a degree just REALLY expensive to abuse. Fallenstar Warpaint: This highly saught after pigment looks just like regular war paint, but when it is applied it grants a Natural Armor bonus to AC ranging from +2 to +10 depending on the color. It takes one full round to apply and the effects last for 24 hours. Each compact is good for 10 applications before it is empty. Green: +2 AC Yellow: +4 AC Orange: +6 AC Red: +8 AC Black: +10 AC Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Barkskin; Creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed on the pigment; Price 3200gp (+2), 12,800gp (+4), 28,800gp (+6), 51,200gp (+8), 80,000gp (+10);Weight - Fallenstar warpaint was the creation of the Paisanguen tribe of gnomes, to help keep naked warriors alive in battle. The secret of its creation was a closely guarded secret, as it was only given to those members of a tribe going to war. The penalty for a non-Paisanguen to have it was death. After one particularly gruesom battle, several decades ago, a bit of the Yellow paint was captured by the Pown-Dajji, who quickly made their own variant, though it is limited to a max of +4. Since that time other tribes have picked up the process, and have begun manufacturing their own variants. None have been as successful as the Paisangue in their endeavers though, and the cesrets of making the more potent orange, red, and black are still closely guarded. |
| Darth Syntax10-05-07, 02:57 PM | Hmmm, guess the elves are f:censored: . Probably. But lo! another lightening bolt of epiphany! Perhaps the Ejantuli (and the Jaur in general) have come up with a means of combating the dangerous of the Starfall albeit in an expensive and somewhat uncomfortable way. While in "the colonies" the Jaur wear heavy suits of alchemically treated leather and brass that are completely enclosing (a kind of baroque space-suit thing) which they adapted from the sahuagin "land clothing". These suits are heavy, uncomfortable and even with then the Jaur feel fatigued and 'drained' by the region. Works for me, I am thinking that around that time the elves in my region had reached the peak of civilization, understanding advanced intricacies of metallurgy, medicin, philosophy, and things of that nature. Don't quote me on this yet, though. The would have been competing with the Jauric empires that had begun to expand in the centuries before. The Ejantuli would have been ruled by the fourth tülc a jen (literally 'all -master upon the sea' which is the Ejantuli word for Emperor) Glairo Nlirdan Gethshya and in an expansionist phase of their history (as they are once again) driven by the desire to control the seas of the world and the lands that boarder them. *Looks at the map* It is possible that the elves may have originated in your region in the distant past ans spread out from there. The Jaur and the Vodnans to the west and south and Soviet's empire's people and the Kedarans to the east and north. It would be interesting if what was once the cradle of the elven peoples is not toxic to them. So my Paisanguenese is either a bastardization or evolutution of Nyezzen. Work for me. My guess is that Paisanguenese underwent substantial innovation, losing much of the case system (possibly due to the merging of some sounds and the like) and thus changed from a highly synthetic language to the very lightly synthetic language we see now. I am thinking the primary wheels will be in the center, along what used to be the keel. On the out side will something akin to training wheels to help balance the landship as its moving. Alright, I can see this. So another question: Do the Paisanguen live much of the time on their ships or no? I am thinking so. This is turning out to quite an interesting evolution of cultures here. I agree. I think this is working out nicely, and is beginning to tie the world together a bit. Huzzah, and so forth. Okay I get it. Since you put it that way then yes they would use riddles to tell histories, only they put a musical twist to it. They can use whatever method you wish, I was just trying to explain how Nyezzan riddles work (as I did a rather poor job at the beginning). Here is a present for you D_S, its a map of my region with the territories so far marked out. I also marked off three locations for you to have settlements, those are in pink. If you would like more than let me know. Your first colony, Kuilnos, is the little pink dot at the far northern end of the eastern island. The Paisanguen are in yellow and the Pown-Dajji are green. Oh and fair warning, it was done with paint and not very well. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1224/1488333437_13f653f0eb_o.jpg Gods this looks like crap... Thanks Thel. *Looks at map* Hunh, I had this all wrong in my head, especially with the kobolds. I had it in my head a bit more like the following: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/1490733575_e82c222c85_b.jpg I'll fix it to better reflect the real state of affairs. -- Crebain, region 12 is indeed occupied, by our esteemed projected director yellowdingo (anyone know where the fellow is?). The southern polar regions that are open are 14, 15, and 18. |
| DonThelonious10-06-07, 08:09 AM | But lo! another lightening bolt of epiphany! Perhaps the Ejantuli (and the Jaur in general) have come up with a means of combating the dangerous of the Starfall albeit in an expensive and somewhat uncomfortable way. While in "the colonies" the Jaur wear heavy suits of alchemically treated leather and brass that are completely enclosing (a kind of baroque space-suit thing) which they adapted from the sahuagin "land clothing". These suits are heavy, uncomfortable and even with then the Jaur feel fatigued and 'drained' by the region. That could work. They would be considered monsters by the natives though, I think more likely there would be an elven overlord of some sort and the community would be primarily human. Definitely make for some memorable lords in the colonies. The would have been competing with the Jauric empires that had begun to expand in the centuries before. The Ejantuli would have been ruled by the fourth tülc a jen (literally 'all -master upon the sea' which is the Ejantuli word for Emperor) Glairo Nlirdan Gethshya and in an expansionist phase of their history (as they are once again) driven by the desire to control the seas of the world and the lands that boarder them. This could have been a source for the plague, as my elves developed some sort of powerful bio-weapon that worked way to well. That would have made your elves avoid the region for millennia and only recently return. *Looks at the map* It is possible that the elves may have originated in your region in the distant past and spread out from there. The Jaur and the Vodnans to the west and south and Soviet's empire's people and the Kedarans to the east and north. It would be interesting if what was once the cradle of the elven peoples is not toxic to them. We would have to get consent from the rest of the members, but that could work really well, since everyone seems to agree the Elves came from "elsewhere". We can say they arose on the once pristine lands in my region, then war on my region caused them to fall from power, eventually they once again grew to power but the Starfall and some mysterious plague wiped them out in my region. Elves the world over would then have a " Lost Garden of Eden" so to speak. Works well for me. My guess is that Paisanguenese underwent substantial innovation, losing much of the case system (possibly due to the merging of some sounds and the like) and thus changed from a highly synthetic language to the very lightly synthetic language we see now. Makes sense. So another question: Do the Paisanguen live much of the time on their ships or no? The grass ships are the heart of every clan within the tribe. *Looks at map* Hunh, I had this all wrong in my head, especially with the kobolds. I had it in my head a bit more like the following: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/1490733575_e82c222c85_b.jpg I'll fix it to better reflect the real state of affairs. I actually like what you have a but better, though the Paisanguen and the Pown-Dajji territories would not extend that far north, though might extend further south. |
| Num0ch10-06-07, 08:19 AM | I've been following this and I just wanna pop in and say you guys are incredible. |
| DonThelonious10-06-07, 09:47 AM | I've been following this and I just wanna pop in and say you guys are incredible. Cool. I think I speak for all of us when I say thanks!!! |
| LefferDP10-06-07, 12:26 PM | Cool. I think I speak for all of us when I say thanks!!! I feel like we should be thanking people just for slogging through this thread. Though it is awesome, it has so many words... *coughs* It's good to hear there are people that are enjoying themselves besides us, though. After some consideration on an earlier point, I strongly encourage matriarchal societies to have lots of female Juniors and Beth the IVths like our own society likes to do with male names. The were-society is probably going to take up the Southern part of the Black Forest. Perhaps there are small wars of were-creatures and fey on occasion. That could be really messy. Especially considering the were-creature's own internal struggles. Map's done, Now it just needs to be translated into a format that looks trillions of times prettier than my current one. Feel free to futz with the features as much as you like to make them look right, Darth. I'm still trying to decide how to position various nations so there might be minor changes in the future, but the major features should be there now. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/1497409463_3fafd9194e_o.jpg Any ideas as the the societal implications of having a large doppleganger population? |
| Crebain10-06-07, 12:54 PM | Okay i'm going to take space 18 if that's okay with you guys. Heres my map. http://a315.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/34/l_6a3dcc81af23928a5d8e12ef48cca8ea.jpg |
| Darth Syntax10-06-07, 02:47 PM | That could work. They would be considered monsters by the natives though, I think more likely there would be an elven overlord of some sort and the community would be primarily human. Definitely make for some memorable lords in the colonies. That's more or less the idea. As to being considered monsters, of course that is the case. The same would be true of a dwarf , a halfling, an orc (etc etc) in my region. Dromites? perfectly normal. Crazy six armed mute emaciated wizard people? strange, but nothing to worry about. Lizardmen? Monster! Deny it due process at once! This could have been a source for the plague, as my elves developed some sort of powerful bio-weapon that worked way to well. That would have made your elves avoid the region for millennia and only recently return. Well the proto-Jaur and proto-Vodnans would have left your regions about 20,000 years ago so the forgetting where they are from has probably more to do with the time depth that anything else. As to the bio-weapons, I would be interesting in hearing about them. I'm almost sure Leffer will be interested as well. We would have to get consent from the rest of the members, but that could work really well, since everyone seems to agree the Elves came from "elsewhere". We can say they arose on the once pristine lands in my region, then war on my region caused them to fall from power, eventually they once again grew to power but the Starfall and some mysterious plague wiped them out in my region. Elves the world over would then have a " Lost Garden of Eden" so to speak. Works well for me. I was just floating an idea. As I have said the ancestors of the Jaur and the Vodnans left a very long time ago (probably looking for better fishing grounds). The grass ships are the heart of every clan within the tribe. So they do tend to live upon them. Ok. Another question comes to mind (when do they not it seems): Where to they get the materials to build their land-ships? Sense they live in a grassland I can't imagine wood would be easy to come by. I actually like what you have a but better, though the Paisanguen and the Pown-Dajji territories would not extend that far north, though might extend further south. You don't have to alter it you know. I just thought when you refered to the Pown-Dajji living on a rocky island in the center-east I assumed that you meant the long 'crater-lip- island that I've marked in that lovely shade of burnt orange. -- I feel like we should be thanking people just for slogging through this thread. Though it is awesome, it has so many words... *coughs* It's good to hear there are people that are enjoying themselves besides us, though. Indeed. It is a lot of text (and more than it's fair share is my own ramblings on utterly irrelevant things like cuisine and hat fashions). But I agree that it is good that others are enjoying the thread as well. After some consideration on an earlier point, I strongly encourage matriarchal societies to have lots of female Juniors and Beth the IVths like our own society likes to do with male names. It would makes sense, although I seem to have lost the original reference to matriarchal societies (at least described ones in the setting). There was the reference to matralinial kinship systems but those occur in all manner of societies. The were-society is probably going to take up the Southern part of the Black Forest. Perhaps there are small wars of were-creatures and fey on occasion. That could be really messy. Especially considering the were-creature's own internal struggles. Wars between the various inhabitants of the forest, especially such 'odd' inhabitants, could prove interesting. Do you have any ideas on what the cultures of the were-creatures might be like? Map's done, Now it just needs to be translated into a format that looks trillions of times prettier than my current one. Feel free to futz with the features as much as you like to make them look right, Darth. I'm still trying to decide how to position various nations so there might be minor changes in the future, but the major features should be there now. I'm working on the map even as we speak (No really, photoshop is open and I am drawing with my right hand and writing with my left). As to 'futzing' I may need to tweak some of your rivers a bit so that they all flow somewhere and don't merge in odd places. Also, what does a 'genetic wasteland' look like? If you can find some images for inspiration it would be of great assistance. -- Crebain, if you want region 18 you are going to be right below Leffer and are going to need to have your geography mesh with his/her's/respected androgyn's. -- So, mapping continues as does work on the Sron. Until later on, good luck. |
| LefferDP10-06-07, 03:34 PM | It would makes sense, although I seem to have lost the original reference to matriarchal societies (at least described ones in the setting). There was the reference to matralinial kinship systems but those occur in all manner of societies. I seem to have confused the two a bit. The benefit of matrilineal is that you always know who the mother is, at least. Similar to what the Jewish peoples have. Got it. Wars between the various inhabitants of the forest, especially such 'odd' inhabitants, could prove interesting. Do you have any ideas on what the cultures of the were-creatures might be like? They would be pretty clearly tribal in nature. Multiple small tribes of each species of werecreature. Heavy family emphasis in that most time is spent away from other family units. The shaman lead during times of peace and the chieftain lead during times of war. Ways that the chieftain is chosen are determined by alignment type, I would think. Probably the types of lycanthropic creatures I'd use are: werebear, wereboar, wererat, weretiger, werewolf, werecrocodiles, werebadgers, werejackals, werepanthers, and wereravens. The werebears might have small villages at the forest's edge of their territory to warn off travelers and occasionally trade, but I imagine most of the others would be more willing to eat trespassers or turn them to a werekin via harrying them for a while until closing in for the bite. Those who are bitten would become a part of the family of the biter, so which course of action probably depends on if the werecreature can afford more family members. I can imagine them biting a male traveler, then strong arming them into marriage with a daughter they need a husband for. Also, what does a 'genetic wasteland' look like? If you can find some images for inspiration it would be of great assistance. Damnable, I don't believe they exist in the real world, but it seems like they would still have a somewhat distinct look, and definitely a distinct ecology... A genetic wasteland is essentially an area where the plants and have undergone heavy genetic modification. Plant life is somewhat common, and a large portion of them tend to be poisonous or emit toxic gasses in a small quantities that makes them dangerous to humans. Some of the normal animals and genetic mutants are capable of eating these plants, while predators of these creatures exist as well. Humanoid travelers are faced with all sorts of bizarre attacks from the odd variety of plants and animals. Fires, explosions of toxins and mudslides are all happen with some frequency. |
| Darth Syntax10-06-07, 04:14 PM | I seem to have confused the two a bit. The benefit of matrilineal is that you always know who the mother is, at least. Similar to what the Jewish peoples have. Got it. More or less yes. It is fairly easy to determine the mother of a child whereas determining the father can be a bit more difficult (at least before the advent of genetic testing or a spell called "paternity test"). Also, the position of 'father' is very often a cultural position rather than a strictly biological one. Your father might be defined as "mother's husband" rather than "biological father" or something like that. Within the context of Nyezzan kinship systems, 'father' is usually a term that covers your biological father, your mother's husband (if different) your paternal uncles, and occasionally male siblings who are substantially older than the person in question (hereafter known as ego). They would be pretty clearly tribal in nature. Multiple small tribes of each species of werecreature. Heavy family emphasis in that most time is spent away from other family units. The shaman lead during times of peace and the chieftain lead during times of war. Ways that the chieftain is chosen are determined by alignment type, I would think. Probably the types of lycanthropic creatures I'd use are: werebear, wereboar, wererat, weretiger, werewolf, werecrocodiles, werebadgers, werejackals, werepanthers, and wereravens. I could see the various groups of therianthropes having very different cultures based loosely upon the animal component. Weretigers might be loaners who keep away from each other much of the time. Werecrocodiles probably don't cooperate much and tend to leave each other alone. Wereravens, by contrast, might function as a meritocracy based upon cleverness. Ravens being clever creatures that succeed by both being adaptable and intelligent. And I can't help but think of the rats of NIMH when I think of wererats. The werebears might have small villages at the forest's edge of their territory to warn off travelers and occasionally trade, but I imagine most of the others would be more willing to eat trespassers or turn them to a werekin via harrying them for a while until closing in for the bite. Those who are bitten would become a part of the family of the biter, so which course of action probably depends on if the werecreature can afford more family members. I can imagine them biting a male traveler, then strong arming them into marriage with a daughter they need a husband for. There might be certian non-were societies that consider being 'chosen' by a neighboring group of non-hostile weres to be be a great honor. A possible variant would be the were-x acting as a kind of 'high-caste' group among mundane people. Damnable, I don't believe they exist in the real world, but it seems like they would still have a somewhat distinct look, and definitely a distinct ecology... A genetic wasteland is essentially an area where the plants and have undergone heavy genetic modification. Plant life is somewhat common, and a large portion of them tend to be poisonous or emit toxic gasses in a small quantities that makes them dangerous to humans. Some of the normal animals and genetic mutants are capable of eating these plants, while predators of these creatures exist as well. Humanoid travelers are faced with all sorts of bizarre attacks from the odd variety of plants and animals. Fires, explosions of toxins and mudslides are all happen with some frequency. Oh I did not mean to imply that such places really do exits, I was just wondering if you might have seen some images (drawings, bits of films, possibly real places) that begin to provide an idea of the visual 'feel' of these places. From your description the term genetic waste seems a bit paradoxical. The 'wastes' are teeming with all manner of weird life. I had thought they might be largely devoid of life having been 'over harvested' for genetic material and thus leaving only a few horribly twisted plants and animals; the results of the genetic 'dregs' of the species being allowed to come to the surface. |
| LefferDP10-06-07, 04:54 PM | I could see the various groups of therianthropes having very different cultures based loosely upon the animal component. Weretigers might be loaners who keep away from each other much of the time. Werecrocodiles probably don't cooperate much and tend to leave each other alone. Wereravens, by contrast, might function as a meritocracy based upon cleverness. Ravens being clever creatures that succeed by both being adaptable and intelligent. And I can't help but think of the rats of NIMH when I think of wererats. The main problem with all this is that they are also half-human and are in fact human most of their lives. Maybe there are aspects of this in their society, but humans are definitely social creatures, so I find the idea of a functioning society of loners unlikely. Man, I haven't read the Secret of NIMH in so long. DnD makes the wererats LE, though. I suppose I could buck that if I chose, but it gives me a bit of pause. There might be certian non-were societies that consider being 'chosen' by a neighboring group of non-hostile weres to be be a great honor. A possible variant would be the were-x acting as a kind of 'high-caste' group among mundane people. I don't know about this, in DnD it's a really simple matter to infect someone with lycanthrope and there really doesn't seem to be a downside to just infecting everyone in your group with it. Oh I did not mean to imply that such places really do exits, I was just wondering if you might have seen some images (drawings, bits of films, possibly real places) that begin to provide an idea of the visual 'feel' of these places. From your description the term genetic waste seems a bit paradoxical. The 'wastes' are teeming with all manner of weird life. I had thought they might be largely devoid of life having been 'over harvested' for genetic material and thus leaving only a few horribly twisted plants and animals; the results of the genetic 'dregs' of the species being allowed to come to the surface. Well, teeming isn't really the term I'd use, but there's enough to have an "ecosystem" if a very very messed up one. The term "wastes" refer more to the fact that non-native species tend to have very short lives out in them. The lack of plants leads to significant erosion, which makes life more difficult for the plants already there and provide the actual "wasteland" aspect. A bit more plantlife than I'd like, but it's got the erosion: http://images.wildmadagascar.org/pictures/tana_flight/madagascar_erosion_aerial_0.JPG |
| DonThelonious10-07-07, 12:48 AM | Leffer: I imagine you Genetic Wasteland something akin to the outback of Australia. With huge swathes of rocky, weather beaten terrain full of narrow gorges and stark canyons. Am I close? |
| Darth Syntax10-07-07, 04:31 AM | The main problem with all this is that they are also half-human and are in fact human most of their lives. Maybe there are aspects of this in their society, but humans are definitely social creatures, so I find the idea of a functioning society of loners unlikely. Theoretically an equatorial lycanthrope would spend roughly half it's life in alternate form as it is the presence of night, not simply the full moon that triggers the change. Or so sayeth the Monster Manual. And for natural lycanthropes I would imagine that they might choose to spend much of their lives changing forms as freely as we might change hats. As to creatures like were-crocs and the like, I'm not sure they would form much in the way of a society, mostly due to their dietary habits. They would require large prey items and are, no doubt, preferential carnivores. This probably makes them quite territorial out of necessity. They might live as hunters and trappers (in the glorious tradition of the mountain men) in the swamps, marshes, mangroves, and rivers of the region selling the hides of animals or acting as guides. Man, I haven't read the Secret of NIMH in so long. DnD makes the wererats LE, though. I suppose I could buck that if I chose, but it gives me a bit of pause. Well, the president to utterly disregard the standard alignment of creatures certainly exists in the world. Look at all the violently imperialistic elves. However, LE is an excellent alignment for an efficient and ordered society. Just because someone is 'evil' doesn't mean that they sacrifice babies in the pale moonlight. They might just be needlessly harsh or selfish, or perhaps willing to unsavory things in the name of greater order. Hell I'm probably LN-LE and I don't think I've sacrificed anyone to anything or thought about destroying the world (although I've always wanted to rule the place from behind the scenes in some office in Prague). I just have a rather dim view of human nature, I like order and logic, and hold that it far better to be efficient and correct than it is to be fair or kind. The wererats might just be highly ordered Social-Darwinists who see nothing wrong in grinding the weak and foolish beneath their heels. I don't know about this, in DnD it's a really simple matter to infect someone with lycanthrope and there really doesn't seem to be a downside to just infecting everyone in your group with it. It might be a simple matter to transform someone into a lycanthrope but most who receive the 'blessing' go rather bonkers. It also makes one more powerful, grants the potent and mythically charged ability to shapechange, and clearly marks one as 'superior' to ordinary humanoids. The gift of the transformation might be bestowed only upon those deemed worthy and as such it might acquire a certain mistique. And there is a very potent downside to transforming too many people into lycanthropes; you create your own competitors at an alarming rate. Well, teeming isn't really the term I'd use, but there's enough to have an "ecosystem" if a very very messed up one. The term "wastes" refer more to the fact that non-native species tend to have very short lives out in them. The lack of plants leads to significant erosion, which makes life more difficult for the plants already there and provide the actual "wasteland" aspect. A bit more plantlife than I'd like, but it's got the erosion: http://images.wildmadagascar.org/pictures/tana_flight/madagascar_erosion_aerial_0.JPG Ah. Now I understand. Thank you. Also, please have a look at the map here provided and tell me what I need to fix. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/1503980746_04daba91b4_b.jpg |
| LefferDP10-07-07, 07:04 AM | If possible, could you tone down the color of the genetic wastes a bit so they're more brownish, and lower them a bit so the patches of greenery don't look like valleys. The patches of greenery are where the city-states reside, they should be more or less circular given the radius that can be protected from the genetic mutants is a certain area. There should be one near the mountain pass, a slightly bigger than average one near the forest but along the river leading through it, a pair next to each other near a river, one near the delta, a rather large one near the river's divide (320 miles diameter, 1000 sq miles or so), one placed a bit away from the river in the South-Easternly portion, and four others along the river. On average they're about 125 miles in diameter, covering approximately 400 sq miles a piece. More forest is needed in the mountain pass, and the pass needs to be more... Passy. Reference Araes' map a bit more. The mountains should be very close together and a forest should run through them, ending more or less near the genetic wastes. This map demands some foothills near the mountain ranges. I'm not sure where or how, exactly, but it does. Are my grasslands too vast? |
| DonThelonious10-07-07, 07:23 AM | Leffer: Your grasslands don't really too to vast, but I can imagine them being prime farming land. Whats stopping some enterprising race from going in and building sprawling farming communities? |
| Darth Syntax10-07-07, 03:37 PM | If possible, could you tone down the color of the genetic wastes a bit so they're more brownish, and lower them a bit so the patches of greenery don't look like valleys. Easily done. I was just playing around with "the color scheme that should not be" :coolcthul The patches of greenery are where the city-states reside, they should be more or less circular given the radius that can be protected from the genetic mutants is a certain area. Makeing the grassland patches circular in shape is going to make them look very artifical and give the whole region a rather 'polka-dot' look. I can do it, but it isn't going to be naturalistic. More forest is needed in the mountain pass, and the pass needs to be more... Passy. Reference Araes' map a bit more. The mountains should be very close together and a forest should run through them, ending more or less near the genetic wastes. Leffer, at the scale of these maps you wouldn't be able to see any passes as they would simply be too small. The gap between the ranges is more of a long valley and would actually be quite wide. A bit larger than the Central Valley in California. Believe me (I live there) it's no craggy mountain pass. This map demands some foothills near the mountain ranges. I'm not sure where or how, exactly, but it does. Done and done. I've been meaning to add them to the other maps as well. I should do that. Are my grasslands too vast? Never too vast. Think of the potential for vast herds of wildebeests (or the herd animal of your choice) sweeping majestically across the grasslands. And think of the potential for nomads. And yurts. Who doesn't enjoy a good yurt? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/1508386258_c84e70e4a9_b.jpg |
| SovietCanuck10-07-07, 04:34 PM | Leffer, your talk about a large doppleganger population reminded me of a Ravenloft domain that was a lot like that Check here (http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Library.html), it would be Quoth the Raven, Issue II: Advanced Domains. You should find it helpful. Now to get back to reading everything that's been posted over the last couple of days... |
| LefferDP10-07-07, 06:56 PM | Makeing the grassland patches circular in shape is going to make them look very artifical and give the whole region a rather 'polka-dot' look. I can do it, but it isn't going to be naturalistic. It looks better now. A patch nearer to the valley would be nice, and the two sister city-states should actually have some border overlap. Leffer, at the scale of these maps you wouldn't be able to see any passes as they would simply be too small. The gap between the ranges is more of a long valley and would actually be quite wide. A bit larger than the Central Valley in California. Believe me (I live there) it's no craggy mountain pass. Hm... I was figuring the dwarves controlled the pass, and the primary trade route into Khauskov would have to go through the city-state situated next to it, but it seems the area might be a bit too big for that. Never too vast. Think of the potential for vast herds of wildebeests (or the herd animal of your choice) sweeping majestically across the grasslands. And think of the potential for nomads. And yurts. Who doesn't enjoy a good yurt? Ah, yes... The majestic packs of plain yurts traipsing across the plains. Wait, what do you mean it's a tent? I'm thinking more bison... Mostly because I imagine crapping my pants when I see an angry one stomp out of a flurry of dust: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/TOH/EA11-T~American-Bison-LE-Posters.jpg Edit: yellowdingo sighting! http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=935343 |
| Darth Syntax10-07-07, 08:15 PM | It looks better now. A patch nearer to the valley would be nice, and the two sister city-states should actually have some border overlap. I'll get on that shortly. Hm... I was figuring the dwarves controlled the pass, and the primary trade route into Khauskov would have to go through the city-state situated next to it, but it seems the area might be a bit too big for that. There is nothing to say that the valley might not be horrifically dangerous and altogether unpleasant for travelers. Perhaps the dwarves in question control the only know 'safe' route through the area and have set up communities along the route. The route could be partially subterranean and thus require the use of dwarven guides to get travelers through (for a modest fee of course). Ah, yes... The majestic packs of plain yurts traipsing across the plains. Wait, what do you mean it's a tent? I can see it now. There! On the hill! a band of dire awakened yurts! I'm thinking more bison... Mostly because I imagine crapping my pants when I see an angry one stomp out of a flurry of dust Bison could work, although I would think it might be a tad warm in your region for them. |
| LefferDP10-07-07, 10:31 PM | Bison could work, although I would think it might be a tad warm in your region for them. My thoughts were more along the lines of massive herd animals than necessarily bison, persay. Certainly a much shorter-haired version of them would be necessary. Maybe we can play with this a bit... Outsider herd animals (herd xorn...?) Golden/iron fleece Flightless birds Really big pigs Herd Plants |
| Darth Syntax10-07-07, 11:02 PM | I like the idea of herd plants, it makes me recall all those absurd travelers tails from the classical age through the renaissance. Anyone for the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartary)? |
| LefferDP10-08-07, 02:20 AM | Maybe something similar to a shambling mound, but more edible and useful? They could chase storms around, seeking the electricity for use in reproduction. Hm... Maybe some sort of meaty flesh covered by a layer of medicinally useful slime? |
| Dex10-08-07, 03:36 AM | Maybe something similar to a shambling mound, but more edible and useful? They could chase storms around, seeking the electricity for use in reproduction. Hm... Maybe some sort of meaty flesh covered by a layer of medicinally useful slime? That sounds like something from my Deladasian jungles...perhaps one was transplanted, or taken as a specimen? Even better, a Shambling mound mutated by foul magics and escaped, where it ran rampant and out-competed the local herd animals... |
| Darth Syntax10-08-07, 03:41 AM | An excerpt from the writings of Faro Gesaranón (14th century nyezzan historian and traveler) Editor's note: Faro's account of the northern barbarians and their lands is somewhat suspect for although he accurately describes many of the strange and remarkable creatures of those lands he is wont to embellish his texts with accounts of clearly fictitious creatures such as tribes of anthropophagi, men with heads below their torsos, giants of absurd size, and plant-green animal-men with vicious tusks. -Ardasi Thesslirae, University of Urzzan, 1454 CR The barbarians of the lands beyond the belt of the world have many strange beasts which they herd for use as food, as a source of milk, and for fibers to weave their cloths. Some of these are like our alpacas, but of shorter neck and harder hoof and they gather in huge herds such that it looks as though a procession of tiny clouds is moving across the plains. Stranger still than the clouds-that-walk are the fungal herds of the Koskoiveno (a rendering of Khauskov -ed). These giant fungi move about upon massive, pillar-like legs and are very like our buffalo in size and in temperament. The herdmen say the the spores of the fungal-buffalo induce deep dreams that touch upon madness and epiphany in equal measure, of this I have little doubt, for I seen the strange rituals of the herders and they can only be the result of such a madness -- Just having fun with the idea of ambulatory, herding, fungi. It could work. |
| LefferDP10-08-07, 03:48 AM | That sounds like something from my Deladasian jungles...perhaps one was transplanted, or taken as a specimen? Even better, a Shambling mound mutated by foul magics and escaped, where it ran rampant and out-competed the local herd animals... Perhaps continental drift happened and at one time a landbridge of some sort connected the regions? |
| DonThelonious10-08-07, 06:09 AM | We could always say my elves did it. They did engineer a bioweapon that makes my lands toxic to all with elven blood. Could work... |
| LefferDP10-08-07, 06:44 AM | We could always say my elves did it. They did engineer a bioweapon that makes my lands toxic to all with elven blood. Could work... I'm more inclined to leave most creature based genetic engineering in the hands of the Khauskov, if possible. It's sort of their schtick, after all. Perhaps the creatures were originally grassland natives that somehow transfered to the island via land or ice bridge, where they survived passibly, but when reintroduced to thriving grasslands by intrepid merchants, began to spread like toads in Australia. I'm thinking one of the city-states will have been originally been a neighboring country of Khauskov that managed to capture an Inevitable around the time Khauskov began their genetic ascendence. The ruler managed to pick apart the inevitable and gain enough knowledge to create part-construct soldiers. Perhaps he later on gained some genetic engineering ability after joining with Khauskov, but he wasn't wiped off the map because of these "gearmen" (any better names?) soldiers. Not sure how I want to play this, exactly. The half-golem seems tempting, but they seem a little indelicate compared to the intricacies of Mechanus. Thoughts? More thoughts Perhaps to combat the doppleganger infestation, second born children of the aristocrats tend to become members of a Keeper PrC that is constantly aware of their sibling's location and condition. |
| Darth Syntax10-08-07, 02:40 PM | I'm more inclined to leave most creature based genetic engineering in the hands of the Khauskov, if possible. It's sort of their schtick, after all. I'm inclined to agree with Leffer here Thel. He/She/Respected Androgyn did bring up the idea first and thus does have the 'claim of origin' on the concept. As to the whole Starfall "bed for elves" bit, I'm sure that an alternate origin for the effect can be thought up, perhaps involving the comet itself? Perhaps the creatures were originally grassland natives that somehow transfered to the island via land or ice bridge, where they survived passibly, but when reintroduced to thriving grasslands by intrepid merchants, began to spread like toads in Australia. We are talking about plants here, so it more than possible that seeds simply drifted from one place to the other upon the ocean. Common origin is also a possibility (continental drift and all that) I'm thinking one of the city-states will have been originally been a neighboring country of Khauskov that managed to capture an Inevitable around the time Khauskov began their genetic ascendence. The ruler managed to pick apart the inevitable and gain enough knowledge to create part-construct soldiers. Perhaps he later on gained some genetic engineering ability after joining with Khauskov, but he wasn't wiped off the map because of these "gearmen" (any better names?) soldiers. Not sure how I want to play this, exactly. The half-golem seems tempting, but they seem a little indelicate compared to the intricacies of Mechanus. Thoughts? I feel the need to point out the Mechanus (or indeed any of the other planes) do not exist in the project. Instead it exists in a totally separate (and currently undefined) cosmos. To import a 'standard' cosmos would wreak havoc upon the world, espiecially in the mytho-religious-historical sense. That said, there is nothing wrong with there being some plane that has clockwork elements (perhaps a layer of a potential 'plane of time'?) from where such creatures as inevitables hail. As to the 'gearmen' there is a creature, a planetouched, in the Fiend Folio called a Mechanatrix (which is not, in fact, always female) which traces its ancestry to the clockwork plane. It might serve as a jumping-off point. More thoughts Perhaps to combat the doppleganger infestation, second born children of the aristocrats tend to become members of a Keeper PrC that is constantly aware of their sibling's location and condition. And thus we answer the ancient and time honored question: "Am I my brother's keeper" in the affirmative. |
| LefferDP10-08-07, 09:57 PM | We are talking about plants here, so it more than possible that seeds simply drifted from one place to the other upon the ocean. Common origin is also a possibility (continental drift and all that) Perhaps the pollen floated across the ocean and managed to find another type of plant they could successfully breed with that was native to the tropics? Or the avid gene collectors may have taken a foreign floating pollen and out of curiosity as to what it was, filled in the genetic code with local plants. I feel the need to point out the Mechanus (or indeed any of the other planes) do not exist in the project. Instead it exists in a totally separate (and currently undefined) cosmos. To import a 'standard' cosmos would wreak havoc upon the world, espiecially in the mytho-religious-historical sense. That said, there is nothing wrong with there being some plane that has clockwork elements (perhaps a layer of a potential 'plane of time'?) from where such creatures as inevitables hail. Perhaps, just as there is no uniform theology, there is no need for a uniform cosmology? For instance, followers of the God of Gears might believe the world is like the face of a giant clock with gears just beneath the surface of existence that keep ticking time and creatures onward. Meanwhile the followers of the Blood God might believe the world is a living, breathing entity with equivalents to flesh, bones and blood. As to the 'gearmen' there is a creature, a planetouched, in the Fiend Folio called a Mechanatrix (which is not, in fact, always female) which traces its ancestry to the clockwork plane. It might serve as a jumping-off point. See, I knew just asking about it would get me somewhere... And thus we answer the ancient and time honored question: "Am I my brother's keeper" in the affirmative. And people wonder where I get inspiration from. |
| SovietCanuck10-08-07, 10:06 PM | Perhaps, just as there is no uniform theology, there is no need for a uniform cosmology? For instance, followers of the God of Gears might believe the world is like the face of a giant clock with gears just beneath the surface of existence that keep ticking time and creatures onward. Meanwhile the followers of the Blood God might believe the world is a living, breathing entity with equivalents to flesh, bones and blood. Aye, that is the best way to do it. There may be an infinite number of other planes, there might only be the etheral. Nothing is for certain. In my region, most followers of Cael believe in The High Heaven and The Nine Hells, a relatively simple cosmology, while followers of The Challice believe in a myriad of spirit and elemental worlds, and followers of the Living God and the Traveller attest to this being the only reality. To each their own. |
| Darth Syntax10-08-07, 11:37 PM | Perhaps the pollen floated across the ocean and managed to find another type of plant they could successfully breed with that was native to the tropics? Or the avid gene collectors may have taken a foreign floating pollen and out of curiosity as to what it was, filled in the genetic code with local plants. Either idea would certainly work. It could also be the case that the ancestral species of these plant things has descendants on several continents, each slightly different from the others. Perhaps, just as there is no uniform theology, there is no need for a uniform cosmology? For instance, followers of the God of Gears might believe the world is like the face of a giant clock with gears just beneath the surface of existence that keep ticking time and creatures onward. Meanwhile the followers of the Blood God might believe the world is a living, breathing entity with equivalents to flesh, bones and blood. Both you and the Canuck are correct about this. What I was trying to say, and failing to do so, is that the importation of the Planescape planes wholesale might strain the setting a bit. What with them being the homes of 'regular' gods who created various intelligent species and the like. While on the subject of cosmology, it might prove somewhat useful to define at least a few of the more commonly interacted with planes (perhaps the homes of things like elementals and the like) so that we might have some commonalities. It might also serve to make the other aspects of the cosmos even more strange and bizarre; so many different interpretations building upon overlapping data. See, I knew just asking about it would get me somewhere... Well, it was just a thought. They might not do what you need them to. Another possibility would be to make use of heavily reflavored warforged from the Eberron setting. Give them a clockwork feeling and all of that. |
| DonThelonious10-09-07, 12:49 AM | Leffer: I agree with D_S that perhaps reflavoring the Warforged would be your best bet. In fact, come to think of it, you might consider intoducing the changelings and the shifters as well. Both those races fit perfectly into your theme... --- As for the cosmos... Well... We need an ethereal plane, and probably an astral plane. I also suggest the elemental planes as well. Also I for one would like the positive and negative energy planes present. As for the higher planes, I am not to sure... My region has its own living gods, so I have no need for hells or heavens. Fallenstars overall regional religion believes in the Gaia Theory, in that all creatures, things, and places are connected through an Earth Mother and she experiences all things through all things. This is reinforced by the beliefs and teachings of the Welkin in my region. That said, the rest of the multiverse is up to you guys.:D |
| LefferDP10-09-07, 06:56 AM | Perhaps before the continent was sunk, the gnomes had a ship that could actually sail on both sea and land. Some clever trick of move earth, soften earth or whatnot allows it to traveling in the land the same as at sea. Grasslands and deserts would be like smooth sailing, whereas rocky areas would be like choppy seas and hills would be like riding massive waves. Still, the ship can't go into forests or mountains, but it still has a lot of versitility. Perhaps one of the modern tribes employs or has found a broken one they're eternally working to fix? Exerpt from The Culture and Geneology of the Werepeoples, by Deniska Fedorov Religion of the Werepeoples The werepeoples seem to have a primitive dualistic system of gods. One can hope with time they will find the glory of the Blood God, but it is best we understand what we can about their current system if we hope to appropriately harvest from them. Instead of one god being good and the other evil, as common in a dualistic system, we are presented with a more lawful creater presense and a more chaotic destructive presense. Despite their utter lack of naming traditions, they at least have termed these two entities as Father Sun and Mother Moon. Father Sun is presented as being creative, full of positive energy, forthright, and emotionally vacant. Mother Moon is presented as being destructive, full of negative energy, secvretive and overly emotional. The land of Dwenty itself is believed to be a result of the copulation of these two entities, whereas the smaller moon is a bastard and barren offspring of Mother Moon. Stories differ greatly on who the actual father was and when it came to pass. A Note on Religious Morality "Good" within the werecreature culture tends to cover those that attempt to balance the Moon and Sun in their life, allowing their human and wereform equal time to experience things. "Evil" can be best defined as a deviation from the balanced tradition. For instance, werebears and werewolves are both considered "evil" by most of the werecommunity because of the werebear's commitment to Father Sun and the werewolves' commitment to Mother Moon. I have found that the precepts of Father Sun and Mother Moon most closely adhere to the more universal definitions of Law and Chaos held amongst the more civilized races. However, the werecreatures seem to be unaware of the more typical dychtonomy of Good and Evil as presented by traditional texts. A good rule of thumb, I found was that the societies where equality between the sexes was stressed tended towards a more traditionally Good outlook than those that segregated the women and men. In the extreme cases we have the werewolves, where men and women seldom meet except for procreation. (See Living Situations for more detail) |
| LefferDP10-10-07, 01:09 AM | I don't think the elemental planes are a necessity. It's possible to just simply say that elementals are made from the elements the exist on the earth itself, simply shaped and given life via magics. The could also be a place beneath the land itself, perhaps in various layers, with the Earth layer on top, the Water Layer beneath that, then the Fire, then Air hidden in the core of the planet. The Astral and Etheral are more or less impossible to deny because of the core DnD spells that deal with them. I think we could theoretically eliminate the Astral plane and all resultant spells if we wished, but that doesn't really seem so keen. |
| DonThelonious10-10-07, 01:20 AM | I don't think the elemental planes are a necessity. It's possible to just simply say that elementals are made from the elements the exist on the earth itself, simply shaped and given life via magics. The could also be a place beneath the land itself, perhaps in various layers, with the Earth layer on top, the Water Layer beneath that, then the Fire, then Air hidden in the core of the planet. The Astral and Etheral are more or less impossible to deny because of the core DnD spells that deal with them. I think we could theoretically eliminate the Astral plane and all resultant spells if we wished, but that doesn't really seem so keen. I for one like this idea. Though the layers would probably work out a bit differently, with air on top(the air needed for breath), followed by water (the seas and lakes), then earth and finally fire in the core of the planet. I could live without the astral plane, though for many psionic powers I think we need it. My experience with psionics is rather lacking, so I am not sure. As for the higher planescape planes, I don't know. We could do something similar to Order Of The Stick and have them, but make them each seperate and distinct for the various regions. Overlapping of certain planes would likely be common, just the individual planes interpreted and viewed differently. |
| Darth Syntax10-10-07, 01:44 AM | I don't think the elemental planes are a necessity. It's possible to just simply say that elementals are made from the elements the exist on the earth itself, simply shaped and given life via magics. The could also be a place beneath the land itself, perhaps in various layers, with the Earth layer on top, the Water Layer beneath that, then the Fire, then Air hidden in the core of the planet. I was actually leaning more towards a co-existant set of elemental planes that would exist in a similar manner to the ethereal plane. The Astral and Etheral are more or less impossible to deny because of the core DnD spells that deal with them. I think we could theoretically eliminate the Astral plane and all resultant spells if we wished, but that doesn't really seem so keen. I personally like the Astral Plane and sense my region makes large use of psionics I'll be needing to use many of its properties. However, I tend to think of the astral as the medium of the cosmos rather than a proper plane unto itself. It might prove interesting to have planes built around some unusual concepts. Perhaps a plane (or planes) of book-space that function vaguely like the ages in Myst . . . |
| LefferDP10-10-07, 03:52 AM | There could be seperate "dimensions" of existence? So, like, in one dimension, teh world is made entirely out of cheese, and another there's nothing but fire. The general idea of overlapping existence like this seems intriguing. |
| DonThelonious10-10-07, 11:36 AM | There could be seperate "dimensions" of existence? So, like, in one dimension, teh world is made entirely out of cheese, and another there's nothing but fire. The general idea of overlapping existence like this seems intriguing. Those planes sound a bit... elemental. Now we just need the plane of eternal corn chips and we are set. Para-Elemental Plane of Nachos!!!! |
| LefferDP10-11-07, 02:48 AM | Those planes sound a bit... elemental. Now we just need the plane of eternal corn chips and we are set. Para-Elemental Plane of Nachos!!!! That joke's a bit cheesy. |
| SovietCanuck10-11-07, 03:19 AM | Eh, it's been done... Elemental Plane of Dairy (http://www.sigilprep.com/DairyPlane.htm) :D Two things: I like the idea of a single elemental plane where the diffrent elementals are battling for ascendancy (see here) (http://www.wowwiki.com/Elemental_Plane). Adds in another force that could be metaling in mortal affairs. And I've always liked the Myst series, so a plane that functioned as a gateway between linking books sounds good! And we can sorta rip off the new $th...erm, 4th edition cosmos for our world here...planes linked to specific regions floating in an astral sea. Makes more sense here than with core...sorry, griping again. On a separate note, I'm reasonably certain I'll be able to post my information of the kith this weekend. Yes, I know I said that 2 weeks ago, but it's looking like 20 pages now, and I still have to revise and edit...yes, I was a little obsessive about this, but we all have our vices, eh? |
| Darth Syntax10-11-07, 04:01 AM | Ok chaps, we've got map here. Freshly updated world map hot off photoshop! I've added Leffer's region and chimpman's. I know I need to do a better copy of Araes' map, and I'll get to that, it's just there is a lot of maping and other things to get to. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/1540725184_841f019f19_b.jpg -- On planes I agree that having planes that could be tied to certain belief system makes sense. I certainly don't need any 'ordinary' afterlives considering the relatively strong beliefs in reincarnation, utter oblivion, or a limited afterlife in the religion of my people. That and the general illegality of raising the dead (its also considered immoral and fattening). As to the whole Myst thing, I'll be working on "Book Space" at some point in the future along with a sort of urban fae (the bibliorhomoi or 'bookworms' that pop into exitence in extremely large and well appointed libraries and archives) that makes use of said plane. But they're still a ways off. -- On outisders If no one objects I would like to make use of some of the lesser-used outsiders such as the Mercane (who I am considering making native outsiders), the Rilmani (in the role of planar alchemists due to their metallic nature), and the Nerra (the mirror plane people). Of course I'm going to need various LE and LG beings, but I am not all that happy with the current crop of them overall, so I might have to create some new ones. They just aren't surreal enough. -- Moving right along, I've the beginnings of a draft on the Sron for your reading discomfort. Please feel free to comment, flay, or otherwise dissect this offering. Little is set in stone so input would be a good thing. Sronid Government Type: Gerontocratic Oligarchy Ruling Bodies: The Ezkara (a body of elders) Current Leaders: Venerable Belaz Asa (TN male human aristocrat 10), Adro Ungzba (LN male human bard 6/aristocrat 4) Nestran Gole (NG male human seer 4/bard 2/Aristocrat 5) Economic Type: Agrarian Communal/ Mercantile Currency: The Nul (valued at .35 Whorls) Population: about 9,000,000 Species Demographics: 65 % Human (including a 3% population of Illumians) 10% gnome, 10% bhuka, 10% Dromite, 5% Other Capitol: Askar (population 254,212) Largest City: Askar Religion: 74% Ulian (Official) 10% Bifurcating Path (Adósian religion) 16% Other Major Languages: Sraskaz (official), Alad Nominal Alignment: N The nation of Sronid has long been something of an enigma to the rest of the people of Ilaros. Rumors abound about the strange people of that land and their unusual tradition of total public anonymity. Clothing is uniformly concealing and masks or opaque veils, scarves, hoods, and eyewear are commonly worn by all citizen. True names are forbidden to be spoken in public and to disclose the name of someone is a serious offense. The masking traditions of the Sron have their origins in a particular religious doctrine which claims that only through constantly deceiving the demons (a general term for fiendish beings) can one hope to avoid becoming their tool and an agent of discord and ill omen. As few outsiders are permitted within the country, the peculiar habits of the Sron have led to some truly outlandish ‘explanations’ for their mode of dress. It is commonly believed that the Sron consider all outsiders to be unclean and thus limit their contact with them through their clothing. Others hold that the Sron are not really human (or for that matter any known species) but are merely empty suits of clothing that masquerade as people. As result of these and other rumors concerning horrible diseases, ancient curses, and sinister motives, the Sron are widely distrusted and poorly understood. Political Structure of Sronid The Sron government is largely a gerontocracy, a rule by the old. To rule in Sronid one must have passed beyond one’s middle years and begun to go a bit grey about the edges, seen one’s children and grandchildren grow, and be assured that the fiery passions of youth are but embers. Such men, and the rulers of Sronid are overwhelmingly male, are seen as being dispassionate rules who would be more likely to see the needs of the whole society (and thus their own descendants) than to their own comfort and advancement. The ruling body of Sronid is the Ezkara, a quasi-representative body made up carefully chosen members. Members of the Ezkara are not elected but are rather chosen from among the elders of the various communes (the political divisions of the country) by a group of assessors. Those who are selected are obliged to serve for the remainder of their lives or until they are no longer capable of engaging in the business of running the nation. The Ezkara has numerous divisions, called ergu (singular erg) which have varying functions. Sus-erg: The Sus-Erg is really a collection of regional and city councils which is in charge of the day-to-day governance of the people of Sronid. Usually the Sus-ergu are fairly informal bodies that often meet in cafes, parks, or public squares and their deliberations are open to any who wish to listen in. Members of the Sus-erg are not required to leave their homes to become part of the ruling body in the capital, but their presence is ‘requested’ every 2 to 3 years Biruzh-erg: The Biruzh-erg is the lower body of the national ruling council and is generally concerned with the purely internal affairs of Sronid such as public works, taxation, grain production and the so on. The Biruzh-erg consists of 236 members at present which are appointed to the position by the Sus-Ergu. The single most important duty of the Biruzh-erg is to coordinating the agricultural production of the country and ensure that there will be no famines. Eius-erg: The eius-erg consists of 125 members, all selected by the Sus-ergu, whose primary purpose is to deal with matters of international importance, especially the regulation of trade. As tariffs are quite high in Sronid, so as to encourage domestic consumption, regulation of these and other similar measures takes up much of this erg’s time. The Eius-erg also has direct control of the foreign office and ambassadors serve at their pleasure. Nol-erg: The Nol-Erg is the highest body in the Ezkara and consists of 27 members. They have relatively broad powers and act as an oversight body for the other ergu. All laws must be put before the Nol-erg for consideration and amendment and the Nol themselves draft numerous laws. The other ergu serve at the pleasure of the Nol and can be dissolved if the Nol so wish. The judicial system of Sronid is somewhat unique due both to its semi-informal structure and the fact that the magistrates are almost always old women. Courts are generally called together when the situation calls for it and as such there is very little formal structure or hierarchy among the magistrates. Like members of the ergu, magistrates are chosen by a special body of assessors who ideally select the wisest and most insightful women in a community to act as judges when called upon. These magistrates are both highly respected and more than a little feared for the pragmatic interpretation of laws and punishments lies entirely in their hands. (And let’s face it, there is nothing scarier than being sternly reprimanded and punished by someone’s grandmother.) |
| LefferDP10-11-07, 08:01 AM | Sadius LG Androgynous Kolyarut The predecessor to the gearmen, the various experimentations on Sadius eventually led his programming to break. Though all inevitables have some degree of autonomy, Sadius is the only one in existence to have gained a free will. Hours bound on a table as his insides were tinkered with gave him quite a while to ponder his existence. While he was not sure of many things, he finally decided he was no longer content to serve his former masters. This new-found freewill was not a gift he was willing to squander. Siezing upon an opportunity, Sadius escaped from his confines and made content to wander the land, which had not yet become the genetic wastes it is today. Thus, he came upon the small village of Runehill. Runehill was the last bastion of good and neutral aligned fae in the region. It was under constant assault from those seeking genetic material, the hostile fae from the Black forest, and occasionally wereanimals, not to mention the odd genetic beast or monster that roamed the countryside. Without help, it may have vanished from existence within a few years. Observing this, Sadius sat down upon a hill overlooking the village, resting in the shade of a tall, ancient oak there. The fae knew not what to make of this odd construct, but they shied away, fearing the corruption his might bring. The next time a band of redcaps appeared, Sadius lept into sudden action, wiping out most of the redcaps before they realized they were under attack. After finishing up, he simply went back to the tree and sat down again. The fae were even more confused now, but a few went up to make conversation with the odd creature, who seemed glad for some company. Over the years, the fae simply learned to accept their protector as normal. Sadius continues to this day to sit up on the hill, still happy to talk to any who would speak with him, but spending most of his time contemplating his own existence. Runehill Government Type: Anarchy Population: 166 Major Language: Sylvan Nominal Alignment: NG |
| DonThelonious10-12-07, 02:45 AM | Hey folks! Did we all survive the move intact? ------------------------------ I guess thats all for those two tribes at this point, I will be posting on two more tribes here soon... |
| LefferDP10-12-07, 02:50 AM | Hey folks! Did we all survive the move intact? Had a little bit of trouble, but nothing major. |
| DonThelonious10-12-07, 06:21 AM | Good to hear. -- Edit: Everyone, I am getting ready to update the main post on page 1. Could you guys get together what information you have so far in whatever format you prefer and email it to me? PM me and I will send you my email address. Good Luck on getting all the data together. And just a fair warning: If you don't email the information it won't make it to the front page!!!! |
| LefferDP10-12-07, 06:42 AM | What sort of data? |
| DonThelonious10-12-07, 07:06 AM | What sort of data? I need all the information you have on your region thus far. I want everything you got: Politics, people, cultures, creatures, etc. I don't think yours is going to be quite as large as D_S'. Anything you have so far will help. |
| DonThelonious10-12-07, 11:13 PM | Now on to two more tribes. These ones are of particular interest to you D_S, since they are the ones the floks of Kuilnos will be dealing with, and most likely the primary sources of goods from my lands. Titan Welkin Government Type: Druidic Ruling Welkin: Ordiana Of The Deep Woods Current Leader: Ordiana’s Child(NG female Halfling Druid6/Barbarian1/Beastrider3 Population: About 200,000+ Economic Type: None Species Demographics: 80% halfling, 10% Gnome, 5% human, 5% other Capitol: Temple Of Ordiana Beast Totem: Ceratosaurus War Beasts: Ceratosaurus, Dire Bat Nominal Alignment: NG Still trying to dig up information on Celtic customs and culture. Dragon Welkin Government Type: Council Of Elders Ruling Welkin: Adjeort The Green Death Current Leaders: Iqueoth Chuk (LE male goblin Druid7/Barbarian2/Beast Rider3), Thith Bloodlover (LN female goblin Monk6) Population: About 500,000+ Economic Type: Strong arm Species Demographics: 80% goblin, 10% kobold, 10% other (slaves) Capitol: The Adjeorts Heart Beast Totem: Dire Wolves War Beasts: Dire Wolves, ½ green dragon/ ½ dire wolves Nominal Alignment: LE This is going to be based off the Blackfoot peoples of the northern US and Canada. The Adjeort Clans of northern Het Verre Oostenkust are divided into three closely related Algonkian-speaking tribes: the Piegan, the Blood and the Siksika. They are typical of Fallenstar natives in that they are nomadic hunter gatherers. They live in tipis (tepees) and subsist mainly on large Bellosaurs (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=6081807&postcount=29) herds; the separate bands would wander on the backs of shaggy dire wolves with their strongest and most gifted warriors mounted on 1/2 Green Dragon versions, called Omahkapi'si. Other animals such as deer and small game also contribute to their diet, as well as gathered vegetables. Fish are abundant though they are only eaten in times of extreme necessity, such as when the Bellosaurus populations dwindle. An average Bellosaurus bull provides a great deal of meat, about 900 lbs. Prepared fresh, the meat is roasted on a spit. The remaining meat is cut into thin slices and dried in the sun to produce jerky. Almost nothing of the bellosaurus was wasted. Bones are fashioned into tools and when worked serve as containers, sinew is used as thread, bow strings and rope. The hides of the animal provide most of the clothing and leather for saddles and equipment, and were sewn together to produce tipi covers. The women are experts in the tanning of skins, a long and tiring process. This process is considered so important that each woman is judged largely on the quality and quantity of the skins she has tanned. Even making the simplest hard rawhide for moccasins is an exhausting process that requires both sides of the skin to be scraped clean; soft skin takes a week to produce. The women also make the tipis, and therefore have ownership of them. In addition to the preparation of meats and skin women make weapons, shields, tools, drums, and pipes, while men are the primary hunters. This is just the preliminary information, it will be cut down and edited into the different aspects when I feel like it. --- I will be filling in the cultural information over the next few days. Once again everyone, input, suggestions and ideas are very much welcome and appreciated. |
| eue10-13-07, 10:34 AM | Hi, all you folks out there! What an amazing thread you've got here! I began reading it and thinking... Wow! Amazing idea! I'm gonna help! But... I began reading the thread, and when I reached post #100 I got a little tired, and thinking I would never reach the end and get to know if there is still any section left for me to build. So, I would like to know if any of you guys could post a "status report" of this amazing project, with something like, how the world is (hollow, on the outside, both?, sun(s)?, moon(s)?, spherical?, icosedron?, feat and skills progression)... Like, how things have been decided so far... Just so that I don't have to read the 500 posts remaining... As I see, it seems there are not many new posters helping, so I still hope there is some hole for me to fill in... Note: I will read the whole thread, but not all at once... that's tiring (not boring, just tiring...) Edit: It seems that I was right and there is still a whole lot of regions to map out as I've seen on Darth Syntax's lattest post. If no one opposes I will take region 5. :plotting: Wow, I just bought a patch of land in an imaginary world. Now, I can start using my DM godlike powers and shape that portion of the world at my own whims... Hmmm, let's start with an incredible powerful weapon that will destroy all the neighboring civilizations, but not mine... :evillaugh Sorry folks, I was just thinking out loud... Nevermind. Oh, and by neighboring, I mean, everywhere... :evillaugh |
| DonThelonious10-13-07, 10:56 AM | I've the beginnings of a draft on the Sron for your reading discomfort. Please feel free to comment, flay, or otherwise dissect this offering. Little is set in stone so input would be a good thing. Don't mind if I do... Government Type: Gerontocratic Oligarchy Ruling Bodies: The Ezkara (a body of elders) Current Leaders: Venerable Belaz Asa (TN male human aristocrat 10), Adro Ungzba (LN male human bard 6/aristocrat 4) Nestran Gole (NG male human seer 4/bard 2/Aristocrat 5) Economic Type: Agrarian Communal/ Mercantile Currency: The Nul (valued at .35 Whorls) Population: about 9,000,000 Species Demographics: 65 % Human (including a 3% population of Illumians) 10% gnome, 10% bhuka, 10% Dromite, 5% Other Capitol: Askar (population 254,212) Largest City: Askar Religion: 74% Ulian (Official) 10% Bifurcating Path (Adósian religion) 16% Other Major Languages: Sraskaz (official), Alad Nominal Alignment: N A few things, first: What exactly is a Gerontocratic Oligarchy, I should know this but don't. Second: Nestran Gole (NG male human seer 4/bard 2/Aristocrat 5) A seer!?! Isn't that against some political rules. I suppose it would make for a very effective ruler though. The nation of Sronid has long been something of an enigma to the rest of the people of Ilaros. Rumors abound about the strange people of that land and their unusual tradition of total public anonymity. Clothing is uniformly concealing and masks or opaque veils, scarves, hoods, and eyewear are commonly worn by all citizen. True names are forbidden to be spoken in public and to disclose the name of someone is a serious offense. The masking traditions of the Sron have their origins in a particular religious doctrine which claims that only through constantly deceiving the demons (a general term for fiendish beings) can one hope to avoid becoming their tool and an agent of discord and ill omen. What sorts of eyewear? Do they have the midevil equivalent to Dark Sunglasses? I like the reasons for the masking traditions. It adds a very primitive superstition to an otherwise advanced society. It also ties in well with my gnomes and their development. I am curious as to what names are used for public? Are the names like nicknames that incorporate some basis on traits? When are names chosen, and by whom? Would a person have several names depending on what circles he travels in, or his/her profession? As few outsiders are permitted within the country, the peculiar habits of the Sron have led to some truly outlandish ‘explanations’ for their mode of dress. It is commonly believed that the Sron consider all outsiders to be unclean and thus limit their contact with them through their clothing. Others hold that the Sron are not really human (or for that matter any known species) but are merely empty suits of clothing that masquerade as people. As result of these and other rumors concerning horrible diseases, ancient curses, and sinister motives, the Sron are widely distrusted and poorly understood. Very nice that you have included dominant theories on the Sronid dress. So they are distrusted. How are they treated outside their borders? I assume it depends on the overall theory of wherever they happen to be, but are they often chased out of fearful Hick towns? The Sron government is largely a gerontocracy, a rule by the old. To rule in Sronid one must have passed beyond one’s middle years and begun to go a bit grey about the edges, seen one’s children and grandchildren grow, and be assured that the fiery passions of youth are but embers. Such men, and the rulers of Sronid are overwhelmingly male, are seen as being dispassionate rules who would be more likely to see the needs of the whole society (and thus their own descendants) than to their own comfort and advancement. This makes perfect sense. I am curious though as to how they might handle an older leader who has not totally lost that fiery passion of youth, But kept it hidden? The ruling body of Sronid is the Ezkara, a quasi-representative body made up carefully chosen members. Members of the Ezkara are not elected but are rather chosen from among the elders of the various communes (the political divisions of the country) by a group of assessors. Those who are selected are obliged to serve for the remainder of their lives or until they are no longer capable of engaging in the business of running the nation. The Ezkara has numerous divisions, called ergu (singular erg) which have varying functions. It must be quite a commitment for these people. Sus-erg: The Sus-Erg is really a collection of regional and city councils which is in charge of the day-to-day governance of the people of Sronid. Usually the Sus-ergu are fairly informal bodies that often meet in cafes, parks, or public squares and their deliberations are open to any who wish to listen in. Members of the Sus-erg are not required to leave their homes to become part of the ruling body in the capital, but their presence is ‘requested’ every 2 to 3 years Biruzh-erg: The Biruzh-erg is the lower body of the national ruling council and is generally concerned with the purely internal affairs of Sronid such as public works, taxation, grain production and the so on. The Biruzh-erg consists of 236 members at present which are appointed to the position by the Sus-Ergu. The single most important duty of the Biruzh-erg is to coordinating the agricultural production of the country and ensure that there will be no famines. Eius-erg: The eius-erg consists of 125 members, all selected by the Sus-ergu, whose primary purpose is to deal with matters of international importance, especially the regulation of trade. As tariffs are quite high in Sronid, so as to encourage domestic consumption, regulation of these and other similar measures takes up much of this erg’s time. The Eius-erg also has direct control of the foreign office and ambassadors serve at their pleasure. Nol-erg: The Nol-Erg is the highest body in the Ezkara and consists of 27 members. They have relatively broad powers and act as an oversight body for the other ergu. All laws must be put before the Nol-erg for consideration and amendment and the Nol themselves draft numerous laws. The other ergu serve at the pleasure of the Nol and can be dissolved if the Nol so wish. This seems like a lot of bureaucracy, is there a lot of political intrigue within the various ergu? Is it something akin to how our US senate and congress interact? How about the level of corruption, or better yet the corruptibility of these ergu members? The judicial system of Sronid is somewhat unique due both to its semi-informal structure and the fact that the magistrates are almost always old women. Courts are generally called together when the situation calls for it and as such there is very little formal structure or hierarchy among the magistrates. Like members of the ergu, magistrates are chosen by a special body of assessors who ideally select the wisest and most insightful women in a community to act as judges when called upon. That must make for an almost party like atmosphere in some smaller communities. With such an informal structure, I can imagine court being called on a special day of the week and everyone in the town getting together in their best clothes and meeting for food, drink, and due process. These magistrates are both highly respected and more than a little feared for the pragmatic interpretation of laws and punishments lies entirely in their hands. (And let’s face it, there is nothing scarier than being sternly reprimanded and punished by someone’s grandmother.) There really is nothing more frightening than a little old woman who doesn't even need to raise her voice to make you feel ashamed. I still can't get the image out of my head of weekly "Courtroom Parties". It would make for some very interesting and lively hearings. --- I read a book by Robert Heinlein in which the US paranoia about invasion of privacy had reached the point where asking someone "How are you?" had become taboo. People instead used something very neutral, though for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. I can see something like this in your society. I am also very curious as to how courting is done. How are marriages arranged? And what about the human need for social alcohol/drug use? Are these form of entertainment illegal, due to the secretive nature of of the Sron, and the inability of drunk people to keep their mouths shut? -- I will likely have more questions later, but this is good for now. Hope you enjoy what little stimulation I have provided:P -- To eue: Welcome aboard and glad you like all the work we have put into this so far. I think 5 would be fine, but you would have to talk to our Cartographer Royal Darth_Syntax, he would be able to better fill you in on things of that nature. We have two moons, 1 sun and the world is for all intents and purposes not hollow I believe. I can't remember off the top of my head how long a year is, its back a few pages somewhere and I will have to look it up. As far as super weapons go I think the vote is nay, Also I don't think any of are using any of the core gods, so divinity is up to you. Thats all I can think of right now. So feel free to just dive right in. |
| Darth Syntax10-14-07, 02:54 AM | Don't mind if I do... Excellent, now I have a chance to be on the receiving end of things. A few things, first: What exactly is a Gerontocratic Oligarchy, I should know this but don't. Second: Nestran Gole (NG male human seer 4/bard 2/Aristocrat 5) A seer!?! Isn't that against some political rules. I suppose it would make for a very effective ruler though. To the first: A Gerontocracy is a government by the old. To the second: I am unsure what 'rule' having a seer in the government violates. Indeed, a rather large number of my government officials are seers. What sorts of eyewear? Do they have the midevil equivalent to Dark Sunglasses? I like the reasons for the masking traditions. It adds a very primitive superstition to an otherwise advanced society. It also ties in well with my gnomes and their development. The eye wear would be rather like welding goggles in appearence, though less 'industrial'. Glassworking and lensgrinding have a long history among the Ilaroi so making excellent spectacles and eye wear is nothing new. As to the gnome connection, I find it unlikely that the Sron influenced the custom. Their masking traditions had not yet developed by the time of the lost nyezza colony and I find it more likely that the masking is simply a matter of cultural convergence. I am curious as to what names are used for public? Are the names like nicknames that incorporate some basis on traits? When are names chosen, and by whom? Would a person have several names depending on what circles he travels in, or his/her profession? The public names have nothing whatever to do with one's real name as to do so would be to threaten anonymity. As to the selection of names, it can occur in a number of ways, but most often the names are selected more or less at random. Every few years the public names are changed so that these 'false' names do not become to 'real'. It is a sign of great trust and respect for a Sron to tell you their previous false name and should one ever reveal their real name . . well, they have put their life in your hands. Very nice that you have included dominant theories on the Sronid dress. So they are distrusted. How are they treated outside their borders? I assume it depends on the overall theory of wherever they happen to be, but are they often chased out of fearful Hick towns? The few Sron who travel abroad are often treated with suspicion. They are a favored target for conspiracy theorists and the like. And yes, they often get chased out of the less enlightened settlements. This makes perfect sense. I am curious though as to how they might handle an older leader who has not totally lost that fiery passion of youth, But kept it hidden? Should a leader show too much passion and zest for life (to the point of hedonism) they might be quietly forced to step down. If they refuse, the matter is taken before the judges. This seems like a lot of bureaucracy, is there a lot of political intrigue within the various ergu? Is it something akin to how our US senate and congress interact? How about the level of corruption, or better yet the corruptibility of these ergu members? By the standards of the other nations of the region, the Sron have a remarkably small and uncomplicated government. It is a pure hierarchy with little lateral organization. As to intrigue, it is rampant within the Ezkara and it is made all the stranger by the fact that no one knows who their adversaries really are. Corruption, though a problem, is generally not too much of an issue, owing mostly to the relatively high turnover rate among officials. Old men tend to die after all. That must make for an almost party like atmosphere in some smaller communities. With such an informal structure, I can imagine court being called on a special day of the week and everyone in the town getting together in their best clothes and meeting for food, drink, and due process. I like this idea quite a bit. Consider it stolen. I read a book by Robert Heinlein in which the US paranoia about invasion of privacy had reached the point where asking someone "How are you?" had become taboo. People instead used something very neutral, though for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. I can see something like this in your society. The Sron haven't gone quite that far in their speech, though they tend to be maddeningly impersonal and elliptical. They do, however, avoid pronouns in formal situations and refer to everyone (even themselves) by their public names. I am also very curious as to how courting is done. How are marriages arranged? And what about the human need for social alcohol/drug use? Are these form of entertainment illegal, due to the secretive nature of of the Sron, and the inability of drunk people to keep their mouths shut? Oddly, the Sron are a very gregarious and personable people. Their shield of anonymity allows them the freedom to speak their minds with little fear of real punishment. Think about people on internet fora, they rarely pull their punches. Also, there are situations where anonymity is lessened or dropped. Within one's own house the masks and concealing garments need not be worn for there are no windows that fact outward. All windows open into central courtyards where one can freely interact with family and close friends. As to marriages, they are almost always arranged affairs between families that know each other well and see no need for total anonymity. Marriage is essentially universal in Sronid and is treated more as a requirement than anything else. Drinking to the point of intoxication is frowned upon in public, but it does happen. There is a whole fringe culture of people who delight in flaunting their identities and they often run the Sron equivalent of speakeasies. I will likely have more questions later, but this is good for now. Hope you enjoy what little stimulation I have provided:P As always I am most greatfull for the comments. I am in your debt. -- Eue, As Minister of Cartography (it would be absurd for a strict anti-monarchist to be a 'royal' anything), I am pleased to inform you that region 5 (a mostly tropical region) is indeed open. Let me know if I can do anything to help with mapping. -- Thel, a quick question: How do you account for the 20% elven population of the Ordiani? With your region being so hostile to elves I would have thought their numbers would have been statistically insignificant. |
| DonThelonious10-14-07, 07:46 AM | To the first: A Gerontocracy is a government by the old. I should have known that...:blush: To the second: I am unsure what 'rule' having a seer in the government violates. Indeed, a rather large number of my government officials are seers. I just had never considered the impact divination magic would have on politics. Now that I think about it, its only logical but means intrigue runs very deep. The eye wear would be rather like welding goggles in appearence, though less 'industrial'. Glassworking and lensgrinding have a long history among the Ilaroi so making excellent spectacles and eye wear is nothing new. I imagine the goggles look something like this: http://www.ebay.mrolaf.com/goggles.jpg As to the gnome connection, I find it unlikely that the Sron influenced the custom. Their masking traditions had not yet developed by the time of the lost nyezza colony and I find it more likely that the masking is simply a matter of cultural convergence. Sorry for the presumption. Duly noted. The public names have nothing whatever to do with one's real name as to do so would be to threaten anonymity. As to the selection of names, it can occur in a number of ways, but most often the names are selected more or less at random. Every few years the public names are changed so that these 'false' names do not become to 'real'. So someone can basically name themselves after whatever they might want? This must make for some pretty outrageous names, at least among the younger folk. I can imagine theater people calling themselves things like Razzle Dazzle, and poets calling themselves things like Chim Chiru. PCs from this part of your region are gonna have a lot of fun playing a Sron. So many opportunities for puns and real world things that would make no sense in D&D but are great names.:thumbsup: Wish I had thought of it... It is a sign of great trust and respect for a Sron to tell you their previous false name and should one ever reveal their real name . . well, they have put their life in your hands. So is there power in names? I am referring to the Truenamer (Sp?). If arcane magics are common-ish then I imagine there is at least one prestige class that is based off learning an opponents real name and using it against them. The few Sron who travel abroad are often treated with suspicion. They are a favored target for conspiracy theorists and the like. And yes, they often get chased out of the less enlightened settlements. Would "Witch Burnings" be any sort of serious worry? By the standards of the other nations of the region, the Sron have a remarkably small and uncomplicated government. It is a pure hierarchy with little lateral organization. As to intrigue, it is rampant within the Ezkara and it is made all the stranger by the fact that no one knows who their adversaries really are. I imagine politicking in for the Sron is not something an outsider could learn or comprehend in just a few years. This, I suppose, is also the reason old men do it better. Since they have outgrown (or better outlived) the foibles of youth they are better equipped with the patience to handle these things.:thumbsup: Corruption, though a problem, is generally not too much of an issue, owing mostly to the relatively high turnover rate among officials. Old men tend to die after all. Exactly how old are these old men? I like this idea quite a bit. Consider it stolen. :eek: I've been robbed!!!!!! :rolleyes: Eh, your probably better off with it anyways you rogue... The Sron haven't gone quite that far in their speech, though they tend to be maddeningly impersonal and elliptical. They do, however, avoid pronouns in formal situations and refer to everyone (even themselves) by their public names. So they speak in the 3rd person all the time? That could get very amusing. Once again I bring up the Actor Razzle Dazzle, and now I give him levels in Bard... Razzle Dazzle is not just anybody. Razzle Dazzle is the man amongst men. See, being Razzle Dazzle makes everything more fun, because Razzle Dazzle is more man than anybody can handle!!!! Gumble Grumble... "Stupid Bards, and stupid super star attitude"... gripe grumble Oddly, the Sron are a very gregarious and personable people. Their shield of anonymity allows them the freedom to speak their minds with little fear of real punishment. Think about people on internet forums, they rarely pull their punches. So they have a very open society as far as everything BUT personal information is concerned. Sometimes the depth of your critical thinking leaves me a bit... speechless. Also, there are situations where anonymity is lessened or dropped. Within one's own house the masks and concealing garments need not be worn for there are no windows that fact outward. All windows open into central courtyards where one can freely interact with family and close friends. So their homes are more or less like fortresses then? What about the poorest sections of the cities, the families that cannot afford more than a one or two room hovel? How do they handle these things? This also brings up the question on things like Beggars Guilds and Thieves Guilds. When a thief is caught, do they unmask him/her for trial? And after they are done with sentencing and the debt is paid to society, what then? Can they just go back to anonymity? Which also makes me wonder at the strength of said guilds. Thieves must break into homes to ply their trade, so do they know who lives where and what these people really look like? As to marriages, they are almost always arranged affairs between families that know each other well and see no need for total anonymity. Marriage is essentially universal in Sronid and is treated more as a requirement than anything else. Are marriages within family common, like taking your second or third cousin as a spouse? Drinking to the point of intoxication is frowned upon in public, but it does happen. There is a whole fringe culture of people who delight in flaunting their identities and they often run the Sron equivalent of speakeasies. So for younger the younger Sron I get the image that this is taboo, so flashing a bit of jawline or perhaps a neck would be fairly naughty behavior. Showing ones face would be downright kinky I assume. Eue, As Minister of Cartography (it would be absurd for a strict anti-monarchist to be a 'royal' anything), I am pleased to inform you that region 5 (a mostly tropical region) is indeed open. Let me know if I can do anything to help with mapping. Oops... -- Thel, a quick question: How do you account for the 20% elven population of the Ordiani? With your region being so hostile to elves I would have thought their numbers would have been statistically insignificant. Thats a miss print from one of my earlier posts. Please ignore. |
| Darth Syntax10-14-07, 02:32 PM | I should have known that...:blush: I just had never considered the impact divination magic would have on politics. Now that I think about it, its only logical but means intrigue runs very deep. Intrigue does indeed run deep, but I've always run divinations rather like the pronouncements of the pythia: "When the sky runs cold on the fifth day of the celebrated mushroom, the brothers of the lampost will strike". Even the highest levels of divination are not a 'dial the truth' line, all you get are very confusing images, the poetic ramblings of madmen, and the temporal equivalent of static. You need to be quick on the uptake to decipher them. I imagine the goggles look something like this: http://www.ebay.mrolaf.com/goggles.jpg That could work, although colored glass would be more common as it would not obstruct vision quite as much. Sorry for the presumption. Duly noted. It's quite alright. There is a gnome population in Sronid so that may be the source of the connection you made (other than the masks). I'll be writing more on them later. In a nut shell, they are the descendants of Illusory Architects (a rather unusual profession which specializes in making structures that don't exist) brought in to help the Sron to develop public buildings that could preserve the anonymity of the occupants and to defend against 'fiends' So someone can basically name themselves after whatever they might want? This must make for some pretty outrageous names, at least among the younger folk. I can imagine theater people calling themselves things like Razzle Dazzle, and poets calling themselves things like Chim Chiru. PCs from this part of your region are gonna have a lot of fun playing a Sron. So many opportunities for puns and real world things that would make no sense in D&D but are great names.:thumbsup: Wish I had thought of it... Not exactly, no. Children under the age of ten or so do not have names, they are simply called 'child'. They are given their real name when they are old enough to understand why they cannot reveal it; they are also given a pseudonym which is drawn from a huge list. Sron names are semantically transparent in their language and do follow certain conventions. Male names are always based upon animals, animal products, or certain classes of abstract nouns. Female names are plant based, weather based, abstract as well. So is there power in names? I am referring to the Truenamer (Sp?). If arcane magics are common-ish then I imagine there is at least one prestige class that is based off learning an opponents real name and using it against them. Truenaming does indeed exist and is quite potent. The Sron have become rather afraid of it and as such the practice of Naming is banned in the country . This also explains their lack of golems as knowing the true name of the animating spirit is required to create them (at least in Ilaros). Would "Witch Burnings" be any sort of serious worry? Burnings are unlikely as that method of execution never really caught on. Hanging might occur as would drowning. The motivations for these attacks are almost always political. I imagine politicking in for the Sron is not something an outsider could learn or comprehend in just a few years. This, I suppose, is also the reason old men do it better. Since they have outgrown (or better outlived) the foibles of youth they are better equipped with the patience to handle these things.:thumbsup: More or less this is true. The difficult part for foreigners actually is not the structure of the government but the constant need to be anonymous. Most of the people of the Maritime Republics would find the Sron bureaucracy horribly underdeveloped as it possesses no lateral powers of oversight and is run in a purely top-down fashion. Exactly how old are these old men? At least in their late sixties, and those are considered to be the young ones. Men in their seventies and eighties make up the majority of the government. So they speak in the 3rd person all the time? That could get very amusing. Once again I bring up the Actor Razzle Dazzle, and now I give him levels in Bard... Razzle Dazzle is not just anybody. Razzle Dazzle is the man amongst men. See, being Razzle Dazzle makes everything more fun, because Razzle Dazzle is more man than anybody can handle!!!! Gumble Grumble... "Stupid Bards, and stupid super star attitude"... gripe grumble Yes, they do this. They also tend speak in a very indirect way. Halurg, being here, is finding himself to be uncommonly peckish. Is it of a notion acceptable for Halurg and his excellent friend Barzha to go in search of the café? [QUOTE] So they have a very open society as far as everything BUT personal information is concerned. Sometimes the depth of your critical thinking leaves me a bit... speechless. The idea just popped into my head and made itself at home. The irony of it also appealed to me. So their homes are more or less like fortresses then? What about the poorest sections of the cities, the families that cannot afford more than a one or two room hovel? How do they handle these things? Not exactly fortresses, just inwardly facing. Most of the houses are square or rectangular in shape and have the court-yard as the largest 'room' in the house. Sleeping areas tend to be very small and functional and kitchens are likewise basic. The idea of a 'single family home' is alien to the Sron. It is far more common to live with one's parents, one's siblings, and usually grandparents. They can then afford a proper house. Also, the distribution of wealth in Sronid is very narrow, there tend to be very few rich people and very few destitute people. Income generally goes to the whole of the household (and not to the individual). This also brings up the question on things like Beggars Guilds and Thieves Guilds. When a thief is caught, do they unmask him/her for trial? And after they are done with sentencing and the debt is paid to society, what then? Can they just go back to anonymity? Which also makes me wonder at the strength of said guilds. Thieves must break into homes to ply their trade, so do they know who lives where and what these people really look like? Although organized crime exists in Sronid and elsewhere, there are no 'thieves guilds'. Frankly the idea has always struck me as a bit unnatural and forced. As to the unmasking of criminals, yes it does happen. When sentenced is passed, the mask and most of the protective clothing is removed and then the prisoner is exiled to one of the 'foreign quarters' in the cities of Sronid where they must live out the terms of their sentence fully exposed to the world. Are marriages within family common, like taking your second or third cousin as a spouse?p Yes this sort of thing is very common, as is marriage to one's cross-cousins. There is no real equivalent to this term in English, but many human societies have had such a relation. Essentially a cross-cousin is the child of your parents opposite gendered sibling. So, my cross-cousins would be my father's sister's children and my mother's brother's children. So for younger the younger Sron I get the image that this is taboo, so flashing a bit of jawline or perhaps a neck would be fairly naughty behavior. Showing ones face would be downright kinky I assume. The Sron don't tend to sexualize the showing of bodyparts so much as they have conventionalized the wearing of clothing. Going out and showing one's hands or face would be the rough equivalent of going outside in -10°F weather in Bermuda shorts and a bow tie. It's just not prudent or wise. It can also be seen as a sign of foolish bravery for it opens one up to attack from unseen and malign forces. Thats a miss print from one of my earlier posts. Please ignore. Duely noted. |
| NorthWind10-14-07, 06:43 PM | Sorry for the delay, all - I've not had much time until this weekend to sit down and do all that much. Here's a (slightly) tweaked version of the second map, with the leaf-shaped continent moved south and a tad east. A few more islands have been added to the northern seas, but I think that the archipelago in the south east corner of the map will be my mysterious islands. The Boreal traditions will probably merge with the notions I have for the main landmass, and the islands to the north will be inhabited by the children of refugees that Soviet was mentioning. Anyways, here it is: Map III (http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=mi2hx1&s=2) |
| DonThelonious10-14-07, 07:33 PM | Northwind!! Welcome back, I was beginning to wonder what might have happened to you. I like your new map more, though the central landmass looks kind of like it needs a peninsula coming off the eastern edge, at least that is my opinion. Looks good otherwise. |
| LefferDP10-14-07, 07:50 PM | We were talking about a wiki before... Perhaps we might want to set us an account with http://www.wikia.com/ ? |
| DonThelonious10-14-07, 08:00 PM | We were talking about a wiki before... Perhaps we might want to set us an account with http://www.wikia.com/ ? Sounds great to me, how do we go about it though? Would one of us set op an account and then pass out the password and login? |
| LefferDP10-14-07, 08:35 PM | I think we can protect all the content, then allow people in The Project to edit it (after they set up logins and such I'm pretty sure the admin can grant them editing rights), thus avoiding the headache of vandalism and such. We should make sure everyone's up to transferring information to the wiki, first, though. |
| SovietCanuck10-14-07, 09:13 PM | The Canadian Commie! He Lives!!!:evillaugh Now that that's out of the way, I'll voice my support for a wiki as well...however, I'm not to keen on using wikia...I don't really like it's editing functions, and it has an over abundance of adds that tend to lag lower end computers. WoWWiki's move over to wikia was actually the reason why I stopped being a regular editor over there (That, and the fact that I maybe only play WoW once a week, at most...:rolleyes: ) Two options that are available are pbwiki (http://pbwiki.com/) and Eruvian (http://eruvian.com/?) Now, I'm not certain how easy Eruvian is to work with, or if it supports a large group of individuals like ourselves working on a common setting...I've just skimmed some of it's basic functions, but it is specifically set up for d20 worlds like our own, so it could work... I have, however, worked on pbwiki, and editing articles is rather easy even for someone new to wikis. However, simplicity does come at a cost, and it is a rather limited system. However, even if we move over to a wiki, I think we should still keep this thread up for discussion, critique et al. It's worked so far, and as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it... Well, there's my two coppers, or centi as they say in Caelea! P.S. Don, what exactly did you want us to send you? Just nation and racial overviews, right? |
| DonThelonious10-14-07, 09:30 PM | :w00t: Good to see the commie, eh. Soviet: The information I would like is whatever you have that is ready to go up on the front page. This will also make it much easier for all of us if we do make an official move over to a Wiki. I should also warn you guys that I am only doing a skim over for corrections, so you need to edit all your stuff yourselves. |
| LefferDP10-15-07, 10:35 PM | I agree, we should definitely keep discussion and content in this thread. The wiki is just to make life a little easier if we need to reference something or if new people want to follow the thread. |
| DonThelonious10-15-07, 11:14 PM | I would love to start up a Wiki, but once again I have to ask: How will we go about this? |
| SovietCanuck10-15-07, 11:40 PM | It should be actually very easy. One of us sets up the account and takes on the role of manager, and then distributes the password for editing amongst fellow members of the project. Simple, easy, efficient. That's the way if works on pbwiki (and wikia, if I remember correctly), though I'm not certain how it works on Eruvian. After that, it should be fairly simple to go about adding what one wants to the wiki. |
| DonThelonious10-16-07, 12:28 AM | Since I guess I am kind of the scribe for this, I will check out Eruvian and some other possibilites when I get home (I'm at work right now:cool: ). Then I will post on my findings. |
| Darth Syntax10-16-07, 04:33 AM | I'll add my voice to those of the Canuck and Thel about the wiki. Sense the Canuck has some knowledge about wikis it might be a good idea for him to act as some sort of oversight on this aspect of The Project. I also support Thel's looking into various possible wiki and wiki-like possibilities. Further acting like a greek chorus, I too would like to support keeping this thread going for discussion purposes. -- Moving along then Northwind, the map is looking better. I've done a very quick draft of the map which will be shown below http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/1585131371_4ef27609f5_b.jpg However, there are some things about the map that seem not quite right to me; although I'll be hanged if I can put my finger on exactly what is 'off'. One thing I can wrap my feeble mind around is the fact that the horselands (and thus the western portion of the continent) end a bit too abruptly. They were sweeping along majestically and then 'hey presto' the sea. I think a bit of a more gradual transition might make things flow a bit better. I've drawn up a possible edit of the coastline in red here on the map. Have a look: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/1585133099_b219133aff_b.jpg Now you don't have to accept my edits or anything, so please don't feel pressured. |
| DonThelonious10-16-07, 10:36 AM | Okay folks some of my findings are in. Eruvian- Seems like a real good idea and looks like it will solid... Someday. Right now just trying to register locked up my browser and gave me a headache. PBWiki- Just finished setting up the account. Here is the link (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/), I have already written something into it for you guys. Wikia- Way to much work than what I was looking for, but it creates a real full on wiki. We have to go through channels, bureaucracy, and red tape to make it (which I don't see as a problem, I just don't feel like dealing with it right now. So far my vote is either for PBWiki Wikia, though I am leaning strongly towards PBWiki for its ease of use. You guys tell me what you think. Oh, and if you would like the password for these two places PM me. I know you are gonna need it for PBWiki, on Wikia I am pretty sure you need to create individual accounts, I checked out their security paperwork. |
| Darth Syntax10-18-07, 03:37 AM | Thel, I got your e-mail about the possible wiki and I've poked about a bit. I have no idea whether or not it will do what we need, but it would be a start. Also, it might be a good idea to send the wiki password out to the various project authors through some suitably devious method. -- Soviet, I've done a new draft of the map of your region based upon more recent geographic evidence (ie you newer maps). Let me know what I need to fix. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/1611110039_5f18088a02_b.jpg |
| DonThelonious10-18-07, 06:30 AM | I have started our semi-official Wiki. I have sent PMs to all current authors. I hope this might meet with everyones approval. I agree that we should still keep this thread open for discussion, critiqueing nadn general fellowship. -- I know we need to get the information up for all in active authors. I havn't seen Araes for quite some time, nor have I seen YellowDingo since like, what, page 3? There is also chimpman, and I know there are others, I just can't think of them right now. Shall I endeaver to message these people, or should I just tansfer what we have of their regions myself? |
| LefferDP10-18-07, 03:12 PM | I would LIKE to vote we transfer their things ourselves... But that means digging back through the thread and the 500+ posts. And that's a lot of work... I wonder if it's possible to make a world-wide map and have it where you can click on a region to get more info about it? |
| DonThelonious10-18-07, 06:45 PM | I would LIKE to vote we transfer their things ourselves... But that means digging back through the thread and the 500+ posts. And that's a lot of work... I wonder if it's possible to make a world-wide map and have it where you can click on a region to get more info about it? I really do not relish the thought of digging through all the pages and posts of the thread but if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. I will dig through as much as I can. *Grumble* This is ganna take forever... *Gripe grumble mutter whine*... -- I would love to set up something like that, but I don't have any experience with putting together something like that. Perhaps one of you folks is a bit more internet savvy and can do that? I don't mind digging all the information out. |
| Darth Syntax10-18-07, 07:01 PM | Utilizing the advanced search options I was able to at least produce a manageable body of results of my own posts in this thread. I could attempt to do so for our absent collaborators and see what I come up with. Don't kill yourself Thel, hopefully we'll find a more efficient means to compiling things. -- Thel, I've not yet received the password thing for the wiki, would you mind trying to re-send it to me? -- I've been in the process of redrawing maps (as you can see from my newest drafting of Soviet's) and so now would be an excellent time to tell me all the things I got wrong with your various maps. Also, I am thinking of trying to get a proper political global map up at some point so if it would be possible to get a moderately detailed political map from each of you (possibly with capital locations) that would be excellent. |
| DonThelonious10-18-07, 08:16 PM | Utilizing the advanced search options I was able to at least produce a manageable body of results of my own posts in this thread. I could attempt to do so for our absent collaborators and see what I come up with. That would help immensly:) . Don't kill yourself Thel, hopefully we'll find a more efficient means to compiling things. Oh. nothing a severe as that. Just a text book case of carpo tunnel you know;) . -- Thel, I've not yet received the password thing for the wiki, would you mind trying to re-send it to me? Done and done! -- I've been in the process of redrawing maps (as you can see from my newest drafting of Soviet's) and so now would be an excellent time to tell me all the things I got wrong with your various maps. Also, I am thinking of trying to get a proper political global map up at some point so if it would be possible to get a moderately detailed political map from each of you (possibly with capital locations) that would be excellent. I will have something up for you later tonight if possible. I have been rethinking my Welkin, and decided to have two dominant tribes on each of the major islands, on Dragon and one Titan. There will be other less dominant welkin of course, but I am going to leave that up to individual DMs to work out. This will help simplify my region I think. Now I am off to work on that map for you D_S. And it aint gonna be pretty... Stupid paint... Edit: I am having some computer problems so I have to send the map to you D_S via email. |
| SovietCanuck10-19-07, 02:58 AM | Great job on the wiki Don! Much appreciated! As you can see, I've made extensive use of it already, and plan on doing even more work on it over the weekend. The thing I love about wikis is that, unlike a tread such as this, you can post Works in Progress, such as I have for the Penticle (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The%20Pentacle%20%28Caelen%20Church%29), Living Gods (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The%20Living%20Gods), and (drum roll please!) The kith (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The%20Kith%20%28Caelea%29)...that's right folks! I finally got some of the kith uploaded...it should be about 18 pages worth...since I'm still working on language, legends, a sample caravan, Nohn, and Creating Kith Characters, and final proofreading/editing, I'm not quite ready to post it on the boards here...but as I said, WIP on Wiki is a-okay!:D Just please don't steal the kith without giving me credit, alright lurkers! :P --- Great job on the map, by the way Darth! Fantastic! I'm sorry for constantly fiddling around with everything, but all edits from here on in shall be minor...I do so hope:rolleyes: But I digress...I think it's bang on, nothing really needs changing...as much as I'd like it if you could see Firensdamm and Cittia Sulla Collina on the map, eh, cities of 2 million people likely won't show up! |
| DonThelonious10-19-07, 10:47 AM | Soviet: Thanks!! I couldn't help but notice all the work you have been doing, my mailbox gets an email every time something is changed:twitch:. I now have a lovely new folder titled 'Dwenty' that is packed with notices. ---------------------- Something I have noticed about the wiki though, is that images uploaded onto it require users to register in order to view them. I am sure there is a way around this, but I don't know how as of yet. This could prove annoying to say the least, I think we may have to pay for that service and the cheapest one is $500! ---------------------- Great news from my quarter, I am getting CorelDraw today, so I will be able work up decent maps on things for you, D_S. Excuse me for a moment... :w00t: :dancin: No more stupid paint program at work!!!!!:dancin: :w00t: Okay, I am better now. |
| eue10-19-07, 10:49 AM | Hi, guys. I'm posting only to say I already have some ideas for my little piece of the world. That superweapon thing... well, nevermind, I was just kidding. Really. No evil laugh this time. I have finnished reading the thread. I am honored Thel chose the Portuguese (my people!) to inspire his Paisanguen. I noticed you tried to use Portuguese for some names (Navio-terras, Capitão, Mãepequen), but you seem to have used some automated translator and things are not very well translated. If your intention was to keep it that way... nevermind. If not, let me know. I can help you with that. I am working on a map as I write this. I won't leave any land bordering anyone else, so no one has to worry about that. More coming soon. |
| DonThelonious10-19-07, 12:31 PM | eue: I am happy you like the Paisanguen, and for all my translations I used Babelfish. Several of he words I did chop up myself, sorry. I wanted the feel of the language but not all the complexities and nuances. Please don't be offended by this, though. On another note we have started a Wiki. As soon as you get a map up and a little info on your region I will PM the password to you. Welcome aboard!! Or should I say: Boa vinda a bordo! |
| Araes10-20-07, 08:10 PM | Alright, only took three hours, but read most of the posts from July to here that I've missed. -- I have a new neighbor, and we have all kinds of sharing of countries and organizations going on apparently. As a quick summary just to make sure I got everything right and that I'm up to speed, is this the current state of the region? Section 16 - Leffer Summary Heavily biotech based region with lots of genetic modification prevalent through all of the major powers and the races that have spawned from there. Fairly horror based with rather dark themes of corruption, cannibalism, and infighting mixed in. Regions / Powers Kedara, extend into the region of Leffer in the north lands. (Does it take up all of the north section?) Mildar, to some degree occupies the border mountains Unclear on how far they extend as well. In my map they control all of the north mountains, and about half of the open area between the two bands of mountains. However, they largely do stick to control of the forested region and don't have many major cities beyond it. Black Forest Fae, malicious, carnivorous, cannibalistic fae Long knives prepared out of various bits of other objects that serve as status with how horrible they are. Live long and breed fast, but kill each other too quickly to expand well. One thought I had in reading through your fae / fey, could the size of the forest be physically associated to the power of the fae. It grows and eats the land around it as they ebb and flow? Kind of like a living virus of the land fed by its black heart at the center. This would be an interesting dynamic with the were people of the south end, as their fighting would actually reduce the size of the forest if they won (pyric victory) and every loss would be magnified by further growth. Black Forest Weres (south) Were creatures that have invaded the southern portion of the black forest and bicker over it with the fae. Lots of different types of weres all living in the same region of the world Are they only in this region, or spread throughout the city states as well? Biotech City States of Khauskov, feuding city states with rulership based on genetic entourage. Each ruled by a Dvoryanin Primary religion is worship of Blood God Heavily urban Grasslands are full of shambling mound-like creatures that provide a number of important economic products. -- Overall, very pleased with the addition and seems like an interesting region. One suggestion I saw mentioned above is that the dwarven / gnomish kingdoms of Mildar and Gabon serve as a form of gatekeeper between the northern regions of my area 19 and yours. I was particularly fond of the "underground railroad" concept as I think there could be lots of cool roleplaying opportunities with trying to ferry people across some harsh geographic features to the more "civilized" lands of the south or north. -- On the topic of Kedara, if they do control all of the northern section above your uppermost mountains, then that will almost double their total size. Not opposed to this, but at the average population for my kingdoms, I think they are now signficantly larger than any other group. (They were 79 million before that) Perhaps it is more of an outer kingdom to them, so its not as heavily populated and controlled as their core? -- Also related to the comments on population, with other folks talking about the points that tend to keep the world in balance (magic, tech, ect...) it seems that section 19, or perhaps 19 and 16 if Leffer maintains the same density, will only need their massive hordes. At over 50% land, and more like 85% with 16 added, and a population density that averages around 100 / sq mile, that's a lot of folks. In section 19 alone there are 280 million people. Roughly the population of the US in a colonial era world. One of the major pressures that may be moving them to be colonialists is the urge to find new space and land on the frontier away from the packed crowds. -- I would also like to propose the following trade routes map between the regions of 13, 16, and 19 based upon the existing trade route work I had done. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSections131619_Trad.jpg -- For further trade work, I would need to know roughly where countries, cities, ect.. are located in Leffer's region 16. Anyhow, all for now, and sorry for the absence. Did get your note SC. Just got a new job with NASA, so been working my socks off lately. |
| Darth Syntax10-20-07, 08:52 PM | Alright, only took three hours, but read most of the posts from July to here that I've missed. Nice to have you back sir. Overall, very pleased with the addition and seems like an interesting region. One suggestion I saw mentioned above is that the dwarven / gnomish kingdoms of Mildar and Gabon serve as a form of gatekeeper between the northern regions of my area 19 and yours. I was particularly fond of the "underground railroad" concept as I think there could be lots of cool roleplaying opportunities with trying to ferry people across some harsh geographic features to the more "civilized" lands of the south or north. I too would be intrigued by the smuggling of people and goods in and out. Of course I'll leave it all for you and Leffer to develop. On the topic of Kedara, if they do control all of the northern section above your uppermost mountains, then that will almost double their total size. Not opposed to this, but at the average population for my kingdoms, I think they are now signficantly larger than any other group. (They were 79 million before that) Perhaps it is more of an outer kingdom to them, so its not as heavily populated and controlled as their core? It could be a collection of tributary nations, colonies, and satellite states all owning nominal allegiance to the Kedarans. It could also make for some interesting political tensions and conflicts. Also related to the comments on population, with other folks talking about the points that tend to keep the world in balance (magic, tech, ect...) it seems that section 19, or perhaps 19 and 16 if Leffer maintains the same density, will only need their massive hordes. At over 50% land, and more like 85% with 16 added, and a population density that averages around 100 / sq mile, that's a lot of folks. In section 19 alone there are 280 million people. Roughly the population of the US in a colonial era world. One of the major pressures that may be moving them to be colonialists is the urge to find new space and land on the frontier away from the packed crowds. I agree that population pressures would be a force driving the colonial expansions of various nations. I know it is one I have been using along with greed. I would also like to propose the following trade routes map between the regions of 13, 16, and 19 based upon the existing trade route work I had done. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSections131619_Trad.jpg I note that you have a trade route going from the nation of Ekku to the Orothoi colony of Kuilnos; Do you have any ideas on the nature of the trade relations between the two powers? -- I've also drawn up a new version of you map Araes. Please feel free to comment and critique it so that I can make corrections. One thing I am not sure about is the desert in the north-east. Would you perhaps prefer some other sort of arid clime there? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/1662110954_509894a3a2_b.jpg |
| DonThelonious10-20-07, 09:50 PM | Araes!!!!! Nice to see you back around. NASA, wow... -- I am glad your back because I wanted to know about possible colonies you may want in my region. I am reworking my tribal layout somewhat. One of the most important changes is a disease that is racially specific to elves, and is 99.99% fatal. Once again welcome back. -- Now I am off to work on my map. |
| Araes10-21-07, 01:44 PM | In regards to the map, in the NE section, my intention was actually to have that mountain chain be a shifting geological hotspot that has generated a volcanic chain over time. As such, all of the area to the E is actually a downwind area of an active volcano chain and is quite ash covered. However, its not particularly a desert, just covered with a constant barrage of fallout. For the central mountain chain that extends into the north, it would actually be quite a bit wider, more like the rockies, in that it spreads extensively, so that average elevation is actually quite high, and moutain peaks are spread throughout. The lowlands around it to the east should also extend all the way to the edge of the desert and even a little bit into them. Near the central mountains on the SE side, where the gnomish kingdom of Gabon holds sway, the lowlands in that area should also extend far more extensively to the E and NE. For the forest of the dwarves of Mildar below the upper mountains heading down into 16, the outline is quite extensively off, as it marks the border between Mildar and Gabon, and several cities in that area would shift sides and be totally enclosed in forest. For the river in the NW side of the continent, as it comes up from the delta, at the first separation, there should be a rather large lake which extends all the way back to the second break of tributaries, which is also missing on the translated map. Before the tributaries have their final split and we come to their starting point in the mountains of Sighvat, there should be one final small lake about midway down on the edge of what I drew as grassy grazing plains. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the translation movement, although I can understand it from a perspective of having a nice unified globe to look at. However, for trade, cities, country borders, ect..., I'll probably still be basing stuff largely off what I originally drew. -- Thel, in regards to cities on your continent, I would actually like to have some cooperation between my countries on several of the colonies. As shown on the trade map I included with the last post, Ekku and Covino will be the largest of the trade partners. They would have trading towns with both the Pown-Daj and the Paisanguen. A Kadauu / Covino combo would like to have founded colony groups on the easterly side of your landmass sharing parts of that little cove, as it would be well protected for shipping. Honestly, I don't know what your restrictions were on how much we could settle for actual colonies, number of trading towns, ect.., so I'm just proposing stuff as far as trade goes. Honestly, if I were running these countries, I would probably try and settle as much of the inlet islands on the north channel as I could and extensively grab the eastern backside, where it looks like there is the potential for some really fertile farmland. Covino in particular would make a big play for that. If possible, Ekku would probably go for the north island as much as they could, since it would be more lightly contested with the existing groups we have now. Region 9 and a bit of 10 seem like they would want that right now. -- Also, as a reference on the big map, could we perhaps have ownership names referenced somewhere in a sidebar just as a quick tally DS? Thanks. -- As a reference for what the colonial powers from 19 would claim if they could, I have created the following map. It should not be taken as a declaration of territory or anything like that. This is just what they would want if they could have it. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection13_DonThel_C.jpg -- Finally, looking over my trade table on page 2, and comparing with yours Thel, I think that my countries would definitely be interested in importing ivory, work animals, rare mount type animals, and perhaps some of the stranger herbs / woods you have. Depending on preference there might also be some slaving going from Ekku in more remote regions. If you have rubber trees or some other source for natural polymers, they'd probably be very interested, as Covino and Kadauu share a near monopoly on them in the mainland and would like to retain it, while Ekku would like to break it. As far as things that they'd likely offer in trade, my land is rolling with metals and finished metal products, so that would probably be a major item. Both utilitarian and precious varieties. Ceramics, finished textiles, and the classic vice of alcohol might be big movers too. There are also some things like perfumes, brilliant paints, and good ol' fireworks that they'd bring with them. |
| DonThelonious10-21-07, 08:28 PM | Thel, in regards to cities on your continent, I would actually like to have some cooperation between my countries on several of the colonies. As shown on the trade map I included with the last post, Ekku and Covino will be the largest of the trade partners. They would have trading towns with both the Pown-Daj and the Paisanguen. A Kadauu / Covino combo would like to have founded colony groups on the easterly side of your landmass sharing parts of that little cove, as it would be well protected for shipping. Okay, write me up some colonies, preferably with a bit of history and what major imports/exports. As said before my main exports will be wooden and bone items, rare woods and herbs, I really like the idea of rubber, and dinosaur mounts as well.. Slaves are a good possibility as well, the Pown-Dajji would love nothing more than to wipe out the Paisanguen and shipping them off to another land would make sense to them. The Paisanguen on the other hand would not deal in slaves. There would also likely be a good market for the skills of Fallenstar Animal Handlers. Honestly, I don't know what your restrictions were on how much we could settle for actual colonies, number of trading towns, ect.., so I'm just proposing stuff as far as trade goes. Honestly, if I were running these countries, I would probably try and settle as much of the inlet islands on the north channel as I could and extensively grab the eastern backside, where it looks like there is the potential for some really fertile farmland. Covino in particular would make a big play for that. If possible, Ekku would probably go for the north island as much as they could, since it would be more lightly contested with the existing groups we have now. Region 9 and a bit of 10 seem like they would want that right now. I want to keep outsider incursions to a minimum, so the best anybody can get would most likely be about a hundred square mile area, less more than likely. The tribes are very protective of their lands so therefor it would be quite dangerous for a non native to leave the terretories they have been given. But I like the idea of some serious tension between my natives and the colonists, something akin to New England in the 1600s, minus the guns and with plague in the natives arsenal. Something else I should note is that divine cleric magics are very limited, and ressurection magics are non-existant without assistance from a Welkin. So keep that in mind. -- As a reference for what the colonial powers from 19 would claim if they could, I have created the following map. It should not be taken as a declaration of territory or anything like that. This is just what they would want if they could have it. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection13_DonThel_C.jpg The controlled territories would not be nearly so large, nor would the sphere of influence. I understand that it is a wish list style map though. Once I fanally get my graphics program figured out (CorelDraw has quite a learning curve I have come to discover:eek:, luckily I am good friends with the guide books author:D ), I will have a complete map up with each tribes 'Nation' outlined as well as locations for colonies. Thank you for giving me some referance points for where you would like your colonies. -- Finally, looking over my trade table on page 2, and comparing with yours Thel, I think that my countries would definitely be interested in importing ivory, work animals, rare mount type animals, and perhaps some of the stranger herbs / woods you have. Depending on preference there might also be some slaving going from Ekku in more remote regions. If you have rubber trees or some other source for natural polymers, they'd probably be very interested, as Covino and Kadauu share a near monopoly on them in the mainland and would like to retain it, while Ekku would like to break it. AS I said earlier, ivory, work animals in the form of huge dinosaurs, rare mounts, herbs, and wood/bone items are fair game. Slaves would be limited to only the Pown-Dajji, and any slavers caught by the Paisanguen would be crucified and put on display at the edges of their territories. Ekku has a good chance of breaking it than. I am thinking that the rubber produced in my region should be of much higher quality, but of a much more limited quantity. This would be due mainly by the limited space afforded your colonists. What say you? As far as things that they'd likely offer in trade, my land is rolling with metals and finished metal products, so that would probably be a major item. Both utilitarian and precious varieties. Ceramics, finished textiles, and the classic vice of alcohol might be big movers too. There are also some things like perfumes, brilliant paints, and good ol' fireworks that they'd bring with them. Precious metals actually would mean next to nothing to all my tribes except the Theronian Dwarves, they still retain that strong dwarven need to have shiny things. Worked metal weapons would be in very high demand, I am thinking the Pown-Dajji would be willing to part with one slave/pound of said metal weapons. Swords would not be in high demand, but axe heads, spear heads, and knives would make all the tribes drool. Metal armors as well would not be in particularly high demand, since so many of my natives are strongly druidic in their belief structure. Ceramics would work simply for their novelty. Alcohol though I had not considered. It would do really well amongst the Dragon tribes, and the Dwarves. The paisanguen gnomes would scoff at it, though the halflings among them would be delighted to trade for some of the sweeter acohols like dessert wines, cordials, and schnapps (or your equivalents at least). Perfumes would not do so well, the natives see no point in wearing scents that can and will make it easier to track them. Brilliant paints:lightbulb, I think the tribes would be more interested in the base powders for these, the Paisanguen especially (I now have this image of a raging gnome beast rider wearing nothing but black and neon green body paint, charging me:uh-huh: ). Fireworks would be a HUGE hit with all my natives, since flashy arcane spell effects are very very rare. So expect those things to move very quickly. ----- Has anyone cornered the market on Medicinal Smoking Herbs (IE: In RL it would be Marijuana)? It was a big thing for the native americans when the settlers moved to the new world from Europe, and I would like to get that same fell for my region. If someone already has it, okay. I just like the idea of colonists returning to their countries of origin and telling stories of this herb they discovered that got them drunk on air. Sounds cool to me. -- EDIT:Oh yes, and a bit of news. I am going to starting up a new campaign here in the next couple of months and will be basing here in Dwenty. I don't know if any of you have introduced your players to it yet (or your DM if your players;) ), but I think we are far enough along in several regions for some playtesting. I plan to start them off me my region naturally, but I am not sure if they are going to want to play natives of my region. So I may be running a colonist from Kuilnos D_S, or possibly from one of your colonies Araes. They will then adventure through parts of Fallenstar, then around level 6 or so, hop a ship to someplace in Ilaros, and then around level 10 they would hop another ship bound for Araes' region then north into Caela (SP?), then to the other regions of the world. After that they will most likely be level 20, and can retire. When it happens I would like to build an adventure around it that we can post on our Wiki. A kind of primer adventure if you will. |
| Araes10-21-07, 09:51 PM | I don't know if any of you have introduced your players to it yet (or your DM if your players ), but I think we are far enough along in several regions for some playtesting. I plan to start them off me my region naturally, but I am not sure if they are going to want to play natives of my region. So I may be running a colonist from Kuilnos D_S, or possibly from one of your colonies Araes. They will then adventure through parts of Fallenstar, then around level 6 or so, hop a ship to someplace in Ilaros, and then around level 10 they would hop another ship bound for Araes' region then north into Caela (SP?), then to the other regions of the world. After that they will most likely be level 20, and can retire. When it happens I would like to build an adventure around it that we can post on our Wiki. A kind of primer adventure if you will. Sounds like a cool idea, and I'm glad at least one of us is putting our work to a real use. With my move to my new work, I'm actually in the process of trying to find a new group and spent part of the weekend going around to the various gaming shops in the city and checking out their gamer want ads and posting some of my own. Would be fun to use this though when I do find one. -- With regard to the rubbers and other natural polymers, I've got no problem with the high quality but low supply situation. Even in our own world there are vast quantities of different polymers, and it seems perfectly natural that your land might have plants that produce one more more of the ones with desirable properties. Perhaps there's a Teflon plant or something :) -- On the amount of area no issues either. As noted, the map and suggestions were only guides on what parts of the land the colonials would find interesting. Considering my land has a HUGE population of elves (49 million, and they're the dominant race), there would probably be a major issue with the plague during the first wave of exploration, and then after that the common strategy I think would be to send only non-elves to the Starfall areas and have the elves just stay on the mainland. Honestly, this might then trend in the very far future towards any founded colonies rebelling and becoming splinter countries from feelings of domination by foreign elven masters. -- On the divine magic note, I'm curious how we're actually going to handle that. A long while back, one proposal I had, which seemed relatively well accepted was that at least in our main regions, whatever we want to believe with relation to the heavens, gods, and spells from them is pretty much our own business. They can all exist and be true at the same time and perhaps even are connected in various ways. However, what happens when people from one land take their beliefs to the lands of other people? Does the fact that your people don't believe in big men in the sky stop divine magic from my land getting through? Or are there more underlying reasons why the Starfall area stops divine? If my colonials convert your citizens, do they then gain access to my colonials divine spells, resurrection, and the like? -- Finally, with regard to the topic of colonies, are we talking full on colonies that extend inland and have minor settlements as well, or just trading towns in the already native controlled areas. Also, how many of said types? |
| DonThelonious10-21-07, 11:16 PM | Sounds like a cool idea, and I'm glad at least one of us is putting our work to a real use. With my move to my new work, I'm actually in the process of trying to find a new group and spent part of the weekend going around to the various gaming shops in the city and checking out their gamer want ads and posting some of my own. Would be fun to use this though when I do find one. They look forward to it to say the least. They are now slogging through the thread trying to decide what they want to do and be. :D Its exciting. -- With regard to the rubbers and other natural polymers, I've got no problem with the high quality but low supply situation. Even in our own world there are vast quantities of different polymers, and it seems perfectly natural that your land might have plants that produce one more more of the ones with desirable properties. Perhaps there's a Teflon plant or something :) A teflon plant? I actually really like this idea. It is stolen. I now officially have a tree in my region that produces a sap that has similar qualitied to RW teflon:tongue:. -- On the amount of area no issues either. As noted, the map and suggestions were only guides on what parts of the land the colonials would find interesting. Considering my land has a HUGE population of elves (49 million, and they're the dominant race), there would probably be a major issue with the plague during the first wave of exploration, and then after that the common strategy I think would be to send only non-elves to the Starfall areas and have the elves just stay on the mainland. Honestly, this might then trend in the very far future towards any founded colonies rebelling and becoming splinter countries from feelings of domination by foreign elven masters. Wow:eek: , American history repeated in my land in more ways than one. I like this idea a lot. I imagin your colonists "going native" so to speak. -- On the divine magic note, I'm curious how we're actually going to handle that. A long while back, one proposal I had, which seemed relatively well accepted was that at least in our main regions, whatever we want to believe with relation to the heavens, gods, and spells from them is pretty much our own business. They can all exist and be true at the same time and perhaps even are connected in various ways. However, what happens when people from one land take their beliefs to the lands of other people? Does the fact that your people don't believe in big men in the sky stop divine magic from my land getting through? Or are there more underlying reasons why the Starfall area stops divine? If my colonials convert your citizens, do they then gain access to my colonials divine spells, resurrection, and the like? Okay, here is how it works in my region: In the distant past all the other gods were cut off from my region. They could not grant spells or intervene on their worshippers behalf. The Welkin took over in their forced absence and now control the flow of divine magic in the region. This severly limits colonists abilities to combat simple things like disease, damge, etc. (Part of the reason colonies stay small). Resurrection magics and the like are also very limited, since the ones attepting the ressurection must first find a Welkin willing to help them. This is all explained in more detail in my next post. -- Finally, with regard to the topic of colonies, are we talking full on colonies that extend inland and have minor settlements as well, or just trading towns in the already native controlled areas. Also, how many of said types? The colonies can extend some distance inland, like I said each one is given a roughly 100sq. mile area to work with. The layout, population and number of satallite colonies within that area are up to you. Edit: Araes I went back and dug this up from one of your much earlier posts, hope it might help. Thel, for my three colonies, they could have populations of 3857 (Thebia), 4523 (New Bainbury), and 1258 (Tanhurse). The first could be owned by Ekku, the other two could be owned by Covino. Thebia would be interested in trading fireworks for exotic animals and mounts. New Bainbury would like to trade cloths and dyes of all manners for exotic woods to support their fleet. Tanhurse is a fledgling outpost, and would mostly be trying to make a market of trading herbs, and manufactured metal items for luxury goods like furs, ivory, ect... -- I am also going to send you the password and a link for the Wiki, so you can start moving things over at your lesiure. |
| DonThelonious10-21-07, 11:19 PM | The creation of Fallenstar and the Welkin The Gods of Fallenstar are actually living Quasi-Deities. Originally these beings lived on the world long before there was much of anything else. At that time it was a very wild and savage planet, full of huge terrible beasts called dinosaurs. The Welkin had a great war at that time and only through the direct intervention of the young gods of Elf, Dwarf, and Man were these powerful primal forces put to sleep. Through their eons of slumber most of the Welkins were killed off by the forces of nature. It is believed that the Earth Mother, the goddess responsible for the creation of the Welkin saw what was happening and cried out in anguish. She took great pity on her children and so pleaded with the newer and more powerful gods to help her precious few survivors. The gods agreed but only on the conditions that the mighty Welkin not be allowed their physical bodies, due to the destruction they had wrought upon the face of the planet. Also the Earth Mother was forbidden from taking a hand in the fate of her children any longer, and must forsake her abilities as a goddess. The Earth Mother agreed, but secretly she took a small part of her own divine might and placed in the souls of her children, giving each a small spark of their divine heritage. So it was that the ancient Welkin shed their mortal bodies to have them rot into the earth around them, and in this way the soil they had blasted was made fertile once again. The now disembodied Welkin godlings continued to slumber, as their Earth Mother settled into the very land around them, to ward them until the day they awoke and she would be able to rest in peace. More millennia passed while the races of man grew and prospered above the dreaming spirits of the Welkin. Elves came to dominate these lands, building great cities and performing great feats of magic. As they were reaching the pinnacle of their power and influence though, disaster struck. War erupted amongst the different elven peoples, and atrocities both great and small were committed. Brother set upon brother and darkness overtook the land. All the races turned on each other and themselves, staining the lands red with blood. The gods of the races were ashamed of their creations, and so turned their backs upon the elves and dwarves, humans and orcs, halflings and gnomes, and the many lesser races that had been born over the ages. At this time The Taker was awoken, one of the most powerful Welkins in history became a new god made powerful by the death and destruction around him. He cared little for the other gods, his only concern being his siblings, his mother and the taking of life. The Taker prowled the lands, sowing evermore violence and death wherever he passed. The other gods were powerless to stop him, as every person that died took from their power and added to that of The Taker. It was while the new gods were looking away in shame that the Earth Mother made her move. Using the last of her divine magic and an unholy union with The Taker, she summoned an asteroid from beyond the moons, and set it on a collision course. They also cast out the other gods, forcing them out of her realm of influence and cutting off their power base so they could do nothing but stand by and watch as the once beautiful lands they had saved from the Welkin were once again shattered. This made her children stir from their slumber. Satisfied that the other gods would be powerless now, and knowing her children were no longer trapped in eternal slumber, she merged with the land and The Taker once again, and this time for good. It is there that she resides still, taking the souls of the departed into her warm embrace, after The Taker has made his decisions on who should die. The newly awoken Welkin found the world a much different place than they had left it. During those first confused decades they traveled the land, seeking something, anything, that resembled their long lost world. What they found were the ancient bones of their once mighty dinosaurs, turned to stone and trapped in the earth. These they used to reconstruct the beasts, and by combining their newfound divine power they were able to breath life into the bones and resurrect at least part of their past. It was during this time of tribulation that memories of their ancient war resurfaced. Old animosities boiled up to the surface and sides were once again chosen. The six most powerful Welkins were split down the middle, each seeking physical bodies in which they could settle old grudges. The good Welkin melded with the Titans while the evil Welkin remember a race that had just begun to rise into power around the time they were cast into sleep, this race was the dragons. Seeing that they were so few in number the Welkin enlisted the aid of the now decimated humanoids. Each Welkin joined with the tribes nearest to where they had awoken, and these now primitive and godless people were given what they had been missing: Gods. The Welkin taught their new charges the skills they needed to survive in this new and dangerous world. The humanoids, which had been in a sharp decline, began to prosper and then thrive. A few of the old technologies resurfaced, and in time the tribes of the Welkin came to dominate most of the lands. The war, though, was not forgotten. Into the minds of the now faithful humanoids the Welkin instilled the desire to see their enemies wiped from the planet. It is for this reason more than any other that the Tribes of Fallenstar are at constant war. |
| LefferDP10-22-07, 01:48 AM | I had a vision of a culture where metal working never really got popular, the warriors were lightly armored and used super-hard ceramic blades in battle whilst the womenfolk wore elaborate glass jewelry. I don't suppose it's really relevant for Araes' regions, but it seems interesting. --- I'm not sure how biotech focused the region will really be. Right now, one of the powers uses it as their primary tool, but no others. However, if I can think of something nifty and distinct to do with it, it very well might. Kedara was supposed to take up all the land to the north of those mountains, yes. Though tributaries and the like seems perfectly reasonable. Perhaps this region houses the equivalent to China's Tibet? I envisoned the dwarven lands to have control over the areas of the mountains to that correspond to yours. It seemed odd that they would just stop right there. I'll have to figure out what exactly is going to stop the dwarves from extending much further to the north as something else will have to occupy that area... I like you idea for the fae. Perhaps the forests should look a little more spidery as a result. One of the main forces that the fae would be fighting would be the creatures of the wastes, so that could make the whole region rather odd looking at any given moment. It might also mean the forest really retreats from around the fellow with the spellwarped treants. But seeing black trees inhabiting and retreating from bits of the forest might be fascinating. I think the were creatures will have some semi-primitive plains tribes (perhaps ones with superhard ceramics? Hm...) that live near by and are somewhat aligned with the forest dwellers. Perhaps some werecreatures live amongst them, but I am really uncertain as to how far they might have spread. I think the shambling mounds are actually going to be located in the grasslands to the north and east of the black forest. The genetic wastes are pretty damn brutal. |
| chimpman10-22-07, 02:24 PM | Hey guys, I'm still around (Thanks for the message DonThel). The last 5-6 weeks have been crazy for me with sickness, long work hours and other various stresses, but I should have some more time now. It'll probably take me a few days to catch up on all the posts, but expect to hear from me in the next day or two. |
| DonThelonious10-22-07, 03:55 PM | No problem chimpman. Glad to see you made the move with the rest of us, and RL has been pretty hellish for me as well. Welcome Back:D |
| DonThelonious10-22-07, 10:09 PM | D_S: I have been hammering out a few of the local details for the colony you gave me, my edits and additions are in red. The town of Kuilnos is a small Orothoi colony at the mouth of the Almasbradas River, in the Seta Quebrada Valley along the eastern islands northern coast.The valley itself stretches for many miles inland, buy at the coast it opens into a large bay known in the native tongue as Baía Da Soluz which is dominated by the islands of Kuilnos Proper. The island acts as a barrier between the sea and the bay, creating a sparkling clear blue lagoon called Águascrista, or rather the Crystal Waters. The bay itself is home to a small village of Overzeese Koningen, who help keep more dangerous and aggressive sea life out of the bay. The river is home to many different species of sport fish, as well as large dangerous caimans, and playful Green Striped River Dolphins. The main section of the town is built upon a small collection of islands some little way from the mouth itself and is connected to the mainland by a long stone bridge which is itself a neighborhood of the town. Buildings are constructed mostly in a modified Orothoi style with large windows, balconies, and lighter colors to make living in the tropics more bearable for a people used to cool and damp, not hot and humid. Like many Orothoi settlements transport about town is primarily by foot or by boat and very few of the "roads" would accommodate a large animal or cart. Overland traders coming from the interior generally transfer their goods to barges or smaller carts on the mainland side and then ferry them over to the town proper on the islands. Kuilnos is a Charter Colony and is run primarily by The Society of the Indefatigable Ibis, a spice and plant products trading company with interests in the alchemical applications of the plants of the Starfall region. The official government representative is the colonial governor (called a Doge) who is one of the principle stock holders of the Indefatigable Ibis. The population of Kuilnos is typical of the Orothoi tropical colonies being composed largely of laborers and low to middle class merchants and traders with a handful of more wealthy merchants and the like forming the upper class. Gnomes, humans, dromites, and other common species of Orothos make up the majority of the population but there are some more 'colorful' citizens and residents. A mercane who goes by the name of Aulirnarme acts as a kind of central clearing house of financial information and predictions for the Indefatigable Ibis and the smaller merchant groups and is highly respected for being both perfectly accurate and endlessly devious. What his motives are in moving to the colony are anyones guess, although it is generally agreed that the presence of a mercane is a good sign for profits, and he spends most of his time playing Adrazo (a card-game rather like a cross between poker, monopoly and the stock market) with a collection of card sharks and hustlers in an opium den (the Orothoi indulge in this vice rather freely as it is considered far more civilized than drunkenness) located on the bridge. Trade is brisk in Kuilnos and ships from other colonies, Orothos itself, and abroad makes supply stops at the port. Goods from all over the far flung Orothoi trading empire can be found in Kuilnos as can many goods from foreign powers and a large selection of local items. Outside the town itself the colony extends a ways up the river and small plantations of Starfellen Poppy, B. Lubrificada rubber plants, suger cane, bananas and rum, as well as the odd crop of native Marjanni can be found being worked by indentured servants, debt slaves, criminals, and general laborers. A number of the native Paisanguen herbalists also make regular rounds of these plantations, giving advice on the growth and maintenance of the fields in exchange for worked steel and exotic foreign cordials. Although the colony is well defended by the Orothoi it is not in much of a position to claim territories further inland. Indeed to do so would be a violation of the treaty of Sýrenvo of 1532 CR which limited all of the Maritime Republics to maintaining only Thalassocratic empires (coastal and island only). Naval conflicts are, however, common and privateers in the employ of the government raid the colonies of competing powers. These small conflicts and proxy wars are just part of doing business in the colonies. A common tactic for many trade guilds is to hire on elite groups from the Overzeese Koningen, a native tribe of aquatic orcish Beast Riders that ride Basilosaurus’ (huge snake-like whales), to do raids and sabatoge ships from beneath the surface. These teams are paid handsomely for their efforts in ceramic weapons and armor pieces that do not rust beneath the waves. Attempts have been made to wipe out these roving seafaring barbarians, but every time search parties are sent out, none have ever returned. The only known way the Overzeese Koningen can be contacted is through the mercane Aulirnarme. Edit: I fixed the preferred crop grown by the plantations and added some more flavor to the baty itself. |
| Araes10-22-07, 10:19 PM | I was actually thinking of continuing along the same thought with the old towns that I proposed as the central hubs for the three colony zones. Slight changes, however, on the ownership / inhabitants of the colonies with the changes to your own land. Hannavah Colony (Ekku Founded and Controlled) http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/ColonyPort7.jpg Main City: Thebia City Population: 6452 City Population Density: 154 City Area (Acres): 82 # of Wards: 7 City Racial Distribution: Dwarf: 38% Gnome: 29% Human: 20% Halfling: 11% Other: 2% Description: Central city of the northern Ekku colony of Hannavah, this seaside port town is a common stop for many trading vessels heading between the mainland countries and the Starfall continent. Founded, and largely still controlled by the kingdom of Ekku, Thebia is nevertheless catered to by ships from Bratan and Covino. A fortified colony, Thebia holds one legion of the Ekkuvian foreign service, as well as a provisioned fort. Government is controlled in the same form of plutocratic republic as the mainland of Ekku, and although its inhabitants contain members of several other nationalities, only those of native Ekku heritage may vote or enter politics. Major Trade Goods: Imports: Ivory, Exotic Animals, Herbs, Narcotics, Polymers, Slaves Exports: Metal Weapons, Textiles, Paint Powders, Fireworks Ramaland (Covino Founded - Very Loosely Controlled) http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/ColonyPort4.jpg Main City: New Bainbury City Population: 9850 City Area (Acres): 96 # of Wards: 8 City Racial Distribution: Human: 24% Halfling: 23% Dwarf: 20% Gnome: 15% Half Orc: 12% Aasimar: 4% Other: 2% Description: The first of the three major colonies on the Starfall continent to be founded, the Ramaland colony founded by Covino, with New Bainbury as its primary city, began its life at a run and has never slowed down. Largely due to a completely free trade and habitation policy, New Bainbury has experienced double percentile population growth rates for much of its life. Nearly every majorly traded product from both the mainland and the native trades can be found here. Population is spread mainly between native citizens of Covino and Kadauu, but large contingents from Bratan, Valgard, Gabon, and Taidara are all present. Covinites in particular have flocked to the Ramaland colony due to a land grant program by the Covino government offering parcels within the Covino territory to any able bodied person that would claim and farm them. As such, trade ships full of grain, vegetables, and fruits are a common sight heading back along the isles of the Angry Tears. Major Trade Goods: Imports: Exotic / Work Animals, Furs, Herbs, Narcotics, Polymers, Lumber, Native Arts Exports: Food, Ceramics, Metal Weapons, Manufactured Items( Metal and non- ), Precious Metals, Drinks( Coffee, Tea, Wine, Beer ), Textiles, Fireworks, Spices, Art / Craft Objects Shamosa (Kadauu Founded and Controlled) http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Colony2.jpg Main City: Enkul City Population: 3426 City Area (Acres): 82 # of Wards: 7 City Racial Distribution: Human: 45% Aasimar: 28% Halfling: 18% Dwarf: 8% Other: 1% Description: Although founded by Kadauu nearly 20 years before the other two major colonies of the mainland, Shamosa still remains the smallest of the three due to both the products it has made available for trading and the limited scope of its trade with the natives. Prime among these concerns is the lack of metallic object trading which is done with the natives. In fact, the original, and continuing purpose of the colony was actually to search out new sources of precious and smeltable metals for use by the homeland. Deep within the hills of their colonial territory, prospectors are paid a healthy bounty for any deposits which they uncover, and a number continually work on the government payroll at this task. In recent years, Enkul has shown some growth due to its proximity to the now explosively growing town of New Bainbury. Major Trade Goods: Imports: Metallic Ores, Work / Exotic Animals, Narcotics, Ivory, Furs, Herbs / Medicines Exports: Paint Powders, Fireworks, Alcohol, Ceramics, Textiles |
| DonThelonious10-22-07, 11:00 PM | Thank you for that Araes, and I especially like the pictures you have with each one. Now I just need to finish figuring out how to run CorelDraw and I should have a map up in no time! --- SovietCanuck: While I was wondering around in the earlier posts I came across a discussion we were having about making having your living god Cael somewhere in my region, or al least some strange story about him being in my region and bands of 'crusaders' coming over to my region in search of him. Is this something you wanted to persue further, or am I out in left field? Edit: One of my players that I will be playtesting this world on wants to play a Whisper Gnome from the Races Of Stone splat book. I don't have those in my region, I was wondering who might/does/will have them in theirs so I can perhaps I can accomodate him. |
| Araes10-23-07, 12:37 AM | Well, Whisper Gnomes could probably be integrated into one of the areas in my section of the world fairly easily. Gabon would be the most likely region, as it is a gnome dominated land. However, both Mildar and Nerat have rather large populations by percentage of the country. All the countries in my section have rather massive population bases in general. The prior three mentioned have 17.5 million (Mildar), 26 million (Gabon), and 8.5 million (Nerat). As such, if your player would like to come from a more metropolitan background, then they would probably work well for that. Nerat in particular is basically just one big, dense block of city in the SE mountains of my section. Gabon would offer rolling hill country and open plains, as well as underground if they wanted those, and Mildar would be more for those that preferred forest / underground backgrounds. If your player is interested in one of those, I could start whiping up history for that area ahead of others to help your game. Also, if they have suggestions for what they'd like, feel free to pass them on. Oh, both Mildar and Nerat are fairly traditional Monarchies, while Gabon is actually a Panocracy (rule by all) in theory. Gabon's Panocracy is aided by a light gnome to gnome telepathy among all the varieties of gnomes in my area. In practice there are still tiers of people and societal circles, so its not a perfect Panocracy. There is also a mild preference for gnomes above others as they possess the telepathy, but there are a number of members of other races in power positions. -- And glad you liked the cities. I tend to be a fan of pictures with my work, as they can convey at a glance a general idea of what the town, character, ect... is like. The trouble is finding representative ones :) |
| SovietCanuck10-23-07, 01:59 AM | Just a drive by posting...life getting busy once again, so sorry about the lag in postings...so, let's keep this short and sweet shall we here? A) Great to see you back Araes! Same goes for you chimpman! Good to hear that you're still with us in this endeavor here! --- For the central mountain chain that extends into the north, it would actually be quite a bit wider, more like the rockies, in that it spreads extensively, so that average elevation is actually quite high, and moutain peaks are spread throughout. The lowlands around it to the east should also extend all the way to the edge of the desert and even a little bit into them. B)That's much the way that I envisioned the Dragonrests and the Skreach mountains myself...young, jagged mountains not yet worn down by the passage of years. Good to see we're on the same page with the range. --- C)Hmm...I'm thinking I'll have to draw up some colonies of mine own. The nations most likely involved would be Holtland, Deraille, and the Chalice in Fallenstar, though Vestenreich might be involved through proxies (Holtland, maybe Casillia or Ekku, if Araes wants 'foreign' investment) --- D)I'm still not certain how the Great Elven Empire would react to not being able to expand onto Fallenstar...likely they would try and prevent others from reaching it, forming blockades, engaging in piracy, and the such. All for the glory of Greater Elfdom, of course... P.S...Don, found a rather neat piece of art that may or may not work well for Starfall....check it out here (http://www.blizzard.com/inblizz/contests/artcontest2006/images/w49.jpg) --- E) Good luck on your campaign there, Don! I may (keyword: may)be starting DMing a campaign with a new group in a little while, and since I've done far more work on Caelea than on Newumberland, and Caelea is an easier swallow for most DnD players, I'm thinking of running a campaign in 'dwenty' as well. And it's Spell Caelea, and pronounced kay-lay-uh (darth prolly knows all the proper symbols for that, however I haven't the foggiest....) --- F) Araes, we're still pretty vague about divine realms and all, but I think that divine power is pretty much restricted to realms where a significant body of worshipers exist...which would explain why most regions put so little faith in gods, and why the Caeleans, who rely heavily on magic, are crusading maniacs... --- G) And Don, I'm not really ceratain how well your 'gods are cut off from the region' works with my relgions: worship of an immortal emperor whose primary realm is the prime, a wandering demi-god whose realm is also the prime, and a bunch of personified ideals. Not exactly your standard bunch of gods, eh?:rolleyes: --- SovietCanuck: While I was wondering around in the earlier posts I came across a discussion we were having about making having your living god Cael somewhere in my region, or al least some strange story about him being in my region and bands of 'crusaders' coming over to my region in search of him. Is this something you wanted to persue further, or am I out in left field? Edit: One of my players that I will be playtesting this world on wants to play a Whisper Gnome from the Races Of Stone splat book. I don't have those in my region, I was wondering who might/does/will have them in theirs so I can perhaps I can accomodate him. H) I'm open for it if you want to go for it...surprisingly, I was actually thinking about this a while ago...and I happened to think about the Silver Flame worshiping orcs from the Demon Wastes in Eberron...the Gash'Kah or whatnot. Perhaps an inspiration? Savage orc paladins who worship the same god as that stereotypical knight on his charger over there... Also, you were talking about having some savage-ified kith in your region as well. I have about 90% of my stuff on the kith up on the wiki (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The%20Kith%20%28Caelea%29), so if you want to look it over and see if it still works, great! Also, unfortunately, my gnomes are much more tinker gnomes/Zil gnomes, and less whisper gnomes, so my region is nil for your player's character. --- Right-o, back to work then! |
| Darth Syntax10-23-07, 02:16 AM | D_S: I have been hammering out a few of the local details for the colony you gave me, my edits and additions are in red. Let's have a look shall we? :whatsthis [sblock=Kuilnos]The town of Kuilnos is a small Orothoi colony at the mouth of the Almasbradas River, in the Seta Quebrada Valley along the eastern islands northern coast. [/QUOTE] Any information about the river valley in question? I've been envisioning a kind of tropical lagoon dotted with islands into which the river (teeming with crocodiles and possibly river dolphins) empties. However, I'll leave the exact details to you of course. Outside the town itself the colony extends a ways up the river and small plantations of Marjanni herb, B. Lubrificada rubber plants, and local fruits can be found being worked by indentured servants, debt slaves, criminals, and general laborers. A number of the native Paisanguen herbalists also make regular rounds of these plantations, giving advice on the growth and maintenance of the fields in exchange for worked steel and exotic foreign cordials. The rubber plants are indeed a good idea as the Orothoi tend to make use of the substance to waterproof all manner of things. It does rain a good deal in the Maritime Republics and good waterproofing is invaluable. As to the 'herb of choice' I would imagine it might acquire some small popularity among physicians for its medicinal properties. However its recreational usage might be less popular due to the widespread popularity of opium. A common tactic for many trade guilds is to hire on elite groups from the Overzeese Koningen, a native tribe of aquatic orcish Beast Riders that ride Basilosaurus’ (huge snake-like whales), to do raids and sabatoge ships from beneath the surface. These teams are paid handsomely for their efforts in ceramic weapons and armor pieces that do not rust beneath the waves. Attempts have been made to wipe out these roving seafaring barbarians, but every time search parties are sent out, none have ever returned. The only known way the Overzeese Koningen can be contacted is through the mercane Aulirnarme. Ah you've gone and done it now. I am strangely fascinated by the evolutionary history of cetaceans and thus I cannot but approve of the idea of such creatures as the basilosaurs. As you can see I have added another tribe, this time its the aquatic orcs from the Unearthed Arcana, and I have given a little more insight into the mercane, Aulirnarme. Tell me what you think and if you might have any suggestions as to the politics involved around the area. It's certainly an interesting idea to use Aulirnarme as a contact, and its also quiet mysterious as he is perpetually playing cards in the opium den. I can see a whole low level adventure based on trying to figure out how in the name of cosmic order the mercane can arrange such things. -- As to whisper gnomes: If it wasn't for their charisma penalty I would be tempted to use them to represent (in whole or in part) the nyezza. However the charisma penalty just dosen't fit. There are, however, the Pentagja who live in the river-valleys of Swoyai and the Ejantuli Empire who live in small towns, keep very much to themselves and raise livestock (mostly ostriches), millet, squash, tomatoes, chilies, bees and termites as well as being expert balloonists. They aren't a very gregarious people, at least not with non-pentagja, so they might include a population of Whisper Gnomes (although they wouldn't have the bonuses to fighting giants and kobolds due to the utter lack of both of these groups in Ilaros). -- Thel, I know that you mentioned that your upcoming adventure might take your players to Ilaros. If you have any ideas as to where they might end up I can draw up the necessary information about the place so that you've got an idea what they might be in for. (Other than the inevitable political intrigue and general scheming) |
| DonThelonious10-23-07, 03:42 AM | D_S: Opium grows well in a tropical climate, doesn't it? I could very easily substitute the large Marjanni plantations for Starfellan Poppy plantations, and make my native herb more of a novelty/medicinal garden plant. As for the river basin/valley I have you in I can easily place a lagoon in there, in fact I believe I will, it will be in the above post in red. I am glad you like the Basilosaurs, after I saw the picture and found stats for them I just had to put them in there. They just look so freakish and cool. -------- As for my upcoming adventure I have talked things out with my players. The one that wants to be a whisper gnome is going to be posting his questions here in the thread. his name is Lord Snave, and he was particularly interested in Araes' Neratian (sp?)(Neraten, Neratese, Neratasian?) gnomes. He and I are both interested in hearing more about this telepathy that is shared by the gnomes of that particular area. I need to go back and read up on everything in your region again D_S, after that I will be able to give you a definite answer. --- D)I'm still not certain how the Great Elven Empire would react to not being able to expand onto Fallenstar...likely they would try and prevent others from reaching it, forming blockades, engaging in piracy, and the such. All for the glory of Greater Elfdom, of course... P.S...Don, found a rather neat piece of art that may or may not work well for Starfall....check it out here (http://www.blizzard.com/inblizz/contests/artcontest2006/images/w49.jpg) Dude. Wow:love: :blink: :shifty: (in that order). That picture is going on my desktop. Its so cool! As for how your elves want to handle their neighbors dealing with a land they can't touch, I leave that to you. In my region it is not so much the gods themselves that are cut off, but the divine magic they grant their followers that is cut off. I know most of you folks don't really have "Gods" in the standard way, I just posted the creation story for the tribes of the Welkin. Albeit this story was told to them by the Welkin hemselves and therefor has been embellished somewhat. I am also considering editing in that small amount of divine magic are able to flow into my region to specific places of worship, where the combined will of the faithful gets centerd on one small area and the divine magic from their gods/philosophies can be accessed. If its alright with you Soviet, I would like to make Cael a Welkin that awoke MANY millennia ago without a body (See the Welkin creation myth posted above). If not thats cool, I totally understand. My idea was for him to have wandered far to the north and bonded with the body of one of your natives. This helps to explain the whole born again and again belief as well as let him maintain his divinity in my region. Now he resides back in Fallenstar, taking on the quieter roll as one of the lesser Welkin, with a tribe of orcs or hobgoblins or something acting as his knights in this savage land. As for why he doesn't just reintroduce the technologies and things he would have brought with him; well, its quite simple: he went native. Now he doesn't wish to compromise the noble simplicity of his native followers with thought on philosophy or the greater meaning of life. And there we have it: savge and barbaric orc paladins mounted on the backs of dinosaurs! |
| eue10-23-07, 10:43 AM | Well, here are some things about region #5. There are three islands in the region: Alm, Izxhe, and Jari. Alm is a fractured island. It was once ruled by the mighty Alma Krafh (Empire of Alm). Today the krafh is divided into three warring nations: Ahz'Alm (Free Alm), the Alma Trid (Heart of Alm), and the Udalm'Krafh (Sacred Empire). The majority of the inhabitants of Alm belong to one of two races: the lutit (humans, plural form of luti) and the huzet (plural form of huz). <more on the huzet coming soon> In the original krafh power was held by the kra (emperor) and passed on by hereditary rule. This way, no huzet ever became kra. Although not expressly enslaved or abused, the huzet were always seen as lower than humans. Some hundreds of cycles ago (I will agree on a date soon), a small group of huzet rebelled against the luti rulers. Their cause quickly gathered many followers, and they soon raised a respectable army. War broke out between these ever-growing huz rebels and the kra's forces. Seizing the opportunity, a group of luti separatists entered the war fighting for a free nation where the people rules (inspired by the neighboring Jari). These wars lasted a few cycles. The end result was the separation of the old krafh into three sovereign nations. A pareh tuz (peace treaty) was signed by all three parties. The three new nations were as follows: - the remnants of the old krafh are now know as the Udalm'Krafh, the Sacred Empire, occupying the western portion of Alm. - the huz rebels, formed the Alma Trid, a nation ruled by huzet. The Trid occupies the central part of Alm. - the other group of rebels, formed the Free Alm, Ahz'Alm. This nation is ruled by parliamentary rule and the members of the parliament are elected by popular suffrage. Ahz'Alm occupies the eastern end of the island. Recently, war broke out again. The Udalm'Krafh invaded the Alma Trid and razed a few cities. The huzet had always been looking for an excuse to wipe out the remnants of the old krafh. So, at the moment, Udalm'Krafh territory is separated into two portions, one in the north, and the other in the Kadil peninsula, to the south. Facing far more powerful forces, and unwilling to surrender, the Udalm'Krafh staged several flash-attacks on Ahz'Alm territory using combat gear salvaged from fallen huzet of the Trid. This brought the Ahz'Alm into the conflict as well. This is how Alm goes so far: an island torn apart by racial differences and war. Jar is the language spoken across all Alm.The vowel sounds are a, e, i, o, u. Vowels can never appear in sequence. Plurals are formed depending on the last letter of each word. If it is a vowel, append -t. If it is a consonant append -et. Examples: grezet (horses), kihaxit (eyes) Male and female forms are distinguished by preceding the word with either the word k for male or p for female (read as "pah" and "kah"). Examples: k matip (the rooster), p matip (the chicken) Possessive (as either 's or of): append -a to the possessing word, appearing after the possessed one. If the possessing word ends with a vowel, append -zha instead Examples: basizha vite (skin of the wolf), Tura parut (house of Tura) Adjectives always begin and end with a vowel. Always have two opposite meanings, one positive, another negative. Example: imta (good/bad) Adjectives are placed before the qualified object when used affirmatively or after the object when used negatively. When qualifying an object the first (or last) vowel turns into an apostrophe and is not written. When reading, if the first (or last) letter of the object being qualified is a consonant, the vowel of the adjective is read, otherwise it isn't. Examples: imt'klu (good food, read as imtaklu), klu'mta (bad food, read as klumta) When using multiple adjectives, turn the first (or last) vowel of all adjectives into apostrophes and chain them together. Examples: otas'iret'fuca (cheap tasty fish), etar'luti'vita (tall and slim human) Adjectives have no plural form. When creating male or female forms with adjectives add the k or p before all adjectives. When creating plural forms add the -t or -et at the end of the word, before negated adjectives. When adding possessives add the -a or -zha at the end of the word, before negated adjectives. Examples: p ig'huz (beautiful huz woman), lutit'mta (evil humans), isam'lasa garxet (scales of the friendly dragon) When adding both a plural and a possessive suffix, add the plural first. So, plural possessives always end with either -ta or -eta. Example: basita vite (skin of the wolves) Words: jar: language alm: world krafh: empire ahzi: free/not free imta: good/bad klu: food basi: wolf vite: skin parut: house grez: horse kihaxi: eye matip: chicken otaso: cheap/expensive ireta: tasty/not tasty fuca: fish etaru: tall/short, long/short uvita: fat/slim luti: human iga: beautiful/ugly udalmi: sacred/profane ixu: more/less garx: scale isama: friendly/unfriendly las: dragon pareh: peace tuz: treaty Coming soon. This island will probably be run by illithids. Coming soon. -- http://lh3.google.com/martinho.fernandes/Rx4Hr3SZaqI/AAAAAAAAABU/RffgTadAlCg/Alm.jpg?imgmax=512 This is a far from final map of Alm. I made it with gimp, because I only had Linux installed on my computer. I never worked with gimp before, so I didn't get very far. Now I've installed Windows and Photoshop and I will make a better one soon enough. By the way, Darth_Syntax, could you please send me the .psd file with the layer styles and all that, so I can make my map? The same you sent someone else before (can't remember whom). PM me and we'll go from there. The colors mean nothing other than green=land and blue=ocean. Ignore any 3D looks, it doesn't mean those are mountains or forests or whatever. They're nothing so far. I will need some help with this climate and topography thing. In my main campaign world I don't pay much attention to that, mainly because I don't know much about it. It rule that it works the way it works due to the specific connection of each region to the Elemental Ring. For The Project, I would like to have some realistic climate. -- Thel, can I "import" your elf-killing disease somehow? -- eue: I am happy you like the Paisanguen, and for all my translations I used Babelfish. Several of he words I did chop up myself, sorry. I wanted the feel of the language but not all the complexities and nuances. Please don't be offended by this, though. Boa vinda a bordo! No problem with that, just noting. And "boa" is female. You should have said "bem-vindo a bordo!". No offense taken. |
| SovietCanuck10-23-07, 12:17 PM | If its alright with you Soviet, I would like to make Cael a Welkin that awoke MANY millennia ago without a body (See the Welkin creation myth posted above). If not thats cool, I totally understand. My idea was for him to have wandered far to the north and bonded with the body of one of your natives. This helps to explain the whole born again and again belief as well as let him maintain his divinity in my region. Now he resides back in Fallenstar, taking on the quieter roll as one of the lesser Welkin, with a tribe of orcs or hobgoblins or something acting as his knights in this savage land. As for why he doesn't just reintroduce the technologies and things he would have brought with him; well, its quite simple: he went native. Now he doesn't wish to compromise the noble simplicity of his native followers with thought on philosophy or the greater meaning of life. And there we have it: savge and barbaric orc paladins mounted on the backs of dinosaurs! Well, I'd rather we not get into the exact nature of Cael, that's something I want to leave deliberately vague...open for DMs to interpret in their own ways, shapes and forms. So he could be impersonating, or appearing as, a welkin, but I don't want it to be set in stone that he is one. From the Caelen creation myth, Cael was the original creator of the universe, who was betrayed by his trusted lieutenants (now known as the Pentacle), and forced into the form of a mortal beast (the exact animal differs from tradition to tradition, from a shark, to a serpent, to (in the Imperial church) an oxen. Over a period of endless millenia, Cael reincarnated into successfully more noble forms, such as an eagle, a lion, a two-headed wyvern, and he lived many separate lives as a human, a dwarf, a halfling,and many others. He finally returned to the form of a nearly-divine human. It was in this form that he revealed himself once again, and sought to return men to their initial righteousness that had been twisted and corrupted by pagan gods (read The Pentacle). For a period of twelve hundred years, the people under his rule followed him in righteousness, however the whispers of the Pentacle eventually worked their way, like rot, into the heart of his just empire, and slowly twisted it into an empire of bloat, corruption, and decadence, eventually even tainting Cael's own children. Finally, his almost divine body was slain by Alashir, and after laying in rest for forty-five years, he reincarnated into a truly divine form, and lead those followers who had remained by his side over that period of time on a mission to high heaven, where he cast out the Pentacle, chaining them to the deepest pits of the divine realms, which became twisted by their dark souls into the hells. Cael is now reported to live in the High Heaven, away from the corruption of his mortal followers, beckoning those who are pure of heart to rise to heaven and join him beyond the evil that has tainted the mortal realms. So, in actuality, Cael may not have gone to high heaven, but instead traveled to Fallenstar, and attempted to establish a new 'just' society there...which would help explain why he appears to have gone 'native'...he saw how technology and 'civilization' promotes inequality, greed, jealousy and so forth. So instead, he has gone back to the basics in more ways than one. And I would much prefer orcs to hobgoblins...I don't know why, but hobgoblin PCs don't fit right with me...but it is your region, so do as you feel right! |
| chimpman10-23-07, 12:43 PM | Hey folks, Well, I think it's going to take me several days to get through all of these posts. I hadn't realized how long I'd been away (and how much work you folks have done while I was gone! it really is amazing!). I've given the posts a quick run-through to look for house keeping issues and such and next I need to dive back into world related material. Anyways some thoughts: 1) The wiki is a great idea. I've already checked out what you've put up and I think it looks good. 2) I agree that we should all probably post our own material. That should take the stress off of a single person. 3) One question about the wiki though, does it support uploading images? So far I haven't seen any maps up there. Another stray thought. The thing I love about projects like this is the amount of interaction that can take place. One thing that helps me greatly is putting together a timeline. I'd love to start compiling a complete timeline for the world, so if anyone wants to send me their material I'll work on combining the timelines into a unified document. |
| DonThelonious10-23-07, 05:14 PM | Well, I'd rather we not get into the exact nature of Cael... So he could be impersonating, or appearing as, a welkin, but I don't want it to be set in stone that he is one. Works for me. I imagine he will be posing as as a Welkin, in the form of an orc since I changed the nature of the Welkin so that they are incorporeal entities that are able to 'possess' bodies. With just a dash of his divine magic and a thorough knowledge of the orcish language, he acts as a lesser welkin. I am likely going to have him with the Theronian tribe. So, in actuality, Cael may not have gone to high heaven, but instead traveled to Fallenstar, and attempted to establish a new 'just' society there...which would help explain why he appears to have gone 'native'...he saw how technology and 'civilization' promotes inequality, greed, jealousy and so forth. So instead, he has gone back to the basics in more ways than one. This works for me. Now I curious as to how we will go about having your foreign crusaders crawling over the lands in search of him. And I would much prefer orcs to hobgoblins...I don't know why, but hobgoblin PCs don't fit right with me...but it is your region, so do as you feel right! Orcs it is:D. Now to build up a Theronian Orc Clan. Any suggestions on RL languages/cultures you might prefer would be helpful. Also what name will he be going by here in Fallenstar? ----------------- Thel, can I "import" your elf-killing disease somehow? Well I am not to sure about this. You have the region just next to me correct? It could be possible. but that would make for a pretty formidable boundary between the elves of Ilaros and the Caelen Elven Empires. I don't mind though, my suggestion is that it wiped out all the elves that were there when refugees from my region landed there and brought the disease with them. After that it lost its mojo so now your region is mostly safe for elves. The choice is your though, feel free to import it. ----- On the subject of diseases I have written up the crunch and fluff for the ones most common in my region. I used the diseases from the DMG, just added some regional flavor. The lands of Fallenstar are home to some of the nastiest bugs and diseases in all of Dwenty. It’s savage nature and near nonexistent sources for healing magic have given rise these powerful forces of nature. It has been noted that the natives of the region are better equipped to handle these bugs, but foreigners are often times highly susceptible to the ravages of disease. The diseases are listed in the table below from most common to rarest. (The diseases are in the DMG, the listing below applies to the diseases found in the book that are listed below) 1.Each time the victim takes 2 or more damage from the disease; he must make another Fortitude Save or be permanently blinded. 2.When damaged, character must succeed on another saving throw or 1 point of damage is permanent drain instead. 3.Specific to Fallenstar; any none native catching this disease suffers a -2 penalty to all fortitude save to resist its effects. Typical diseases include the following: Blinding Sickness:3 Spread in tainted water found in the swamps and more recently in the stagnant pools around the colonies. This disease can spread quickly when communal water sources become tainted. The natives of the region claim that the original source of the disease was The Taker, who while traveling the lands stopped at a small community where the people were obsessed with beauty. They ridiculed him for his appearance and because of that The Taker spit into the town well before moving on. After he left the people of the town began succumbing to the effects of this highly contagious disease, losing the ability to see any beauty at all as punishment for their obsession. More recently, scholars from the great cities in the Far East were able to trace the source to the great swamps on the north east island. Many researchers died in the attempt to track this plague to its source in the hopes of eradicating it. Symptoms include severe migraines, bleeding from the corners of the eyes and loss of taste in mouth. Filth Fever: Regular and dire rats spread this disease around colonial settlements, particularly around the town dumps. Those injured while in filthy surroundings might also catch it. Symptoms include dangerously high fever, stomach cramps and uncontrollable vomiting. A few tribes of the Dragon Welkin have been known to use spiked pit traps as latrines in the hopes of spreading this disease. Red Ache:3 Symptoms of this infectious disease are very obvious. The skin turns a bright shade of red, becomes swollen, bloated and warm to the touch, and every orifice of an infected individuals body begins to seep watery blood. The primary culprit in its spread is unclean weapons and conditions. As with Filth Fever, evil Welkin tribes often use spiked pit traps as latrines in order to spread the infection. Demon Fever:3 This severe infection is caused by dirty wounds. The Theronian Tribe has a saying: "Keep your dagger clean". The most common cause of this particularly nasty bug is just that, a nick on the finger from a dirty dagger. Other means of getting this infection are from wounds received from dirty weapons or claws. The only sure way to avoid this disease it to clean any wound immediately with alcohol, which kills all the bacteria. This is extremely painful in larger wounds though. Cackle Fever: This nefarious disease is also known as “The Shrieks”. Symptoms include high fever, disorientation, and frequent bouts of hideous laughter and shrieking. It is spread person to person by simply being the same room. Early colonists described infected patients as behaving erratically and were initially though to be mad. Prior to the good tribes stepping in to assist, patients were often huddled together in small rooms, for fear of the madness spreading. This lead to more severe outbreaks after physicians who went into the rooms came out and went home to their families. Slimy Doom: Perhaps the most terrifying disease ever encountered in Fallenstar, Slimy Doom is a twisted virus that turns its victims into an infectious goo from the inside out. Several villages have been lost to this disease, as it is spread simply by touching an infected victim. In the most extreme epidemic conditions entire families have been locked in buildings and then put to the torch, killing infected and uninfected alike. Those few who survive this disease lose much of the vigor they had prior to infection. ------- eue: Well than, Bem-vindo a bordo!:P ----- Well thats all for now, I am off to work on the Wiki!! Edit: Images are up!!!!! We can now put up images!!!! |
| SovietCanuck10-24-07, 12:06 AM | Orcs it is:D. Now to build up a Theronian Orc Clan. Any suggestions on RL languages/cultures you might prefer would be helpful. Also what name will he be going by here in Fallenstar? Well, as I've tried to base the Caelen languages off Indo-European languages...and I have a little bit of most languages from Persia (Qalitz) to the Iberian Peninsula (Castillia)...try for something like Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, or Punjabi...cultures however would likely be less 'civilized'(Western ideal) than medieval India. Try Six Nations Iroquois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois_Confederacy) and the Mutapa Empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomotapa) (Great Zimbabwe Empire) for inspiration. As for Cael's name...I really like the name of the tribe (almost a Latin feel to it)...so, I vote for Theros or some such. Also...would the anti-elven plague affect half-elves and/or the Caelen Low(Wood) Elves, who have significant biological differences from their High Elf cousins (They live for only 600 years, less innate ties to magic and physical prowess, smaller and less hardy physically, etc.). I just don't want to have a large portion of my base population barred from your isle when they are less like elves, and more like pointy-eared humans...:rolleyes: |
| Araes10-24-07, 12:13 AM | That's much the way that I envisioned the Dragonrests and the Skreach mountains myself...young, jagged mountains not yet worn down by the passage of years. Good to see we're on the same page with the range. Mapmaking wise, we seem to think along similar lines of thought quite often. The whole edge nearly perfectly matched mine from the start. though Vestenreich might be involved through proxies (Holtland, maybe Casillia or Ekku, if Araes wants 'foreign' investment) No problem with foreign investment. Ekku would probably be the most likely anyhow for a partnership, as it is the closest and is most interested in the northern section of Starfall that Thel didn't have many people on in the last draft. The other one that would probably be quite open for foreign presence would be the main city of Ramaland, New Bainbury. Originally founded by Covino its pretty much just a free trade port, and they don't care who you are as long as you've got goods. The one that wants to be a whisper gnome is going to be posting his questions here in the thread. his name is Lord Snave, and he was particularly interested in Araes' Neratian (sp?)(Neraten, Neratese, Neratasian?) gnomes. He and I are both interested in hearing more about this telepathy that is shared by the gnomes of that particular area. Lets go with Neratian. First, it should be noted that Nerat, Gabon, and Mildar, all have significant populations of gnomes. (In fact, after looking at my population data I noted some interesting, to me, trends that I'll discuss a bit later.) Now, all gnomes on my section of the continent possess an ability which is a mix of the 2nd level spell Detect Thoughts, and Telepathy (su) as defined in the MM. Gnome Telepathy (su): Range: 60 ft Area: Cone in front of gnome Save: Will negates SR: Nope 1-2 rounds: Behaves identically to Detect Thoughts for gnomes only. Gnomes need to "tune" to their audience. 3rd round: Similar to Detect Thoughts. May read the surface thoughts of anyone within the cone, although a Will save (DC - 10 + Lvl / 2 + ChaMod) negates this ability. In addition, gnomes may also willingly send out thoughts to any other gnomes within their current cone of effect. Much like speaking, these thoughts attenuate with distance (60 ft is nominal hearing / speaking distance for a "normal" area) and they may be ignored or listened to at will by the receivers. It had been my intention that this ability would replace something like the +4 AC vs Giants that gnomes normally have. This would work fine for the Whisper Gnomes, as it is one of the few abilities carried over to them. -- With regard to the religion aspect, for my section, the main people coming over to Fallenstar who would make a special effort to have their divine connection function would be the Aasimar of Valgard. Being as nearly a quarter of their population were created out of the faithful in their deity at the equivalent of Mt. Sinai, they are relatively devout. They would probably build / consecrate / ect... whatever was necessary to bypass the problems. -- As far as the population demographics go, in looking through the races of my section, I plotted out the habitation patterns over the region and figured I'd show them. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/WorldMapSection19_Araes_Cnt.jpg This came to mind with the gnomes in particular, as it seems they are almost entirely focused around the SE edge of section 19, which might imply there are more of them in section 16. Elves also have a strong trend towards the NW, which could play into the great elven empire of SC's section. Humans and dwarves are pretty much everywhere to some degree or another, while halflings seem to be concentrated largely in the center of the continent. The centaurs all alone in Taidara (teal) seems like they could be an interesting story as refugees from one of the bio-meddling nations. Somebody got curious what would happen if humans were merged with horses, and they were the result? From the graphs, its also pretty easy to tell which of the nations are the well integrated ones, and which ones are rather race centric. Shagenna, Sighvat, and Gabon stand out in particular as being nearly single race each (elf, dwarf, gnome respectively) Bratan is close behind in that 75% of their population is either Orcs, or Half-Orcs. In some ways, my area seems to have already balkanized around specific ethnic concentrations, which then leak into the nearby states. The big exceptions to this are the major trade nations (Ekku, Covino, and Kadauu) as well as Keldara (a fairly integrated empire). |
| DonThelonious10-24-07, 01:00 AM | Theros:plotting: .... I think what I will do is have him actually posing as the son of Theron, the High Welkin of that tribe. As for the specific lingual base I need to do some research on the languages and cultures you suggested. As for he paladins, I think I may have to do a rebuild on the class to reflect my region. I think I may also have my only other source for divine magic, so clerics of Cael will be the only ones whose spells are unaffected by the 'Dead Zone'. Likely this is how they figured out this is where he resides. Those clerics are going to be in extremely high demand in the various colonies. I imagine the conversion rate for colonists is going to be quite high. ----- Something I noticed on the Wiki: We apparently have a very limited amount of space. I am going to see if I can get rid of some of those extra pictures I uploaded while figuring out the specifics on inserting them. -- With regard to the religion aspect, for my section, the main people coming over to Fallenstar who would make a special effort to have their divine connection function would be the Aasimar of Valgard. Being as nearly a quarter of their population were created out of the faithful in their deity at the equivalent of Mt. Sinai, they are relatively devout. They would probably build / consecrate / ect... whatever was necessary to bypass the problems. Like I said, I am going to edit in that specially consecrated areas (namely churches to be precise) will be able to make the connections. It will require a pretty high level cleric and probably some kinds of minor artifacts, but in those small areas they have full access to their divine magic and any spells prepared there (minus resurrection magic) would function fine but can only be replenished by going back to the church. As I posted for Soviet though, his Clerics of Cael would be the only ones for whom the 'Dead Zone' would not apply in any way. |
| SovietCanuck10-24-07, 01:08 AM | Love the Emperor, for he brings salvation to all who believe. Obey His commandments, for He will lead you through the darkness of temptation. Heed His wisdom, for He will protect you from evil. Speak His prayers with devotion, for they will save your soul. Honor His servants, for they preach in His voice. Tremble before His glory, for we all follow in His divine shadow. -Hymn to the Living Emperor You have made a certain dwarf who is the head of a certain religion a very, very happy man, Don:D --- Since we're on the topic of Divine magic, I'd also like to suggest something a little radical, but something I've always felt was needed in D&D...we either nix, or severely limit, access to resurrection spells. I know the reason why they are so abundant in D&D is to not severely punish players for making poor choices...however, I find that resurrection severely messes up timeliness, wars, political maneuvering, and just general assassinations. As a region whose two man centers of adventure will be the battlefront and the cities...I believe resurrection will only take away from the intended feel. Besides, Cael coming back from the dead was supposed to be a BIG DEAL! But, I'd like to hear you folk's opinions on this before I go barring magic wily-nilly from my region...you already need a Wizard's Diamond (a very common resonance crystals...more on that later) to cast spells at all, so... |
| Darth Syntax10-24-07, 01:57 AM | Theros:plotting: .... I think what I will do is have him actually posing as the son of Theron, the High Welkin of that tribe. As for the specific lingual base I need to do some research on the languages and cultures you suggested. As for he paladins, I think I may have to do a rebuild on the class to reflect my region. I think I may also have my only other source for divine magic, so clerics of Cael will be the only ones whose spells are unaffected by the 'Dead Zone'. Likely this is how they figured out this is where he resides. Those clerics are going to be in extremely high demand in the various colonies. I imagine the conversion rate for colonists is going to be quite high. (Emphasis mine) I can't see there being a large conversion rate among the various Ilaroi colonists due to the general unfamiliarity with and distrust of divine magic. The chief 'good' that clerics do is in healing and raising the dead; the former is done by mostly by physicians, alchemical doctors, and egoists and the latter is generally either illegal or both illegal and immoral. The Jaur having the most stringent prohibition against the raising of the dead. To them, there is no act more unspeakably immoral, evil, and repugnant of acts. -- On a related note, are they likely to be any notable restrictions on psionics or arcana in Fallenstar? |
| DonThelonious10-24-07, 02:38 AM | Love the Emperor, for he brings salvation to all who believe. Obey His commandments, for He will lead you through the darkness of temptation. Heed His wisdom, for He will protect you from evil. Speak His prayers with devotion, for they will save your soul. Honor His servants, for they preach in His voice. Tremble before His glory, for we all follow in His divine shadow. -Hymn to the Living Emperor You have made a certain dwarf who is the head of a certain religion a very, very happy man, Don:D I assume his political powerbase just jumped up a few notches, this shall make interactions really interesting for our respective peoples. -- I can't see there being a large conversion rate among the various Ilaroi colonists due to the general unfamiliarity with and distrust of divine magic. The chief 'good' that clerics do is in healing and raising the dead; the former is done by mostly by physicians, alchemical doctors, and egoists and the latter is generally either illegal or both illegal and immoral. The Jaur having the most stringent prohibition against the raising of the dead. To them, there is no act more unspeakably immoral, evil, and repugnant of acts. ...Divine magic is severly restricted in my region, especially the use of ressurection magics... I am not sure about Araes, Chimpman, Leffer, or eue but I see a trend here on limiting the ability to be ressurected. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those "Must Fear Death!!!" worlds. -- On a related note, are they likely to be any notable restrictions on psionics or arcana in Fallenstar? Arcane magic is not limited in the slightest, though I plan on having several of the Welkin take a very dim view of people manipulating what they belive is "unnatural magic". Psionics I had not even considered:confused:, I don't think there really would be any limitations on that either. The Welkin are mostly concerned about 'Outsider Gods', though they may not approve of it since doing things of that nature would be like treading on their turf since the natives of the region will be very superstitious about regular people doing all these mazing things with their minds. Only Welkin are able to that, so expect psionic poeple to be treated with a bit of reverance:bow: :lop: :bow: . BTW D_S: I edited in the proper plantation crops for your colony and added a bit more flavor to the bay. For some reason now I am getting this image out of 'Pirates Of The Carribean' for that part of my region. :bigeyes: "What about the rum...?" |
| Darth Syntax10-24-07, 04:11 AM | I am not sure about Araes, Chimpman, Leffer, or eue but I see a trend here on limiting the ability to be ressurected. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those "Must Fear Death!!!" worlds. Or at the very least a "be careful and think things through" worlds. Arcane magic is not limited in the slightest, though I plan on having several of the Welkin take a very dim view of people manipulating what they belive is "unnatural magic". I, and by extension all of Ilaros, is amused by the branding of arcana as 'unnatural' owing to the fact that such things are considered very natural indeed. But then many southern Ilaroi regard the concept of the 'supernatural' as inherently meaningless. Psionics I had not even considered:confused:, I don't think there really would be any limitations on that either. The Welkin are mostly concerned about 'Outsider Gods', though they may not approve of it since doing things of that nature would be like treading on their turf since the natives of the region will be very superstitious about regular people doing all these mazing things with their minds. Only Welkin are able to that, so expect psionic poeple to be treated with a bit of reverance:bow: :lop: :bow: . Hmm . . .This certainly does provide for some potential plots right there. BTW D_S: I edited in the proper plantation crops for your colony and added a bit more flavor to the bay. For some reason now I am getting this image out of 'Pirates Of The Carribean' for that part of my region. :bigeyes: "What about the rum...?" We'd have to be adding the growing of sugarcane I think or something of that nature. One needs something to make rum from and all that. |
| DonThelonious10-24-07, 04:20 AM | We'd have to be adding the growing of sugarcane I think or something of that nature. One needs something to make rum from and all that. Sugercane and bananas should work nicely, and that area of my region is just about perfect for both. I will add them in now. New Fallenstar Export: Bananas, Raw Suger, Suger Cane, Rum, and Banana Rum from the colony of Kuilnos |
| Darth Syntax10-24-07, 04:34 AM | Perhaps mango rum, and various spiced rum as well. |
| DonThelonious10-24-07, 04:51 AM | Absolutley. To be honest Spiced Rum is one of my favorite alcohols:pint: . I have never heard of a mango rum... sounds interesting... |
| Darth Syntax10-24-07, 03:46 PM | Absolutley. To be honest Spiced Rum is one of my favorite alcohols:pint: . I have never heard of a mango rum... sounds interesting... I've never been much of a rum person (save as an ingredient in various desserts). I prefer mead, really. As to mango rum, it stood to reason that if one could make bananna rum, that mango rum was also a possibility. -- Apparently the wiki changed background to some bambooish thing. It's a wee bit distracting and, I think, detracts from the overall readability of the wiki, so I would move that we set the skin to be something a bit less garish. -- Thel, I've read over your religion article on the wiki and one sentence stands out as a wee bit wonky. In their place has risen the Druid, as a symbol of both natures wrath and mortal heart. This first clause might need a bit of rewording for flow purposes. I'm sure I've got wonky writing as well, and I am trying to address this, so if any of you good people see any, let me know. |
| Araes10-24-07, 07:38 PM | Relgion Discussion: Particularly Raising / Resurrection - Honestly, I had been heading forward with the concept that in my land, all spells were available for use to potential players. My preference on magic in my own area would be to rewrite the system so that there is no difference between arcane and divine magic, and just make it all magic to the people there, but my time is limited, so that's not going to happen. However, if I have resurrection and no one else around me does, that may pose a balance problem, as its a pretty potent boon, even if restricted by wealth. -- Now, totally lied about not having any time, and so present profiles for Gabon and Nerat in line with what I said earlier Thel. -- Gabon http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Gabon_HilltopTowers.jpg Government: Panocracy Area: 243569 sq. miles. Settled: 162380 sq. miles. Wild: 81189 sq. miles. Population Centers: 56862 Cities: 567 Villages: 56295 Population: 26792661 Urban: 2143413 Rural: 24649248 Description: One of the most startling things for most people who first visit Gabon is the fact that to outward appearances, there appears to be no one in charge of the tumult and chaos that is the realm. At the same time, what activity there is has an odd air to it. Bustling and hectic, yet almost disquietingly silent. Crowds move and go about their daily business on the ground in what appear to be almost happenstance patterns. However, the problem for the outward observer is simply one of disconnect from what is actually going on internally. Gabon is a land originally founded, and largely still populated by, gnomes. As such, even were it a normal land, it would still have a flavor distinctly tinged by its heritage. However, due to the particular methods of telepathy inherent to all gnomes of the continent, Gabon is yet one shade stranger. Long ago, many gnomish communities began to find that it was simply faster to communicate almost exclusively through telepathy, rather than speaking openly. It also provided a wonderful method for gnomes to coordinate and plan around the folk with whom they commonly shared their space (not having a land of their own at the time) With a few augmentations, nearly any gnome could speak to the whole populace of their town with ease and pass any messages or question their opinions. Although not a simple step, it was then a logical one (to the gnomes) to extend this facility to the land as a whole. Why should any gnome be separate from the collective group? Within one of the most gnome-centric areas at the time, a massive “antenna”, for lack of a better word, was constructed, which significantly amplified the travel distance for any gnome telepathy within its range. At first, this construct simply allowed the gnomes at any portion of the city to instantly relay information to one another no matter where they were. No gnome was ever alone or without numerous other voices to converse if they wanted. Initially, this first town had been controlled by a mayor and council of elders. These elders would often poll the populace through the use of the tower to aid them in making decisions that were with the will of the people. However, as time went on, the whole populace began to find that for ease of use, it was often quicker to simply communicate on their own. Ideas, discussion, planning, and final decisions could all be made without ever stopping what they were doing. Quite rapidly, the elders found that decisions were being made and action taken by the populace quite regardless of what their personal polls and wishes had been. Naturally, within about a decade, this situation came to a head, and with much ado the elders attempted to take the tower offline in a bid to retain their control. As they exited their manor, and began to walk towards its base, a flurry of discussions erupted around them in telepathic space. Before they had made it more than a block the city had come to a nearly unanimous decision – preserve the tower. Before they could even step within throwing distance of its walls, every able bodied gnome in site had emerged onto the street to stop them. Calmly, but firmly, they were informed that their plan had been decided against, and that it would be best if they returned to their homes. Faced with a sea of disapproving eyes, they could do little but comply. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Gabon_AridTown.jpg There never really was any major discussion on what should replace the elders – that just wasn’t how things were done anymore. Numerous small topics would pop up every once in a while to wring out details, but overall life simply went on as it had for the last decade. As more and more gnomes from abroad began to hear of this movement and the strange lifestyle of the Gabonese, the population of the land swelled to the point where more room was simply a necessity. To accommodate, more towers were built spaced outward from the central hub, and within a few years, communities had begun to rise up around these as well. With the growing size of the realm, a few changes were discussed in the ether and implemented within the tower net to allow for more country-wide discussion, but otherwise Gabon simply continued to operate as it always had – just on a larger scale. Now, with the near total shift to telepathic communication, many of the prior inhabitants of these areas began to find the atmosphere within them almost eerie. Unless socializing with their own species, or making a conscious effort to talk, a citizen might go days without actually speaking to anyone. The result was that widescale migrations away from Gabon began to take place by most non-gnomes, which only intensified the problem. By the 100th year after the construction of the towers, it was said that but for the shuffling of the crowds, one could hear a pin drop in the center of the realm at the gap of Taidara. Along with this migration, a few rebellious voices within the gnomes had begun to be concerned that this uniformity, instant communication, and lack of dissent had begun to foster group think. They telepathically campaigned for a solution which would allow for outsider participation in their culture, and sent their thoughts out to any who would listen. Over time their concepts began to gain some traction, particularly amongst the young – many of whom had never even met outsiders by this point. The eldest voices were adamantly opposed, remembering the days when gnomes were forced to intermingle, but by the great boon (or curse) of panocracy, the voices of the young were more numerous, and a change was undertaken. Within the net, alignments were changed so that members of any race which came inside the borders of Gabon, and who were attuned to a nearby tower by a member, would be able to speak within the network. At first, the response still wasn’t particularly high, as newcomers who wished to try the experience would first have to deal with the disturbing calm of the physical land of Gabon, and then the utter chaos and cacophony of the telepathic realm. For many, the experience of meshing their minds that closely with millions of gnomes was simply too much, and they quickly gave it up. However, with Gabon being pressed upon in both the South and North by kingdoms of dwarves, eventually that race began to make some immigration headway. In the current state of affairs, dwarves are really the only other race that exists in any great quantity within Gabon. Those that have come to call it their home are treated for the most part just like any other gnomes. In fact, most gnomes honestly have a hard time thinking of them any other way. In addition, most dwarves who have spent any significant amount of time within the realm and connected to the net find that on returning home, they are often a bit lonely, and looked upon strangely by their relations for the mannerisms they have picked up. Physically, Gabon is a nation with a bit of a bipolar disorder. At its southern border, it would very much like to be the high craggy cliffs of Nerat, and the people that have come to live there have even integrated themselves into the walls of the mountains much like their southern neighbors. In the central portion of Gabon, the southern mountains are slowly tamed into a wide expanse of gently rolling hills, throughout which are dotted a great variety of communities both large and small. Grain crops grow plentifully in the region, being neither too wet nor dry, and it is from this location that much of the food bounty of Gabon arises. In the north areas, where Gabon borders on Kedara and Mildar, even the hills have given up their rolls, and the land is largely taken up in a large expanse of grassland and plains. This close to their neighbors and due to the conflux of trade routes passing through the region, market focused cities are common, with numerous wealthy families making their homes there. Militaristically, Gabon has never been particularly aggressive, as they have rarely found the need. After the construction of the towers, and the vague distaste the quiet of Gabon spawned in many of their neighbors, it was found that non-gnomes rarely wanted to venture into the area, let alone try and invade it. The Kedarans were one exception to this though, for a number of years, and to counter this aggression, the Gabonese eventually settled on a random system of enrollment that would keep 10-15% of their population in the forces. Every year, open calls are put out to the population to ask for volunteers, and after that, any voids are filled by conscription from those remaining. In recent years, this percentage has trailed off somewhat, as the Kedarans have been somewhat less aggressive, but it still tends to hover around 9-10%. Nerat http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Nerat_CliffEntrance.jpg Government: Monarchy Area: 81189 sq. miles Settled: 56457 sq. miles. Wild: 24732 sq. miles. Population Centers: 13025 Cities: 581 Villages: 12444 Population: 8524938 Urban: 2983728 Rural: 5455961 Isolated: 85249 Description: Nerat is, and has been for the past several hundred years, controlled by a monarchy of dwarven ancestry called the Kornna family. Inheritance of the crown and control of the land is passed from eldest child to eldest child and is non-gender specific. The current rule of Nerat is held by a female, Queen Anna Kornna, and should she die, it will pass to her eldest son, Leon Kornna. Each city within Nerat which possesses a population above 50,000 serves as the administrative hub for a province of the realm, and is represented, as well as controlled by, a governor. As cities grow in size, the provinces of the realm are actually redistributed and new governors are assigned to any regions which have come into existence. All governors are appointed by the crown and may have their position revoked if they displease the ruler. These appointments are supposed to be relatively skill based, but are often more a matter of politics, interrelations, and friendship with the ruler. Bi-annual assemblies of the Governor’s Council are standard and provide a forum for voicing concerns about the state of the nation and inter-city conflicts. In addition, the current queen is also quite fond of travel and spends a significant portion of her time on the road visiting the cities of the realm, as well as traveling abroad. Most of the major cities of the realm are actually two part constructions which have been integrated into the mountains they inhabit. Generally, there is a visible top surrounding a mountain and then an underground section which fills the mountain and extends downward. This vertical integration and underdark construction helps to ease the pressure of high population in a limited space, and also provides for more secure linkage between population centers than the sometimes fickle high mountain roads which join them across the surface world. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Nerat_ValleyCity.jpg Within the vales that rest between the mountains of Nerat, scattered villages are quite common and generally form where roads between upper portions of cities cross. Due to the latitude, the effects of elevation are somewhat mitigated and crops can be grown within these areas for close to a normal season. Beneath the world, this dotting of villages is also mirrored at points where the underground roads between cities merge, and cavern communities can be quite vast, growing subterranean crops in constructed meshes that if viewed externally would look like a piece of foam. With their complete encircling by other nations, and no seaport access, Nerat maintains an extensive military to dissuade action by other nations. All inhabitants of the realms (male, female, and all races) are required to serve a 4 year term of service with the military and after this term still retain their arms and equipment should the need for their reinstatement arise. Separate divisions of the military are maintained for both surface and underdark warfare, but no naval group exists due to the non-existent surface water access of Nerat. With regard to the cuisine of Nerat, there are two foods which are quite popular and unique to the region. The first is a stew called Sam-po. The stew is made primarily from a fruit called Ella, which grows in the underdark and forms in a tightly packed layer structure. (Taste-wise, Ella has hints of what we would know as cinnamon and tomato.) To prepare Sam-po, Ella is soaked for several days, and as it soaks the layers of the fruit separate and, if sliced properly, fall off into sheets. Red meats, such as beef, and several spices are then added in small quantities and allowed to simmer for a few hours. Cooked properly, Sam-po has a warm, mouth filling flavor with a hint of zest. The second dish is actually a dessert called Zamshi, which is also created from Ella. Once again, Ella is soaked until it separates, however, the soaking solution is one almost entire saturated in brown sugar. After separation, the sheets of Ella are rolled into foot long sticks and then allowed to dry or sometimes cooked. This process creates a light, flakey dessert with a powerful cinnamon / sugar flavor. |
| DonThelonious10-25-07, 12:22 AM | Hey guys, I made this for another thread, but I wanted to use it here for my Adjeort Tribe of goblins. Tell me what you think:cool:. The name will be changed to something more appropriate as soon as I can find some decent Blackfoot language translations. I think the current name will be used by colonists. Goblin Potshot Sniper Prestige Class By Don Thelonious http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1385/1471297187_737ac65998_o.jpg Image courtesy of WoTC© All rights reserved. "See look'it! One shot and da' human die! Still have another shot, too!!! Claw Redeye Goblin Potshot Sniper Prestige Class By Don Thelonious The goblins of the Adjeort tribe have always been trying to figure out ways to kill more efficiently while risking less, a trait picked up from their Green Dragon Welkin. Centuries ago a distinctly goblin style of archery arose, centered on the goblin past time of taking random shots at everything that moved. Originally just a hobby, this particular style of archery grew into an art form under the watchful eye of Adjeort, who pressed his goblin followers to focus their shots more precisely and with greater accuracy. So it was that these goblins honed their potshot skills to a supernatural art form. Forsaking the previous beliefs of “Throw enough arrows at it and it will die,” these goblins concentrated on a “One shot, one kill” strategy. Thus there arose the Goblin Potshot Sniper. Hit Die: d6 Requirements To qualify to become a Goblin Potshot Sniper, a character must fulfill all the following criteria: Race: Goblin Tribe:{/U] Adjeort [U]Skills: Hide 8 Ranks, Move Silent 8 Ranks, Spot 5 Ranks Special: Sneak Attack +2d6 Class skills The Goblin Potshot Snipers class skills (and key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search(Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. The Goblin Potshot Sniper Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Sneak Attack +1d6, Fight like A Goblin 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Impromptu Sneak Attack 1/Day 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Sneak Attack +2d6 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Sniper, Stalk the Night 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Sneak Attack +3d6, Long Sight 6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Impromptu Sneak Attack 2/Day 7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Sneak Attack +4d6, Harness the Night 8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Improved Sniper 9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Sneak Attack +5d6 10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Impromptu Sneak Attack 3/Day, Become the Night Class Features All of the following are class features of the Goblin Potshot Sniper prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goblin Potshot Snipers are proficient with all simple weapons and all bows but not crossbows. They are proficient with all light armors. Fight Like A Goblin (Ex): Goblin potshot snipers are masters of staying away from the heart of melee and hitting their enemies by surprise. Starting at first level and every Goblin Potshot Sniper level thereafter they add 10ft. to the range of all ranged sneak attacks. Impromptu Sneak Attack: Starting at second level, once per day a goblin potshot sniper can declare one melee or ranged attack he makes to be a sneak attack (target cannot be more than the 30 feet + 10 feet per goblin potshot level if the sneak attack is a ranged attack). The target of an impromptu sneak attack loses any dexterity bonus to AC, but only against that attack. The power can be used against any target, but creatures that are not subject to critical hits take no extra damage (though they still lose their dexterity bonus to AC). At 6th level they gain another use per day, and again at 10th level. Sniper: At fourth level, while using the Sniping ability of the hide skill, a goblin potshot sniper can make one ranged attack, then immediately hide again. A goblin potshot sniper only takes a -15 penalty to the hide check to conceal himself (as opposed to the regular -20). Stalk The Night (Ex): Over time goblin potshot snipers become better adapted to the night, utilizing their superior night time capabilities. At 4th level they gain a permanent +4 to their Move Silent skill in any light that is less than full daylight. Long Sight (Su): At fifth level Goblin Potshot Snipers double the range of their darkvision, out to 120ft. Harness The Night(Ex): After stalking the night and shadows for so long, an 8th level Goblin Potshot Sniper becomes more attuned with his nocturnal nature, he gains a permanent +4 to his Hide skill in any light that is less than full daylight. Improved Sniper : With time comes mastery and Goblin Potshot Snipers of 8th level are true masters of sniping. Instead of the -15 to hide checks after using the sniping skill, they have only a -10 penalty. Become The Night (Su): At 10th level a Goblin Potshot Sniper gains his ultimate power and is able to become one with darkness. In any condition other than full daylight, a Goblin Potshot Sniper can disappear into the shadows, even while being observed, giving himself total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual light spell does not negate this ability. A daylight spell however, will. |
| LefferDP10-25-07, 05:01 AM | Ah hah! I think I might have finally licked my problem with low levels not getting undead. The necromancy domain wizard from Unearthed Arcana allows for the exchange of a familiar for a skeleton. So, we wind up with most "commoners" being low level wizards with just a skeleton companion to do the labor, whereas the more powerful nobility and merchants might be capable of actually creating skeletons and the like. |
| DonThelonious10-26-07, 01:38 AM | Got tired of the writers block I had working on the Adjeort, so I decided to try and get some done on the Ovezeese Kolingen, my aquatic tribe. I think this will be of particular interest to Chimpman, since he has mostly aquatic anyways. ----- D_S: If I could beg of you to kind of give me a quick once over on it that would be great. You know how to slice into something like this and I could use some help on building a political structure around what I have so far:(. Government Type: Direct intervention through Warchiefs Ruling Welkin: Koningen Current Warchiefs: Cort Klaarslag (CG Male Diep Orc Expert10/Druid4) Piet Geboren Onweer (CG Male Kapoacinth Racial5/Fighter6) Sem Visser (TN Male Diep Orc Druid14) Hild Bloedzoeker (CE Female Scrag Racial5/Ranger6) Anneka the Ogress (NE Female Merrow Racial2/Barbarian8/Beast Rider4) Loes the Mad (CN Female Diep Orc Sorcerer8/Barbarian6) Population: 1,500,000 Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% Diep Orc (Aquatic), 20% Merrow (Aquatic Ogre), 10% Scrag (Aquatic Troll), 5% Locathah, 4% Kapoacinth (Aquatic Gargoyle), 1% Other Capitol: Diep Overzees Beast Totem: Basilosaurus War Beasts: Basilosaurus, Helecoprion Nominal Alignment: Chaotic Neutral The Overzeese Koningen, more often to referred to simply as Sea Kings in the common tongue, live their lives in the serene depths of the endless ocean. Their Welkin, Koningen, is one of the few Welkins that chose to remain neutral. Rather than take the form of a Dragon and be called evil or that of the Titan and be known as good he instead opted to bond himself with a violet-skinned storm giant. Having always been in love with the sea, he chose the inner seas of Fallenstar for his new home. Once there he gathered the broken aquatic peoples and brought peace to their shattered world. The Overzeese Koningen control most of the inner seas of Fallenstar, where they guard the whirlpool in the center of the region from incursion. Several of the inner sea isles have small on shore outposts for trade and other surface activities. The warriors of the tribe patrol the waters of their territory with their trusted Basilosaurus mounts. Ethics and Beliefs: Protecting unwary travelers from the vortex as well as the vortex itself has made the Overzeese Koningen are hard people. They have little patience for what they perceive as the fickle and often times flighty nature of surface dwellers. Nothing bothers a Konin warrior more than having to waste time listening to reasons why something cannot or should not be done, as well as excuses. From their point of view things are either done or not done yet, there are no words in their language for surface concepts like trying, maybe, or almost. There is and there is not, it either can be done or it cannot, and things are either done, being done, or will be done. They do not stop to consider the greater implications of their actions, an Overzeese Koningen just does it. Koningen teaches that all things must be done to the maximum possible extent. Volcanoes do not almost erupt, or erupt just a little bit, they are either calm and boiling or they explode. The tides do not wait for a better time to move, they move when it is time. This way of thinking has benn one of the primary reasons Overzeese Koningen remain so distant from the wars and destruction of the surface world, and also why many surface dwellers perceive them as unstable and untrustworthy. Clans of the Overzeese Koningen: The Overzeese Koningen tribe is made up of some of the most powerful races in the seas. The bulk of the population is made up of Diep Orcs, a separate breed of orcs able to breath both water and air. These orcs are no less brutal than their surface dwelling cousins and yet have a greater degree of intelligence. The next most prevalent race is the mighty Merrow, or more commonly known as Aquatic Ogres. Much like the Diep Orcs, merrow are surprisingly more intelligent than their land locked brethren. Closely allied with the merrow is the Scrag, a mean spirited race of aquatic trolls. Scrags are vicious predatory savages that are kept in line only by the strength of the merrow. The last, but far from the least, powerful race is the crafty Kapoacinth, aquatic gargoyles. This race is one of the most deceptive and secretive of the Overzeese Koningen tribe. They only recently joined the tribe, swimming self-possessed from out of the deeper oceans beyond the main islands of Fallenstar. Their leader, Piet Geboren Onweer, met in secrecy with Koningen himself and soon after the tribe was told to accept the Kapoacinth as brothers and welcome them if Koningen himself were coming to visit. The clans of the Overzeese Koningen are split into five distinct Beschermers, or Guardianships. Each Beschermer is made up of mostly orc clans with members of other races incorporated into this. The exception to this is the Bloed Beschemer, which is made up entirely of the dangerous Scrag. The names and a general overview on the races and duties of the individual clans are: Klarslag: Mostly made up of Diep Orcs, this clan also boasts the largest Locothah population. Members of this clan are the primary farmers and herders of the Overzeese Koningen. They maintain crops of kelp and other under water plant life as well as herds of large sea mammals called Koeien. Of all the Beschermer, Klarslag is the most peaceful. Geboren: This Beschemer was made up entirely of the Kapoacinth, though ceveral clans of Merrow have since joined their ranks. These nomadic hunters cruise the edges of Overzeese Koningen territory, particularly in the places where the inner sea meets the open ocean, in order to stop and question anyone entering the territory. The real reason the Kapoacinth came in from the wide open ocean is because they are refugees from some terrible and sinister force lurking in the dark depths far from shore. They are among the fiercest of the Beschemer when it come to guarding the three passes, and they are among the most dedicated to Koningen, who took them in at their darkest hour. It is to guard their new home from this unspeakable threat that the Kapoacinth keep constant vigil. Visser: Religious teachers and wandering healers make up the bulk of this Beschemer. Guardians of the natural world in their watery home, the Visser never stay in one location more than a few months. Visseren rangers patrol the interior of the Overzeese Koningen, checking in regularly with the members of the Klarslag clan and helping to hunt down dangerous predators that might be endangering their scattered villages. Members of this Beschemer are the ones most often encountered by colonial sailors within the inner sea. Bloed: The most notorious and feared of the Overzeese Koningen , the Bloed are the most dangerous of all the Beschemer. The Bloed are the primary guardians around the whirlpool, their fearsome reputation often all that is need to keep curious travelers at bay. When the Overzeese Koningin go to war it is the Bloed who are called in to handle the fiercest battles. The Bloed are perhaps the most violent and aggressive of all the clans. Ziel Jagers: This Beschemer is the only clan to have two Warchiefs, Anneka the Ogress and Loes the Mad, and made up of mostly Diep Orcs and Merrows, though a few Scrag who show decent self control can also be found here. Anneka is in charge of the Jagers, and is charged with maintaining the coastal borders of the Overzeese Koningen territory. Her Beast Riders keep a constant vigil on any surface race that takes bounty from the sea. They keep track of how much fishing is done and tell surface dwellers where and when the best times to fish will be. They also act as liaisons between surface traders and their more reclusive brethren Loes is the head of the Ziel and runs a network of sorcerers who maintain communication throughout the entire territory. The Ziel also keep a close eye on the things going on around the colonies by use of scrying spells. Loes recently made a bargain with the mercane Aulirnarme, and has begun setting up raids on various colonial ships, using the Ziel scrying powers and the ferocity of the Bloed to devastating effect. Dress: The Political Structure of the Overzeese Koningen: |
| Darth Syntax10-26-07, 03:48 AM | D_S: If I could beg of you to kind of give me a quick once over on it that would be great. You know how to slice into something like this and I could use some help on building a political structure around what I have so far:(. *pulls on his flensing gloves and goggles* I'll do what I can. Now let's see . . . Overzeese Koningen Tribe Government Type: Direct intervention through Warchiefs Ruling Welkin: Koningen Current Warchiefs: Cort Klaarslag (CG Male Diep Orc Expert10/Druid4) Piet Geboren Onweer (CG Male Kapoacinth Racial5/Fighter6) Sem Visser (TN Male Diep Orc Druid14) Hild Bloedzoeker (CE Female Scrag Racial5/Ranger6) Anneka the Ogress (NE Female Merrow Racial2/Barbarian8/Beast Rider4) Loes the Mad (CN Female Diep Orc Sorcerer8/Barbarian6) Population: 1,500,000 Economic Type: Barter Species Demographics: 60% Diep Orc (Aquatic), 20% Merrow (Aquatic Ogre), 10% Scrag (Aquatic Troll), 5% Locathah, 4% Kapoacinth (Aquatic Gargoyle), 1% Other Capitol: Diep Overzees Beast Totem: Basilosaurus War Beasts: Basilosaurus, Helecoprion Nominal Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Before we go any further: Dutch? Dutch? :blink: Certainly not the language I would have gone with, but then I tend to associate dutch with oil painting, large commercial empires, tulips, international politics and windmills. Not that there is anything wrong of course, just somewhat surprising. Moving right along then. Helicoprions? The spiral toothed sharks? An interesting choice. How will you be dealing with the purpose of those remarkable teeth? Ammonite crushing? Fish-whipping? Something else? The Overzeese Koningen, more often to referred to simply as Sea Kings in the common tongue, live their lives in the serene depths of the endless ocean. Their Welkin, Koningen, is one of the few Welkins that chose to remain neutral. Rather than take the form of a Dragon and be called evil or that of the Titan and be known as good he instead opted to bond himself with a violet-skinned storm giant. Having always been in love with the sea, he chose the inner seas of Fallenstar for his new home. Once there he gathered the broken aquatic peoples and brought peace to their shattered world. Considering the strength of the vortex, I would hesitate to classify the Inner Sea as 'serene'. Churning watery hell, yes . . . The Overzeese Koningen control most of the inner seas of Fallenstar, where they guard the whirlpool in the center of the region from incursion. Several of the inner sea isles have small on shore outposts for trade and other surface activities. The warriors of the tribe patrol the waters of their territory with their trusted Basilosaurus mounts. Why do they want to prevent incursions into the vortex? Is there some great and mysterious power there or are they merely trying to prevent people of doing 'a very silly thing' by getting themselves killed? Also, in deep oceanic patrols I don't thing the basilosaurs would be all that useful as they are thought to have been shallow water creatures. In the shallower seas and in the lagoons and the like I can see them being very useful (and cool) but you might want to consider a more suitable creature for deep-water. Perhaps some species of sleeper shark or some new creature. Speaking of basilosaurs, there are stats for a Zeuglodon (an alternate name for these creatures) in, of all things, Frostburn. The picture is hopelessly wrong, but the stats do exist. Ethics and Beliefs: Protecting unwary travelers from the vortex as well as the vortex itself has made the Overzeese Koningen are hard people. They have little patience for what they perceive as the fickle and often times flighty nature of surface dwellers. Nothing bothers a Konin warrior more than having to waste time listening to reasons why something cannot or should not be done, as well as excuses. From their point of view things are either done or not done yet, there are no words in their language for surface concepts like trying, maybe, or almost. There is and there is not, it either can be done or it cannot, and things are either done, being done, or will be done. They do not stop to consider the greater implications of their actions, an Overzeese Koningen just does it. This dislike of planning and careful forethought is going to make them a rather unpredictable force as well as making them a more 'reactive' force than they might otherwise be. How dogmatic are they in their refusal to examine the implications of their actions? Koningen teaches that all things must be done to the maximum possible extent. Volcanoes do not almost erupt, or erupt just a little bit, they are either calm and boiling or they explode. The tides do not wait for a better time to move, they move when it is time. This way of thinking has benn one of the primary reasons Overzeese Koningen remain so distant from the wars and destruction of the surface world, and also why many surface dwellers perceive them as unstable and untrustworthy. Ah but what of the volcanoes that slowly seep or those that undergo many small eruptions? And what of the gentle breeze compared to either dead calm or the wail of the hurricane? Events are not in perfect binary distribution. Similarly, the example of the tides has a few problems. The tides change because of the action of gravity, they have no agency and thus cannot evaluate their consequences. Also, one could argue that the tides only move at the perfect time, for they cannot change at random. Clans of the Overzeese Koningen: The Overzeese Koningen tribe is made up of some of the most powerful races in the seas. The bulk of the population is made up of Diep Orcs, a separate breed of orcs able to breath both water and air. These orcs are no less brutal than their surface dwelling cousins and yet have a greater degree of intelligence. perhaps these orcs were created by Koningen or some similar entity. Some small portion of the orcish population received his blessing and thus were provided with gills. Considering that the pharyngeal pouches which become gills in fish become (in part) the inner ear in tetrapods I suspect there would have to be something wonky going one. It is also possible that the lungs of these orcs are specially structured to draw oxygen from both air and water which would make for a rather interesting departure from the 'man-with-gills' motif. The next most prevalent race is the mighty Merrow, or more commonly known as Aquatic Ogres. Much like the Diep Orcs, merrow are surprisingly more intelligent than their land locked brethren. Any idea why the merrow should be more intelligent than ogres? Are they perhaps related to ogre magi instead? Or are they just smarter? Closely allied with the merrow is the Scrag, a mean spirited race of aquatic trolls. Scrags are vicious predatory savages that are kept in line only by the strength of the merrow. Are the scrag simply threated into serving or do the merrow employ some more 'elegant' solution? The last, but far from the least, powerful race is the crafty Kapoacinth, aquatic gargoyles. This race is one of the most deceptive and secretive of the Overzeese Koningen tribe. They only recently joined the tribe, swimming self-possessed from out of the deeper oceans beyond the main islands of Fallenstar. Their leader, Piet Geboren Onweer, met in secrecy with Koningen himself and soon after the tribe was told to accept the Kapoacinth as brothers and welcome them if Koningen himself were coming to visit. I would be interested to hear of the origins of these creatures. The clans of the Overzeese Koningen are split into five distinct Beschermers, or Guardianships. Each Beschermer is made up of mostly orc clans with members of other races incorporated into this. The exception to this is the Bloed Beschemer, which is made up entirely of the dangerous Scrag. The names and a general overview on the races and duties of the individual clans are: Klarslag: Mostly made up of Diep Orcs, this clan also boasts the largest Locothah population. Members of this clan are the primary farmers and herders of the Overzeese Koningen. They maintain crops of kelp and other under water plant life as well as herds of large sea mammals called Koeien. Of all the Beschermer, Klarslag is the most peaceful. [QUOTE] Would I be right in assuming that your koeien would be rather like manatees or (forgive me the pun) sea-cows? If this is the case then I would imagine that the Klarslag would inhabit shallow waters with plenty of sunlight so that their herds can graze on aquatic plants. Their areas of influence might well extend up into the wider rivers, marshes and mangroves (I assume you have those). If the above is true, then this group would be the most likely to have contact with land-dwelling peoples. [QUOTE] Geboren: This Beschemer was made up entirely of the Kapoacinth, though ceveral clans of Merrow have since joined their ranks. These nomadic hunters cruise the edges of Overzeese Koningen territory, particularly in the places where the inner sea meets the open ocean, in order to stop and question anyone entering the territory. The real reason the Kapoacinth came in from the wide open ocean is because they are refugees from some terrible and sinister force lurking in the dark depths far from shore. They are among the fiercest of the Beschemer when it come to guarding the three passes, and they are among the most dedicated to Koningen, who took them in at their darkest hour. It is to guard their new home from this unspeakable threat that the Kapoacinth keep constant vigil. Any idea on what this threat might have been or from what direction it came? I know chimpman has a number of aquatic horrors and I also have my fair share of sea monsters. Visser: Religious teachers and wandering healers make up the bulk of this Beschemer. Guardians of the natural world in their watery home, the Visser never stay in one location more than a few months. Visseren rangers patrol the interior of the Overzeese Koningen, checking in regularly with the members of the Klarslag clan and helping to hunt down dangerous predators that might be endangering their scattered villages. Members of this Beschemer are the ones most often encountered by colonial sailors within the inner sea. What is the Visser opinion regarding the shipping traffic from foreign parts? Do they see it as a threat? Or do they have a more nuanced opinion? Also, are there any hospitality traditions that have sprung up among the more settled people of the tribe when dealing with the Visser? Bloed: The most notorious and feared of the Overzeese Koningen , the Bloed are the most dangerous of all the Beschemer. The Bloed are the primary guardians around the whirlpool, their fearsome reputation often all that is need to keep curious travelers at bay. When the Overzeese Koningin go to war it is the Bloed who are called in to handle the fiercest battles. The Bloed are perhaps the most violent and aggressive of all the clans. What tactics do they employ to guard the vortex, and why are they so hell-bent on keeping people out? Ziel Jagers: This Beschemer is the only clan to have two Warchiefs, Anneka the Ogress and Loes the Mad, and made up of mostly Diep Orcs and Merrows, though a few Scrag who show decent self control can also be found here. Anneka is in charge of the Jagers, and is charged with maintaining the coastal borders of the Overzeese Koningen territory. Her Beast Riders keep a constant vigil on any surface race that takes bounty from the sea. They keep track of how much fishing is done and tell surface dwellers where and when the best times to fish will be. They also act as liaisons between surface traders and their more reclusive brethren From the sound of things it seems like this group is generally friendly, or at least less hostile, than some of the others. However, I would imagine they could get a bit testy in cases of overfishing and the like. Loes is the head of the Ziel and runs a network of sorcerers who maintain communication throughout the entire territory. The Ziel also keep a close eye on the things going on around the colonies by use of scrying spells. Loes recently made a bargain with the mercane Aulirnarme, and has begun setting up raids on various colonial ships, using the Ziel scrying powers and the ferocity of the Bloed to devastating effect. Question 1: does Loes play adzaro? Question 2: How does Loes feel about dealing with a creature who speaks only in statements of probability and various degrees of uncertainty? Also, I now have a feeling that Aulirnarme is becoming something of a Mr. Morden figure. Excellent. I wonder if it (it hates it when one calls it either 'he' or 'she') has any other associates? -- Some ideas on dress: Considering both the heat and the aquatic nature of these people, I can't really imagine that the ones that live near the shore or on the surface wear much at all. What clothing they have either has to be relatively non-restrictive or very easy to remove. Also, cloth, leather, and other ordinary clothing items tend to rot rather easily in water, and all that salt can't be good for metals. Perhaps they wear clothing made of chitin. -- On politics Considering the vast differences between the clans, and the area over which they hold control, I would imagine that governance varies from clan to clan rather strongly. There might be some kind of loose ruling council of chieftains but I can't imagine that it is a permanent body. The Visser could be used as messengers and as a way of keeping the clans together; they already travel around a great deal. -- I'll mull it over a bit more and see what occurs to me. Until later then. . . |
| Araes10-26-07, 06:51 PM | More kingdoms of the mainland for your reading pleasure. Been mostly working with the three that Thel's player expressed interest in firstoff to give him something to chose from in a more educated way. After these, I think I might move way NW and do Sighvat, as I had an interesting (to me) idea to make them a nation poised for war like the Germans of the early 20th century. Hemmed in, and without sea access for colonies, they're interested in claiming the mainland for their own. First up though, Mildar, land of the stocky, treehugging, ex-nomads. -- Mildar http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Mildar_ForestCity1.jpg Government: Monarchy Area: 189443 sq. miles Settled: 112482 sq. miles Wild: 76961 Population Centers: 29009 Cities: 1485 Villages: 27524 Population: 17457177 Urban: 5399127 Rural: 12058050 Isolated: 539913 Description: When the dwarves first came to the area now known as Mildar, so many years ago, it is said that the forest which now covers their lands was but a shadow of its current self – little more than a park that could be walked by a man in the span of a day. Similarly, the dwarves themselves were but a shadow of their future nation. Separated from Sighvat for being too like the elves, ignored by Shagenna for being too in love with the hills, they found themselves nomads in search of a home. The leader of the people at that time was a dwarf by the name of Korbin Marx. For nearly 100 years already, they had wandered the continent, but when the dwarves came to that small forest, at the base of an all but ignored mountain chain, Marx looked upon the land and spoke of a great promise that he saw there. Of bountiful mines that dug deep and true, of lush forests as far as the eye could see, and of a dwarven populace free to live true to their spirit. How much of this is fanciful or revisionist recollection on the part of the dwarves is hard to determine, but one thing that is simple to observe are the results of their work. Current day Mildar exists as a kingdom like no other on the continent. The initial, and somewhat odd, love of the forests, which began their exodus, has transformed the glades of Mildar into a literal jungle that stretches to every corner of the realm. Although partially natural, this growth has largely been supported by the dwarves themselves through widescale seeding, rain / river engineering, and magical augmentation. In addition, while an incredibly vibrant industry, simply due to the sheer scale of the forests, logging is also tightly controlled and in most areas it is illegal to harvest without special permission. Like their forefathers, the current day Mildarans live existence with a foot in both the wonder of the woods and the power of the peaks. Cities within the borders of Mildar are split roughly evenly between the mountains of the north and the forests to the south Largely still subterranean creatures like their brethren, the inhabitants of the mountains build largely vertical cities. However, unlike similar dwellings, Mildaran construction always leaves a significant portion of open space for the planting of wild growth. Where cultivation of surface plants is impractical or impossible, underdark varieties are instead substituted which require less light and water. A particularly popular city design is a shelled system in which the dwarves start at the outer surface of a mountain and begin to work inward and downward with increasingly deeper shells. Generally between 50 to 100 ft thick, these shells contain all of the hallways, transportation access, and structures necessary for the city, and then between them is left a 20 to 40 ft. gap wherein plants may be grown. Light is channeled down through the walls as deep as is practical, and then created artificially beneath that depth. For those dwarves who inhabit the forests, they have actually found that their lifestyle is an excellent mesh to their preserving nature. Although dense and high in population like many other areas of the continent, Mildaran cities actually have a fairly minor impact on the forest around them, as nearly all of their bulk is contained beneath the root structure of the forest floor. Like biological iceburgs, they stand out as only minor points of light within the canopy, revealing a small percentage of their true potential. The subterranean portions of such structures are generally very similar to the mountain constructions, extending the forest downward into the earth in a cone shaped construct of ever widening shells. On the surface though, the cities are often quite fanciful, showing the best their craftsmen have to offer in the small space available. Fine minarets and spindles intermixed with complex geometric shapes are quite common. In addition, plants and foliage are often worked into their surfaces, making the tips of some cities appear at first glance like well preserved ruins. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Mildar_WaterfallCity.jpg Politically, Mildar is organized at its top level into a constitutional monarchy. Power and responsibility are roughly equally divided between the King, the Chancellor, and the House of Regents. The kingship of Mildar is a hereditary position which is passed down from eldest male to eldest male within the Mildaran line. Prior to the adoption of the constitutional system, when the King ruled absolutely, power struggles were somewhat common, although they generally were more of a political struggle within the shadows than an overt matter of bloodshed. However, in current days, if an eldest child does not exist there is a clearly established line of succession which takes into account all nobility with some percentage of the royal bloodline and their proximity to the throne. In practice there are still some struggles, and even the occasional assassination attempt, but with the reduction in power of the actual throne, other forms of more easily obtained prestige have come to be better targets. The House of Regents is a political body composed of representatives of all the districts of Mildar. Technically voted on by their district’s members and open to everyone, in actuality the process of becoming a member is often based upon existing prestige and networking connections and interested individuals are often simply ignored when they present themselves. From this group of regents, a single representative is then chosen to serve as the political pair to the King. For major actions of government to be executed, they must be argued and agreed on by both the Chancellor and the King, and if particularly extreme, must also be ratified by the Regents. The appointment of the Chancellor is an at-will appointment by the Regents, which can be revoked at any time, and should they become displeased, quite often is. This tends to cause serious problems of deadlock between the Chancellor and the King when debating their pet projects, but by many views is still better than sole power, which had often run unchecked by prior Kings. Militaristically, Mildar is not overly aggressive, although they are quite active in defending / maintaining their established borders. Unless open, total war can be brought to an opponent directly, it is often societally frowned upon for its potential to wreak devastation on the forests. Due to threats from both the North and the East, they generally maintain a military population that hovers around 10%, with each district providing a yearly quota of soldiers to fill the ranks. In the South, the people of Mildar and Gabon have maintained a fairly steady peace and trade relationship for several decades, and the border is only minimally watched. With their extensive forests and connections to the land, druidic practices are quite common within the people of Mildar. This movement has reached such a level that such groups are integrated nearly seamlessly with society, and cities normally have groups of druids who work to maintain the subterranean landscapes and surface forests. In addition, the border patrols of Mildar often have at least one member trained in druidic practices to provide easy passage through the often thick undergrowth of the forests and to confound their foes. Although largely of dwarven background, and still controlled primarily by dwarves, over time the kingdom has become more open to outsiders. Over several centuries, the distrust of those who originally cast them out or refused them lodging has given way to the views of younger generations, and other races are starting to constitute a significant portion of the population. One of the most difficult transitions for newcomers to the land is the lack of surface habitation. Except in very specific regions where the damage would be minimal, other races are required to live in, and adapt to, the same subterranean lifestyle as the dwarves. Naturally, for special requirements such as size and basic needs, modifications to the shell networks are made. However, for those which would find any modifications insufficient (creatures of Huge size or larger for example) there is generally no legal option for entry to Mildar at all. |
| DonThelonious10-27-07, 03:38 AM | Before we go any further: Dutch? Dutch? :blink: Certainly not the language I would have gone with, but then I tend to associate dutch with oil painting, large commercial empires, tulips, international politics and windmills. Not that there is anything wrong of course, just somewhat surprising. Yeah, I like the kind of guttural flavor that the language has. And you have to admit the language gives a great orc feel. If I may ask though, how did you recognize it as dutch:confused:? Helicoprions? The spiral toothed sharks? An interesting choice. How will you be dealing with the purpose of those remarkable teeth? Ammonite crushing? Fish-whipping? Something else? I am using Helicoprions for the deep water Beast Riders. I am going on a sort of fish whipping hunter that also uses its teeth for crushing sea turtle shells. Considering the strength of the vortex, I would hesitate to classify the Inner Sea as 'serene'. Churning watery hell, yes. The majority of their territory is outside the ring of small islands that surround the vortex. On the outside of the ring things are fairly calm, though there will be area of strong current that could easily pull the unwary in. Why do they want to prevent incursions into the vortex? Is there some great and mysterious power there or are they merely trying to prevent people of doing 'a very silly thing' by getting themselves killed? A lot of it has to do with keeping people from doing a very silly thing, but for the most part the vortex is viewed as a doorway into the realm of The Keeper and the final resting place of the Earth Mother. It is guarded to keep The Taker from being roused from his home again, to walk the lands and bring death and destruction back into the realm. Thank you for pointing this out, I had not thought about it. Also, in deep oceanic patrols I don't thing the basilosaurs would be all that useful as they are thought to have been shallow water creatures. In the shallower seas and in the lagoons and the like I can see them being very useful (and cool) but you might want to consider a more suitable creature for deep-water. Perhaps some species of sleeper shark or some new creature. The basilosaurs are used in the shallower waters closer to shore. The helicoprions are the deep water patrols mount. Speaking of basilosaurs, there are stats for a Zeuglodon (an alternate name for these creatures) in, of all things, Frostburn. The picture is hopelessly wrong, but the stats do exist. I already have stats for all the dinosaurs I am using, the guys over at the Dinosaur Menagerie are very prolific and very good at stating things out. I can post a links to them if you like. This dislike of planning and careful forethought is going to make them a rather unpredictable force as well as making them a more 'reactive' force than they might otherwise be. I wanted them to be that way. I wanted there to be sailors tales of kind and helpful members of this tribe saving them in storms, but also of ships being lost and every crew member but one being killed for no other reason then spitting over the side at the wrong time. How dogmatic are they in their refusal to examine the implications of their actions? This is more of a general attitude than a cold hard fact. The more peaceful members of the tribe tend to take a more broad view of things and what might happen, while the hot headed warriors live only in the moment. Ah but what of the volcanoes that slowly seep or those that undergo many small eruptions? And what of the gentle breeze compared to either dead calm or the wail of the hurricane? Events are not in perfect binary distribution. Ahhhhh yes. What of underwater eruptions? Those will always be violent no matter how small. The wind were a very poor example. What I wanted to to get across that they things as either being or not being. There either is the wind, or there is not. There is no maybe wind, if that makes any sense... Similarly, the example of the tides has a few problems. The tides change because of the action of gravity, they have no agency and thus cannot evaluate their consequences. Also, one could argue that the tides only move at the perfect time, for they cannot change at random. Hmmmm... Things are only done at the perfect time, neither before or after. You have just given me something to think about involving their philosophy.:) Perhaps these orcs were created by Koningen or some similar entity. Some small portion of the orcish population received his blessing and thus were provided with gills. Considering that the pharyngeal pouches which become gills in fish become (in part) the inner ear in tetrapods I suspect there would have to be something wonky going one. It is also possible that the lungs of these orcs are specially structured to draw oxygen from both air and water which would make for a rather interesting departure from the 'man-with-gills' motif. I am going to have to go with special lungs that were manipulated by Koningen to allow breath in both air and water. He took a tribe of coastal orcs under his wing so to speak and gifted them with it. I will think further on this... Any idea why the merrow should be more intelligent than ogres? Are they perhaps related to ogre magi instead? Or are they just smarter? The ogres are more intelligent because they are another race that Koningen brought into his fold, but as they were they were more or less sharks with arms. He used his divine powers to gift them with as much intelligence as the orcs. Are the scrag simply threated into serving or do the merrow employ some more 'elegant' solution? Originally the Scrag were simply allied with the Merrow, after the Merrow were gifted with higher intelligence they returned to their allies and showed them a better way of life that didn't involve constant struggle for survival, so when the Scrag approached Koningen he blessed them with a higher degree of intelligence and charged the Merrow with finding a place in the world for them. That place it the protection of the vortex. I would be interested to hear of the origins of these (Kapoacinth) creatures. I covered most of that in the the clan discription. Would I be right in assuming that your koeien would be rather like manatees or (forgive me the pun) sea-cows? If this is the case then I would imagine that the Klarslag would inhabit shallow waters with plenty of sunlight so that their herds can graze on aquatic plants. Their areas of influence might well extend up into the wider rivers, marshes and mangroves (I assume you have those). If the above is true, then this group would be the most likely to have contact with land-dwelling peoples. Hehe... To be honest if you translate koeien from dutch to english it literally means "cow". I was being lazy and couldn't think of a better thing to call them:blush:. And yes, I have the D&D stats for the extinct sea cow (Another great thing from the Dinosaur Menagerie:D). They are primarily in the shallower areas of the inner sea, as well as larger bays and lagoons. The rivers and marshes not so much because of the much larger land based predators. Mangrove swamps would also be a common place to find them, at least in the deeper parts where large predators and other tribes would be less likely to get to them easily. As for the amount of contact with surface dwellers, the Klarslag would tend to avoid it at all costs. I want them to be the more shy and gentle element of this tribe. If surface dwellers were encroaching into their territory then they would send for a platoon of Jagers to handle them. I think of all the clans this one will be like the unintentional best kept secret. Any idea on what this threat might have been or from what direction it came? I know chimpman has a number of aquatic horrors and I also have my fair share of sea monsters. I was thinking of having a group of Kraken, or a Leviathin though that one is more of a problem for surface creatures. I just don't know, so any suggestions would be appreciated. It would have to something particularly fierce to drive out gargoyles. I also left the direction they came from vague for just that reason. What is the Visser opinion regarding the shipping traffic from foreign parts? Do they see it as a threat? Or do they have a more nuanced opinion? The Visser have no real opinion about the traffic above them. If anything they enjoy the occasional ship since they bring stories and interesting and exotic things. Also, are there any hospitality traditions that have sprung up among the more settled people of the tribe when dealing with the Visser? Good question! I hadn't thought of that. Hmmmm... What I imagine is when a patrol comes into town the whole community will turn out to receive news regarding the territory and to do business with the occasional traders who travel with patrols. Likely there would be an almost festive atmosphere during these visits, and then there is always the hunts for the large predators that roam the inner sea, including Megalodons and Kronosaurs:devil: :evillaugh. What tactics do they employ to guard the vortex, and why are they so hell-bent on keeping people out? A I said above, they guard it mostly to keep anyone from awakening The Keeper, so religion plays a big part in their duty. As for tactics, the keep manned lookout towers on all of the islands surrounding the whirlpool, and any ships that come near are warned to turn back or get sunk, and every soul aboard becomes dinner for the Scrag. If the ships are unable to turn back because they get caught in the current then the Bloed just say a prayer in hopes The Keeper won't be disturbed and let the ship go. This happens very rarely though, as they keep constant vigil and take their mission deathly serious. From the sound of things it seems like this group is generally friendly, or at least less hostile, than some of the others. However, I would imagine they could get a bit testy in cases of overfishing and the like. The Jager are pretty much an easygoing lot that are actually very helpful when they are approached with respect. They don't like seeing men with families die unnecessarily, they know how hard it is on those who must go on without their menfolk. They won't hesitate to kill those men though if those men ignore warning about over fishing or dumping off shore. They also take a very dim view of land dwellers poaching from the herds of the Klarslag. Question 1: does Loes play adzaro? Question 2: How does Loes feel about dealing with a creature who speaks only in statements of probability and various degrees of uncertainty? Also, I now have a feeling that Aulirnarme is becoming something of a Mr. Morden figure. Excellent. Answer 1: I could see Loes becoming a very avid player. Taking little trips into Kuilnos to indulge in the game. I do belive I will make her primary home the little Overzeese Koningen village in the bay by Kuilnos. Answer 2: They don't call her Loes the Mad for nothing. Forgive my ignorance, but who is Mr. Morden? I wonder if it (it hates it when one calls it either 'he' or 'she') has any other associates? Well, you said It plays with a very elite group, I imagine at least one or two of those players would be high ranking members from some of the other tribes. Not to mention leaders of less savory pirate, assassin, and thieves guilds from Kuilnos and other colonies. We shall have to come up with at least one strong international gang, something akin to the Yakuza of Japan or The Triad of China. -- Some ideas on dress: Considering both the heat and the aquatic nature of these people, I can't really imagine that the ones that live near the shore or on the surface wear much at all. What clothing they have either has to be relatively non-restrictive or very easy to remove. Also, cloth, leather, and other ordinary clothing items tend to rot rather easily in water, and all that salt can't be good for metals. Perhaps they wear clothing made of chitin. I am thinking they will actually go about totally nude within their territories and only wear clothing when they are dealing with surface dwellers modesty. The only time they wear any type of clothing is when they put on armor. Armor would be crafted from substances like chitin, bone, and ceramics they get through trade with surface races. Most often they wear jewelry to denote rank and Beschemer membership. Signet rings, coral amulets and anklets with unworked gems set in them. -- On politics Considering the vast differences between the clans, and the area over which they hold control, I would imagine that governance varies from clan to clan rather strongly. There might be some kind of loose ruling council of chieftains but I can't imagine that it is a permanent body. The Visser could be used as messengers and as a way of keeping the clans together; they already travel around a great deal. I am leaning toward a loose alliance based on devotion to their Welkin, Koningen. All the Beschemer owe their very existance to his open arms and gentle nature. Every year there would be a great gathering of all the Warcheifs in his palace of Diep Overzeese. It would not just be limited to the Warcheifs though, as any major settlement would send envoys and representatives to air (no pun intended) their problems and seek guidance from Koningen himself. -- I'll mull it over a bit more and see what occurs to me. Until later then. . . You have given me much to mull over as well, thank you once again for your insightful dissection of another tribe. |
| Darth Syntax10-27-07, 04:53 AM | Yeah, I like the kind of guttural flavor that the language has. And you have to admit the language gives a great orc feel. If I may ask though, how did you recognize it as dutch:confused:? It's very simple, I deduced it :detect: . The language in question was clearly germanic and not of the northern branch, which left west-germanic (I discounted gothic on the grounds of their not being enough 'z's in final position and because you have, so far, used only living languages). Further, many of the words you used have english cognates, so I was able to follow it a bit. Then I recalled some of the sound correspondences between Standard German and modern English and realized that these were not (apparently) occurring quite as they would have if the language was german. Further still, the german word for 'over' is über which also lead to me conclude that I was dealing with a west germanic language that was not german and clearly not english. Dutch was the next logical language to assume, so I hunted down a dutch dictionary and verified my assumption. I am using Helicoprions for the deep water Beast Riders. I am going on a sort of fish whipping hunter that also uses its teeth for crushing sea turtle shells. Ah. That makes sense. The majority of their territory is outside the ring of small islands that surround the vortex. On the outside of the ring things are fairly calm, though there will be area of strong current that could easily pull the unwary in. I would imagine that the currents between the islands could be fairly nasty though with little roughly triangular zones of relative calm on the leeward side. A lot of it has to do with keeping people from doing a very silly thing, but for the most part the vortex is viewed as a doorway into the realm of The Keeper and the final resting place of the Earth Mother. It is guarded to keep The Taker from being roused from his home again, to walk the lands and bring death and destruction back into the realm. So a bit of a combination of religious duty and public safety. The basilosaurs are used in the shallower waters closer to shore. The helicoprions are the deep water patrols mount. Alright, this makes sense. Sorry, whale enthusiast. I already have stats for all the dinosaurs I am using, the guys over at the Dinosaur Menagerie are very prolific and very good at stating things out. I can post a links to them if you like. Clearly this Dinosaur Menagerie has extended well beyond those fabulous creatures and well into the Oligocene and beyond. I shall have to look into this thread with more care. I wanted them to be that way. I wanted there to be sailors tales of kind and helpful members of this tribe saving them in storms, but also of ships being lost and every crew member but one being killed for no other reason then spitting over the side at the wrong time. Nothing like creating a seemingly random force. This is more of a general attitude than a cold hard fact. The more peaceful members of the tribe tend to take a more broad view of things and what might happen, while the hot headed warriors live only in the moment. I would imagine that the warriors tend to do a lot of charging about and being generally ferocious. Intimidating to be sure, but perhaps not the most useful tactical decision in a protracted campaign. Ahhhhh yes. What of underwater eruptions? Those will always be violent no matter how small. The wind were a very poor example. What I wanted to to get across that they things as either being or not being. There either is the wind, or there is not. There is no maybe wind, if that makes any sense... Ah but there is potential wind, which may or may not happen. So, tomorrow there might be wind, later today there might be wind, but now, there is or is not wind. Hmmmm... Things are only done at the perfect time, neither before or after. You have just given me something to think about involving their philosophy.:) They might be oddly fatalistic, believing that things cannot be other than they are, which would also account for their distaste of uncertainty. I am going to have to go with special lungs that were manipulated by Koningen to allow breath in both air and water. He took a tribe of coastal orcs under his wing so to speak and gifted them with it. I will think further on this... That makes sense, and you don't end up with the inner ear problem. Speaking of ears, have they been modified in any way to deal with pressure and constant immersion in water? The ogres are more intelligent because they are another race that Koningen brought into his fold, but as they were they were more or less sharks with arms. He used his divine powers to gift them with as much intelligence as the orcs. Alright then. Will you be playing up the folkloric distinction between male and female merrow, or will they all be rather vicious (and possibly hideous) creatures? I covered most of that in the the clan discription. What I meant was what was the origin of the species? Are they of magical or mundane origin and so on. Hehe... To be honest if you translate koeien from dutch to english it literally means "cow". I was being lazy and couldn't think of a better thing to call them:blush:. And yes, I have the D&D stats for the extinct sea cow (Another great thing from the Dinosaur Menagerie:D). I would be inclined to use manatees or dugongs as Steller's Sea Cow was an arctic animal that lived in the Bering Sea. Just a wee bit too chilly for your neck of the woods. As for the amount of contact with surface dwellers, the Klarslag would tend to avoid it at all costs. I want them to be the more shy and gentle element of this tribe. If surface dwellers were encroaching into their territory then they would send for a platoon of Jagers to handle them. I think of all the clans this one will be like the unintentional best kept secret. Ah. I was seeing them more as being a bit more comfortable with the surface people than the others due to their need to exist in the shallows and thus they would have had more contact. I was thinking of having a group of Kraken, or a Leviathin though that one is more of a problem for surface creatures. I just don't know, so any suggestions would be appreciated. It would have to something particularly fierce to drive out gargoyles. I also left the direction they came from vague for just that reason. Well, there is the Ólgir Jagda (god-whale in the language of the Ejantuli), a creature that dwells in the trench along the eastern coast of Ilaros. It's a terrible sea monster of truly enormous size (the size of a small island) and has been known to cause terrible havoc both above and beneath the waves. The creature has never been completely described due to very few having ever survived an encounter with it. I've not worked out all the details at this point, but it might be a possibility. Good question! I hadn't thought of that. Hmmmm... What I imagine is when a patrol comes into town the whole community will turn out to receive news regarding the territory and to do business with the occasional traders who travel with patrols. Likely there would be an almost festive atmosphere during these visits, and then there is always the hunts for the large predators that roam the inner sea, including Megalodons and Kronosaurs:devil: :evillaugh. I think this an excellent idea. The Jager are pretty much an easygoing lot that are actually very helpful when they are approached with respect. They don't like seeing men with families die unnecessarily, they know how hard it is on those who must go on without their menfolk. They won't hesitate to kill those men though if those men ignore warning about over fishing or dumping off shore. They also take a very dim view of land dwellers poaching from the herds of the Klarslag. How would they feel about female sailors such as are employed by most of the maritime powers of Ilaros? Answer 1: I could see Loes becoming a very avid player. Taking little trips into Kuilnos to indulge in the game. I do belive I will make her primary home the little Overzeese Koningen village in the bay by Kuilnos. It can be an involving game (I'm still working on the rules, or at the least an outline of them), but it is supposed to be very addictive. As to popping into Kuilnos from time to time, this is probably a good idea as it would let her keep some tabs on what is going on amongst the strangers. Answer 2: They don't call her Loes the Mad for nothing. True. Forgive my ignorance, but who is Mr. Morden? Mr. Morden is a character on Babylon 5, basically he's the guy who the devil (or in his case 'evil' aliens who like to sow chaos and discord) would send over to get you to sign over your soul. He does everything you want, and more, until you've risen to such a position of power that you can't back out of your obligations to his masters. He's a cunning, manipulating, power broking little creep, with a smile. Well, you said It plays with a very elite group, I imagine at least one or two of those players would be high ranking members from some of the other tribes. Not to mention leaders of less savory pirate, assassin, and thieves guilds from Kuilnos and other colonies. We shall have to come up with at least one strong international gang, something akin to the Yakuza of Japan or The Triad of China. Actually, I would imagine that the players of the Game might well be highly placed members of colonial society. Assassins are semi-legal in Orothos (as it is only the one who ordered an assassination that can be convicted of murder) and the distinction between a merchant prince and a pirate is usually only a matter of money. As I've said before, i don't normally do thieves guilds, I just make sure that various legitimate organizations have aspects to their business that are of dubious legality. There are more than a few thieves and smugglers working for the Society of the Indefatigable Ibis and the other merchant consortiums. As to an international 'gang' it could easily be one of the many merchant consoriums. What better way to hide unsavory practices than with a polished and civilized veneer of legitimacy? Possibly the Ibis, or one of the others. I am thinking they will actually go about totally nude within their territories and only wear clothing when they are dealing with surface dwellers modesty. The only time they wear any type of clothing is when they put on armor. Armor would be crafted from substances like chitin, bone, and ceramics they get through trade with surface races. Makes sense to me Most often they wear jewelry to denote rank and Beschemer membership. Signet rings, coral amulets and anklets with unworked gems set in them. Any ideas on the symbolism involved? I am leaning toward a loose alliance based on devotion to their Welkin, Koningen. All the Beschemer owe their very existance to his open arms and gentle nature. Every year there would be a great gathering of all the Warcheifs in his palace of Diep Overzeese. It would not just be limited to the Warcheifs though, as any major settlement would send envoys and representatives to air (no pun intended) their problems and seek guidance from Koningen himself. Considering the diversity of the clans I think this is probably a good idea. -- Well, that will do for now as the fora are about to go down for the evening. |
| DonThelonious10-27-07, 05:56 AM | Speaking of ears, have they been modified in any way to deal with pressure and constant immersion in water? Eh? I'm going to have to say yeah. Alright then. Will you be playing up the folkloric distinction between male and female merrow, or will they all be rather vicious (and possibly hideous) creatures? Yet another thing that had not occurred to me! Isn't that the belief that the females possess an almost supernatural beauty? If so then absolutely, yes. I think I might just use them as my regions version of sirens. They won't be any less brutal than the males, just a whole hell of a lot prettier. What I meant was what was the origin of the species? Are they of magical or mundane origin and so on. Oh. Well. I am going to leave that intentionally vague, unless you don't mind having a Kapoacinth population. That might actually work. They could be the ragged survivors that chose to escape your god-whale by fleeing to the east, when they found no place for them in Dewan they went north and found the Overzeese Koningen, where they felt more at home and were able to start over. As to their source, I am going to say its magical and mundane, they were originally just some form of humanoid ray that were exposed to something in your trench, possibly involving the god-whale, and they were mutated by the magic into the stony creatures they are now. How does this sound to you? I would be inclined to use manatees or dugongs as Steller's Sea Cow was an arctic animal that lived in the Bering Sea. Just a wee bit too chilly for your neck of the woods. Neither of those creatures has the right look for what I am after. I am simply going to make these Sea Cows a tropical version that feeds on kelp and water plants. Well, there is the Ólgir Jagda (god-whale in the language of the Ejantuli), a creature that dwells in the trench along the eastern coast of Ilaros. It's a terrible sea monster of truly enormous size (the size of a small island) and has been known to cause terrible havoc both above and beneath the waves. The creature has never been completely described due to very few having ever survived an encounter with it. I've not worked out all the details at this point, but it might be a possibility. As I said above, I like this idea. I was going to go with some sort of mutant Aboleths, but the god-whale sounds better. How would they feel about female sailors such as are employed by most of the maritime powers of Ilaros? The same. Man or woman, both have families that will be pained by their loss, so both are equal in this respect. It can be an involving game (I'm still working on the rules, or at the least an outline of them), but it is supposed to be very addictive. As to popping into Kuilnos from time to time, this is probably a good idea as it would let her keep some tabs on what is going on amongst the strangers. So the crazy Diep Orc is hooked on a surface dweller card game. Works well for me. Mr. Morden is a character on Babylon 5, basically he's the guy who the devil (or in his case 'evil' aliens who like to sow chaos and discord) would send over to get you to sign over your soul. He does everything you want, and more, until you've risen to such a position of power that you can't back out of your obligations to his masters. He's a cunning, manipulating, power broking little creep, with a smile. Oh. Okay. Then yes this is excellent. Actually, I would imagine that the players of the Game might well be highly placed members of colonial society. Assassins are semi-legal in Orothos (as it is only the one who ordered an assassination that can be convicted of murder) and the distinction between a merchant prince and a pirate is usually only a matter of money. As I've said before, i don't normally do thieves guilds, I just make sure that various legitimate organizations have aspects to their business that are of dubious legality. There are more than a few thieves and smugglers working for the Society of the Indefatigable Ibis and the other merchant consortium's. You have a point there. As to an international 'gang' it could easily be one of the many merchant consoriums. What better way to hide unsavory practices than with a polished and civilized veneer of legitimacy? Possibly the Ibis, or one of the others. Your call on this, but I would also like to get Araes involved. I imagine several of his colonial nations would be involved in something like this. And possibly Soviet as well. Any ideas on the symbolism involved? Not yet, but I will. -- I have also been looking into a barbarian class that makes more sense to me. It is by a guy named Szatany, and he gave permission for it to be used. Its called the Ultimate Barbarian (http://thecbg.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ultimate_Classes:Ultimat e_Barbarian). He also made ultimates sor all the other classes as well, Here (http://thecbg.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ultimate_Classes:Main_Pa ge). |
| DonThelonious10-28-07, 10:46 AM | I have been working on a type of zombie that I want to be unique to my region. I call it the infectious zombie: Infectious Zombie Size/Type: Medium Undead Hit Dice: 2d12 (13 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 22 (Head Only) 14 (Body) (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2 Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6+1 plus Infection) Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6+1 plus Infection) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Infectious Bite Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance, Damage Immunity Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +5 Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 14, Cha 12 Skills: None Feats: None Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), pack (5-12), Mob (13-50), or Mass (51-200) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: None Alignment: Always True Neutral Advancement: 3 HD (Medium) Level Adjustment: — Infectious Zombies always attack any living creature, preferably humanoid. They are mindless fast moving predators that often mob. They have no actual tactic other than catching and consuming prey. Infection (Su)Disease—bite, No Save, incubation period 1 hour (or 1 minute if infected humanoid dies), damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Int every hour until infected creature dies. At this point they rise again 1 minute later as an Infectious Zombie. Damage Immunity(Ex): Infectious Zombies are immune most damage. They can only be killed on a successful sunder attempt on their bite attacks (treat as light weapon) or a confirmed critical which means their head was destroyed. Fire and acid will also harm infectious zombies, but the only way to kill them is to destroy the head, otherwise they are still capable of delivering the infection. |
| LefferDP10-28-07, 08:11 PM | Well, I had a great idea of what to do with my grasslands, so feel free to read below and offer critiques. An odd idea came to me, perhaps simple rituals we attribute to children these days have some actual power in my region: Chanting the name of a ghost three times while gazing into a mirror in dim light might actually draw the creature's attention; Swearing blood brothers with someone might actually allow for blood intermingling, making a difference in familial lineage indistinguishable via magic and the like; Etc... I think I'm against adding in classes into the world's cannon from non-Wizards material that is not our own creation. If you want to use the Ultimate *'s in your own campaign, please feel free, but I don't think they're appropriate to incorporate into the setting directly. I can't really explain why, rationally, but I don't like the idea. Aqm Government: Tribal Aretocracy Economy: Primitive Communism Ruling Body: None / Occasionally Tribal Council Capitol: Yämäsärät Dngay Aaläme ("Cornerstone of the World") Population: ? Demographics: 100% Aqm (Human?) Religion: Animism Major Languages: 100% Aqm Nominal Alignment: N The Aqm, in their language "those of exceptional ability," are more commonly known as "Longrunners" due to their exceptional ability to run long distances without tiring. The name refers to a group of tribes with a common language and culture that inhabit the Great Savannah. Individual tribes generally have certain dialectical differences in the language and may vary from the information presented here in some small or large ways. Physically, Aqm are on average slightly taller than the average human, primarily due to longer limbs, with dark skin and straight, coarse black hair. They are infamous for their ability to cover large distances rapidly, even when an entire tribe is involved. Some of them are capable of marathon type feats. Lesser known but still exceptional is their ability to heal wounds despite generally poor medical knowledge and the lack of magics. Spirituality is very important to the Aqm peoples. All members of the tribe are gifts from the spirits who foresee a particular need or plan for the individual. The shaman of the tribe inspects each child and grants him a name in accordance with whatever insight comes to the shaman. Upon reaching adulthood the child is expelled from the village with a pair of the tribe's spears, one for throwing and one for melee. The child is considered a man when he returns with the tooth of an animal which becomes his totem. Occasionally, a pair of children that were born near the same time will work together to conquer a beast, and this is completely acceptable, the kill credited to both of the youths. During adulthood, those that manage to live to an older age and adequately complete their life's work undergo the rite of eldership, wherein their hair is shaved and their head is encircled runes drawn in blood to mark the completion. When their body perishes, the stomach is slit open and they are placed on the top of a hill to ease their passage into the spirit world. Those who fail in their calling are just "old" receiving no mark of distinction and find their bodies buried in the ground. Upon their death, these disgraced individuals remain with the tribe as restless spirits. The tribe feeds them regularly, and they often work to keep individuals from straying from their path, coaxing them or bludgeoning them back onto the proper path. These spirits remain until a child appears that can and does redeem them by completing the work they were intended for themselves. Some wait a very long time. The most powerful binding of a tribe is the phrase "I will tell you a truth" or on occasion a number of truths. The next statement or statements the Aqm speaks are absolutely true to the extent of his knowledge. No one is allowed to compel this from an Aqm; it is a sacred gift that must be given willingly. Coercion allows the Aqm to lie even in this context, thus threatening the life of an Aqm and demanding he use the phrase are not sufficient to truly be certain. A non-coerced pledge, however, is binding on pain of death. Aqm who are proven wrong, or should the condition later change, will kill themselves before accepting the pledge as broken. There is little if any commerce amongst the Aqm. Someone simply makes the spears and the warriors use them whereas those who gather food or hunt share it freely. Many members of the tribes would rather starve than deny his neighbor food and often when misfortune falls upon a family within the tribe; the misfortune is felt by other tribe members more than the family. Surprisingly to the outsider, this actually encourages each tribe member to work hard to provide for himself so as to avoid the inconvenience of his neighbors. Warriors of the Aqm wear no armor at all, and it is actually very uncommon to find members of the Aqm that wear more than a loincloth and a pair of leather sandal, though the Aqm warrior eschews even these so as to toughen his feat. Heat exhaustion and general discomfort is a very real problem on the savannah if one does wear much of anything. Their primary method of defense is their tower shields, made of hide and surprisingly light for their size. Despite the lack of personal property, the shield of a warrior is considered to be owned by the chief and those who lose theirs are destined to a dishonorable death. The Aqm use a sort of shortspear called an “assegai” useful for throwing or melee, well loved for the ability to quickly extract it from an enemy. Extra spears are held in the off hand with the shield, easily grasped one after the other. Should the warrior run out or lose his spears, a bladed gauntlet made of bone is used to fight until another spear can be retrieved. Aqm society is theoretically based around the rule of the most skilled or the most perfect. Each tribe's chieftain is chosen based on a battery of tests of skill after the death, or sometimes retirement, of the former chief. They are based around attempting to draw the entrants to their absolute physical and mental limits; however, teamwork is quite common and is rather necessary to keep the individual player from becoming too battered and weary. If looked at in game terms, the individual in the tribe with the greatest summation of ability modifiers will almost always win the games, assuming levels are more or less equal. These tests are enterable by any who have undergone the rites of adulthood for the particular tribe, including the occasional foreigner. On occasions that the tribes need to unite, they send the eldest member of the tribe to serve as a representative of a tribal council to the "Cornerstone of the World" a massive pillar inscribed with a long forgotten language deep in the heart of the grasslands. Only the tribes know of the pillar's location and death befalls all who speak of it to an outsider, even those that have been accepted into a tribe. Only those who are of Aqm blood are allowed to be told, though and outsider who discovers the place on his own are not harmed. The council is more a consultation and the attendants are not bound to work together, though any who would send their elder are generally interested in cooperation. |
| Darth Syntax10-29-07, 04:12 AM | An odd idea came to me, perhaps simple rituals we attribute to children these days have some actual power in my region: Chanting the name of a ghost three times while gazing into a mirror in dim light might actually draw the creature's attention; Swearing blood brothers with someone might actually allow for blood intermingling, making a difference in familial lineage indistinguishable via magic and the like; Etc... It could prove interesting, especially if you draw from other aspects of folklore as well for inspiration. Aqm [/SIZE]Government: Tribal Aretocracy Economy: Primitive Communism Ruling Body: None / Occasionally Tribal Council Capitol: Yämäsärät Dngay Aaläme ("Cornerstone of the World") Population: ? Demographics: 100% Aqm (Human?) Religion: Animism Major Languages: 100% Aqm Nominal Alignment: N I'm afraid I am not familiar with the term Aretocracy, I'm assuming (from what you wrote later on) that you are drawing the term from the Greek word arete meaning 'best' or 'excellent' in an essential sort of way. However, the 'ocracy' form of arete is aristocracy which could pose a bit of a linguistic wrinkle. It sounds to me as though the Aqm operate under a form of meritocracy. -- As to the question of species, I can think of several possibilities. Humans would work to be sure as they have no particular weakness. However, Hobgoblins combine the agility and stamina that seem to be so important to the Aqm. Physically, Aqm are on average slightly taller than the average human, primarily due to longer limbs, with dark skin and straight, coarse black hair. They are infamous for their ability to cover large distances rapidly, even when an entire tribe is involved. Some of them are capable of marathon type feats. Lesser known but still exceptional is their ability to heal wounds despite generally poor medical knowledge and the lack of magics. What is the reason that they lack an understanding of magic? Spirituality is very important to the Aqm peoples. All members of the tribe are gifts from the spirits who foresee a particular need or plan for the individual. The shaman of the tribe inspects each child and grants him a name in accordance with whatever insight comes to the shaman. Upon reaching adulthood the child is expelled from the village with a pair of the tribe's spears, one for throwing and one for melee. The child is considered a man when he returns with the tooth of an animal which becomes his totem. Occasionally, a pair of children that were born near the same time will work together to conquer a beast, and this is completely acceptable, the kill credited to both of the youths. I would imagine that the tradition of hunting in pairs would be customary with twins. Also, you speak of the traditions concerning males, what of the rituals and traditions of females? During adulthood, those that manage to live to an older age and adequately complete their life's work undergo the rite of eldership, wherein their hair is shaved and their head is encircled runes drawn in blood to mark the completion. When their body perishes, the stomach is slit open and they are placed on the top of a hill to ease their passage into the spirit world. What is the significance of the slitting of the stomach and the placing atop a hill? Is the soul thought to reside within the viscera? Are hills seen as being of special significance or is it merely that they are elevated places and thus 'closer' to the sky? Those who fail in their calling are just "old" receiving no mark of distinction and find their bodies buried in the ground. Upon their death, these disgraced individuals remain with the tribe as restless spirits. The tribe feeds them regularly, and they often work to keep individuals from straying from their path, coaxing them or bludgeoning them back onto the proper path. These spirits remain until a child appears that can and does redeem them by completing the work they were intended for themselves. Some wait a very long time. Why would the tribe feed the ghosts at all? Why not let them perish and be forgotten? Also, do these ghosts really hang around or it is simply part of the belief system? The most powerful binding of a tribe is the phrase "I will tell you a truth" or on occasion a number of truths. The next statement or statements the Aqm speaks are absolutely true to the extent of his knowledge. No one is allowed to compel this from an Aqm; it is a sacred gift that must be given willingly. Coercion allows the Aqm to lie even in this context, thus threatening the life of an Aqm and demanding he use the phrase are not sufficient to truly be certain. A non-coerced pledge, however, is binding on pain of death. Aqm who are proven wrong, or should the condition later change, will kill themselves before accepting the pledge as broken. What is the origin of this rather peculiar tradition about telling the truth. It seems that this practice might be somewhat detrimental to the group as a whole. There is little if any commerce amongst the Aqm. Someone simply makes the spears and the warriors use them whereas those who gather food or hunt share it freely. Many members of the tribes would rather starve than deny his neighbor food and often when misfortune falls upon a family within the tribe; the misfortune is felt by other tribe members more than the family. Surprisingly to the outsider, this actually encourages each tribe member to work hard to provide for himself so as to avoid the inconvenience of his neighbors. Is the rest of their society similarly communal in nature or is it merely an economic practice? Warriors of the Aqm wear no armor at all, and it is actually very uncommon to find members of the Aqm that wear more than a loincloth and a pair of leather sandal, though the Aqm warrior eschews even these so as to toughen his feat. Heat exhaustion and general discomfort is a very real problem on the savannah if one does wear much of anything. Their primary method of defense is their tower shields, made of hide and surprisingly light for their size. Despite the lack of personal property, the shield of a warrior is considered to be owned by the chief and those who lose theirs are destined to a dishonorable death. The Aqm use a sort of shortspear called an “assegai” useful for throwing or melee, well loved for the ability to quickly extract it from an enemy. Extra spears are held in the off hand with the shield, easily grasped one after the other. Should the warrior run out or lose his spears, a bladed gauntlet made of bone is used to fight until another spear can be retrieved. I'm getting a rather maasai-esque vibe from these people. Aqm society is theoretically based around the rule of the most skilled or the most perfect. Each tribe's chieftain is chosen based on a battery of tests of skill after the death, or sometimes retirement, of the former chief. They are based around attempting to draw the entrants to their absolute physical and mental limits; however, teamwork is quite common and is rather necessary to keep the individual player from becoming too battered and weary. If looked at in game terms, the individual in the tribe with the greatest summation of ability modifiers will almost always win the games, assuming levels are more or less equal. These tests are enterable by any who have undergone the rites of adulthood for the particular tribe, including the occasional foreigner. Any ideas as to the structure and composition of these tests of skill? On occasions that the tribes need to unite, they send the eldest member of the tribe to serve as a representative of a tribal council to the "Cornerstone of the World" a massive pillar inscribed with a long forgotten language deep in the heart of the grasslands. Only the tribes know of the pillar's location and death befalls all who speak of it to an outsider, even those that have been accepted into a tribe. Only those who are of Aqm blood are allowed to be told, though and outsider who discovers the place on his own are not harmed. The council is more a consultation and the attendants are not bound to work together, though any who would send their elder are generally interested in cooperation. This "Cornerstone of the World" intrigues me. Have you any notion of what it might be? Is it a natural formation that is merely decorated or is it some artificial structure? |
| DonThelonious10-29-07, 05:57 AM | Well, I had a great idea of what to do with my grasslands, so feel free to read below and offer critiques. I will try, but I don't know how good I might be at it. An odd idea came to me, perhaps simple rituals we attribute to children these days have some actual power in my region: Chanting the name of a ghost three times while gazing into a mirror in dim light might actually draw the creature's attention; Swearing blood brothers with someone might actually allow for blood intermingling, making a difference in familial lineage indistinguishable via magic and the like; Etc... This is such a cool idea. I have a few questions though: Will you have historic "mirror monsters" like our RL Bloody Mary or Candyman? And what would be the signigance of the spit shake? I think I'm against adding in classes into the world's cannon from non-Wizards material that is not our own creation. If you want to use the Ultimate *'s in your own campaign, please feel free, but I don't think they're appropriate to incorporate into the setting directly. I can't really explain why, rationally, but I don't like the idea. Understood, it was just something that caught my eye. It in fact got me very inspired to build some more prestige classes. Also it gave me a lot of ideas for the Savage Paladin class I want to build. Aqm [/SIZE]Government: Tribal Aretocracy Economy: Primitive Communism Ruling Body: None / Occasionally Tribal Council Capitol: Yämäsärät Dngay Aaläme ("Cornerstone of the World") Population: ? Demographics: 100% Aqm (Human?) Religion: Animism Major Languages: 100% Aqm Nominal Alignment: N How large is the territory they control? That would play a big part in your population size, as well as the amount of foodstuffs available. For the races I have to agree with D_S that hobgoblin would likely be your best bet. Though gnolls might also work, as well as centaurs, possibly minotaurs if you change the flavor and satyrs also. Physically, Aqm are on average slightly taller than the average human, primarily due to longer limbs, with dark skin and straight, coarse black hair. They are infamous for their ability to cover large distances rapidly, even when an entire tribe is involved. Some of them are capable of marathon type feats. Lesser known but still exceptional is their ability to heal wounds despite generally poor medical knowledge and the lack of magics. You could leave them human and take away the standard human bonus feat and give them Endurance as a racial bonus feat. Spirituality is very important to the Aqm peoples. All members of the tribe are gifts from the spirits who foresee a particular need or plan for the individual. The shaman of the tribe inspects each child and grants him a name in accordance with whatever insight comes to the shaman. Upon reaching adulthood the child is expelled from the village with a pair of the tribe's spears, one for throwing and one for melee. The child is considered a man when he returns with the tooth of an animal which becomes his totem. Occasionally, a pair of children that were born near the same time will work together to conquer a beast, and this is completely acceptable, the kill credited to both of the youths. What are some common totems? What sort of wildlife is there that potential adults could hunt? During adulthood, those that manage to live to an older age and adequately complete their life's work undergo the rite of eldership, wherein their hair is shaved and their head is encircled runes drawn in blood to mark the completion. When their body perishes, the stomach is slit open and they are placed on the top of a hill to ease their passage into the spirit world. Those who fail in their calling are just "old" receiving no mark of distinction and find their bodies buried in the ground. Upon their death, these disgraced individuals remain with the tribe as restless spirits. The tribe feeds them regularly, and they often work to keep individuals from straying from their path, coaxing them or bludgeoning them back onto the proper path. These spirits remain until a child appears that can and does redeem them by completing the work they were intended for themselves. Some wait a very long time. What sorts of life-quests do they have? Whats to stop a lazy member from simply saying his/her life-quest is to be sure the others can provide for all by not doing anything? You also mention spirits that remain with the tribe. Are these physically manifested spirits, or just intangible voices that lament their existence until someone completes their life-quest? The most powerful binding of a tribe is the phrase "I will tell you a truth" or on occasion a number of truths. The next statement or statements the Aqm speaks are absolutely true to the extent of his knowledge. No one is allowed to compel this from an Aqm; it is a sacred gift that must be given willingly. Coercion allows the Aqm to lie even in this context, thus threatening the life of an Aqm and demanding he use the phrase are not sufficient to truly be certain. A non-coerced pledge, however, is binding on pain of death. Aqm who are proven wrong, or should the condition later change, will kill themselves before accepting the pledge as broken. I like this, it gives them a noble savage feeling, though I have the same questions as D_S on this one. There is little if any commerce amongst the Aqm. Someone simply makes the spears and the warriors use them whereas those who gather food or hunt share it freely. Many members of the tribes would rather starve than deny his neighbor food and often when misfortune falls upon a family within the tribe; the misfortune is felt by other tribe members more than the family. Surprisingly to the outsider, this actually encourages each tribe member to work hard to provide for himself so as to avoid the inconvenience of his neighbors. So then everyone is everybody's responsibility? Once again, what happens to the ones that abuse this? Warriors of the Aqm wear no armor at all, and it is actually very uncommon to find members of the Aqm that wear more than a loincloth and a pair of leather sandal, though the Aqm warrior eschews even these so as to toughen his feat. Heat exhaustion and general discomfort is a very real problem on the savannah if one does wear much of anything. Their primary method of defense is their tower shields, made of hide and surprisingly light for their size. Despite the lack of personal property, the shield of a warrior is considered to be owned by the chief and those who lose theirs are destined to a dishonorable death. The Aqm use a sort of shortspear called an “assegai” useful for throwing or melee, well loved for the ability to quickly extract it from an enemy. Extra spears are held in the off hand with the shield, easily grasped one after the other. Should the warrior run out or lose his spears, a bladed gauntlet made of bone is used to fight until another spear can be retrieved. What could potentially cause a warrior to lose his honor? Aqm society is theoretically based around the rule of the most skilled or the most perfect. Each tribe's chieftain is chosen based on a battery of tests of skill after the death, or sometimes retirement, of the former chief. They are based around attempting to draw the entrants to their absolute physical and mental limits; however, teamwork is quite common and is rather necessary to keep the individual player from becoming too battered and weary. If looked at in game terms, the individual in the tribe with the greatest summation of ability modifiers will almost always win the games, assuming levels are more or less equal. These tests are enterable by any who have undergone the rites of adulthood for the particular tribe, including the occasional foreigner. So foreigners can hold the place as chief? I imagine this could cause no end of problems, since likely the foreigner is going to be an adventurer. Also, whats to stop a foreign chief from taking the entire clan back to his lands? ---- Well, its not much but I hope it helps. :twitch: |
| LefferDP10-29-07, 06:09 AM | It could prove interesting, especially if you draw from other aspects of folklore as well for inspiration. Suggestions would be nice. We could compile a list of rituals that work. I'm afraid I am not familiar with the term Aretocracy, I'm assuming (from what you wrote later on) that you are drawing the term from the Greek word arete meaning 'best' or 'excellent' in an essential sort of way. However, the 'ocracy' form of arete is aristocracy which could pose a bit of a linguistic wrinkle. It sounds to me as though the Aqm operate under a form of meritocracy. I suppose meritocracy would work, but I like the idea of arete as a part of it. You're right though, if arete tursn to aristocracy, it's definately got connotations I'd rather my peoples not inherit. As to the question of species, I can think of several possibilities. Humans would work to be sure as they have no particular weakness. However, Hobgoblins combine the agility and stamina that seem to be so important to the Aqm. I strongly considered the hobgoblin as well. My primary problem, I suppose, was the LA. I feel like the hobgoblin would need to be granted some ability or have something taken away for them to be adequate. What is the reason that they lack an understanding of magic? I suppose the same reason their technology is just not advanced, they just never saw need to advance. I would imagine adepts and the odd spirit shaman would make up most of their casters with perhaps the very rare sorceror or favored soul. Mostly happenstance. I would imagine that the tradition of hunting in pairs would be customary with twins. Also, you speak of the traditions concerning males, what of the rituals and traditions of females? Yes, I really wanted to foster the idea that the culture sees no shame in working together with others to achieve a goal, though not all do. Perfection can not be hand while the rest of the tribe is imperfect. My intention was that though I used the masculine term, both sexes tended towards a similar vein. Perhasp the coming of age ceremony doesn't quite fit, though Aqm women are known to be strong and vicious enough that Aqm men prefer not to trifle with them. What is the significance of the slitting of the stomach and the placing atop a hill? Is the soul thought to reside within the viscera? Are hills seen as being of special significance or is it merely that they are elevated places and thus 'closer' to the sky? Yes, it's to help the soul slip free from the body. The hills were simply intended as an elevated place to get the spirit closer to the heavens. I suppose the people have some understanding that it requires less energy to gain height the higher up one is. Why would the tribe feed the ghosts at all? Why not let them perish and be forgotten? Also, do these ghosts really hang around or it is simply part of the belief system? Because, Aqm would rather starve than not see their neighbor fed. This is especially true for those who cannot feed generally themselves, such as ghosts. Besides, occasionally unfed spirits get hungry and decide the Aqm or creatures the Aqm hunt might look tasty and may attack either. Yes, they do really hang around. [qoute]What is the origin of this rather peculiar tradition about telling the truth. It seems that this practice might be somewhat detrimental to the group as a whole.[/quote] Why would you think that? It is a slightly more round-about way of ensuring truthfulness, which is generally good for a society. Is the rest of their society similarly communal in nature or is it merely an economic practice? Perhaps within family units, yes, but each family is a rather self-contained organism. I'm getting a rather maasai-esque vibe from these people. It leans heavily on the Zulu, actually, but it's really an amalgam. Any ideas as to the structure and composition of these tests of skill? Absolutely no idea whatsoever. This "Cornerstone of the World" intrigues me. Have you any notion of what it might be? Is it a natural formation that is merely decorated or is it some artificial structure? It's artifical, but the origin's meant to be mysterious. One idea I had was that it was almost like a giant rosetta stone. |
| LefferDP10-29-07, 06:30 AM | I skipped a couple things I'd already covered above. I will try, but I don't know how good I might be at it. This is such a cool idea. I have a few questions though: Will you have historic "mirror monsters" like our RL Bloody Mary or Candyman? And what would be the signigance of the spit shake? Historics do add a nice touch to it. They're more than likely somehow magically historic, though, rather than simply a bloody queen. How large is the territory they control? That would play a big part in your population size, as well as the amount of foodstuffs available. I'm not really sure, yet. They'll have a good portion of the lands near the werepeoples, I think. What are some common totems? What sort of wildlife is there that potential adults could hunt? I will have to work more on this, it's definately important to think about. What sorts of life-quests do they have? Whats to stop a lazy member from simply saying his/her life-quest is to be sure the others can provide for all by not doing anything? The most common ones simply state a profession of sorts. Such as becoming the greatest of spearmakers or protecting one's village from attack. Some are more specific, such as healing wounds between waring tribes and the like. It is not the place of someone else to tell a man how to go about his lifequest. Occasionally, the spirits will grant him a vision to steer him on his path if he finds himself stuck. The shaman simply has to ask the spiritworld if a supplicant has completed his task once the man believes he has and if so, the man ascends to elderhood. You also mention spirits that remain with the tribe. Are these physically manifested spirits, or just intangible voices that lament their existence until someone completes their life-quest? They can manifest somewhat, but they are generally completely intangible and the manifestations take a lot out of them, generally fueled by emotion. Personality-wise, they more or less keep what they had in life, though they can often grow considerable over time, developing the maturity of thousands of years. So then everyone is everybody's responsibility? Once again, what happens to the ones that abuse this? Every man is indeed everyone's responsibility. Abuse is simply taken with a shrug and a belief that is simply the way of things, though the abuser will generally be looked down upon, even by the children. What could potentially cause a warrior to lose his honor? Losing his shield is a big one. Showing cowardice when faced with a decent chance of success... Hm. So foreigners can hold the place as chief? I imagine this could cause no end of problems, since likely the foreigner is going to be an adventurer. Also, whats to stop a foreign chief from taking the entire clan back to his lands? Nothing, really, but I imagine a spear to the back or outright desertion would readily occur. |
| dragonoverlord10-29-07, 02:22 PM | hey, i was wondering what regions are still unclaimed? i was thinking about possibly contributing something and i would like to know where i could do this. |
| Darth Syntax10-29-07, 03:48 PM | The currently open regions are (to the best of my knowledge) 6. Northern temperate and polar 11. Equatorial (attached to the super continent) 14. Southern temperate and polar 15. Southern temperate and polar 20. Equatorial |
| DonThelonious10-29-07, 06:04 PM | Okay, I have a new tribe up for review. This is the one for Cael, so Soviet I think you might have a very great interest in this. Enjoy! Theralosian Tribe Lesser Theronian Tribe Government Type: Direct Intervention and Sacred Triad Ruling Welkin: Theralos (aka: Cael) Current Leaders: Bobak al~Asef (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)8/Fighter2) Darab al~Faraj (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)10) Farbod Ebi Daryush (LN Male Kobold Cleric of Theros10) Population: 19,500 Economic Type: Trade/Barter Currency: Shisheh(Turquoise coated in yellow glass) Species Demographics: 60% Orc, 38% Kobold, 2% Other Capitol: Theralos Vale Beast Totem: Pachyrhinosaurus War Beasts: Pachyrinosaurus, Gasosaurus Nominal Alignment: Lawful Good The Theralosian Tribe is an offshoot of the Theronian Tribe located on the southwest Island of the Fallenstar region. It consists mainly of orcs, though a small population of kobolds also hails from this tribe. Originally the orcs were nothing more than squabbling clans of violent savages, until Theralos (actually Cael posing as the orcish son of the greater Welkin Theron) came to the lands in XXXX and took them into his care. He brought order to the chaotic clans and organized them into one united tribe under the Khoob Qânoon Barâye~Solh, better known as the Great Law of Peace. Cael, in the form of Theralos brought the two great prophet chiefs of the originally warring orcish clans, Bobak al~Asef and Darab al~Faraj, together and made them join together in a ritual blood-oath. The two chiefs were originally reluctant but after using their divination magics saw the truth in Theralos’ call for brotherhood. Since then two of the Sacred Triads positions have been filled by orc Diviners, who serve for life and are chosen by Theralos himself. Upon being chosen these orcs give up their given names and previous clan affiliations, taking on the names of the two original Diviners who made the oath and claiming all clans yet none. According to the legends, the evil kobolds that also lived in the area of Theralos Vale were eventually won over to the side of good by Theranos when he approached their chieftan, Farbod Ebi Daryush, who lay dying from an arrow wound that had become badly infected with Demon Fever. When asked by Theralos if he would convert to the side of good if one good act could save his life, the proud chieftain gasped with his final breath that he would. Theralos then summoned his power and restored the dead kobold to life. From that day forward the kobolds gave up their treacherous and evil ways, embracing Theralos and his teachings whole heartedly. The final seat of the Sacred Triad was then filled by Farbod Ebi Daryush, who had converted and become the first Cleric of Theralos, and the name and seat have been held his devout kobold followers ever since. For the last several centuries the Theralosian tribe has prospered, with small farming villages dotting the plains and forests of their realm within greater Theron. They grow crops of grain and squash, and raise herds of Bestalimnos they received when the Theronian tribe and the Paisanguen made joined in the Great Alliance against the vile Dragon Welkin. They supplement their diet with Brachiosaurs that are hunted once a year in a great ceremony, the meat of which is dried. One brachiosaur can easily feed and entire village for the better part of a year. Ethics and Beliefs: For the Theralosian people life is a constant struggle against between the noble forces of good and the dire forces of evil. “No rest for the wicked!” is an often heard battle cry from the orcish Heivân~Barâdar atop their Pachyrhinosaurus mounts. “For Theralos the Lifegiver!” is the oft heard call of the dedicated kobolds from atop their ferocious Gasosaurus steeds. Thanks to the teachings of Cael, through his alter ego Theralos, a new type of dedicated holy warrior was developed to help combat chaotic forces of evil, the Heivân~Barâdar or Savage Paladin. Combining traits from both the raging barbarian and the steadfast paladin, these holy warriors are unfaltering in their duty of protecting the innocent from the ravages of evil. Theralos has also taught his people to appreciate the spirit of nature is always surrounding them. According to his teachings the Earth Mother and all her children, even those that are evil, must be shown the greatest of respect. Every creature that is killed, every tree that is felled and every stone that is used or mined must be given thanks for being a part of the great cycle of life. Failure to do so is a sin of the highest caliber, and is punishable by banishment from the tribe. Clans of the Theralosian: The Theralosian tribe is composed of three distinct clans. Though these clans makie up the tribe, each one has its own distinct and individual traditions and customs. Sang Mardom: This was the first clan to be approached by Theralos, and so considers itself the first of his children, and is comprised entirely of orcs. The internal workings of the clan are controlled by women by virtue of their holding sway over all things domestic. Sang Mardom women hold sole ownership over land and households. These women are also responsible for the wellbeing of the clan, and each household within the clan is run by a Clan Mother. The Sang Mardom men are charged with finding and developing new sites for villages, as well as maintaining their Bestalimnos herds, protection from dangerous predators, and maintaining hunting and fishing grounds so they do not become overrun and wild. Sang Mardom men are also the only members of the clan that are able to hold the title of Sachem, a position of power that decides when and how things are to be handled, as well as making the monthly journey to Theralos Vale for council with the Sacred Triad. Mardom et~Derkaht: The second clan to be approached, the Mardom et~Derkaht were a brutal clan of thieves and deceivers. Orcs, humans and half-orcs make up this clan, making them the most diverse in the tribe. This lawful good clan is also a near perfect anarchy. There is no set leader, nor is there any actual set of rules governing the clan, everyone simply does what they perceive is best for the Mardom et~Derkaht. Odd as it sounds this clan controls the largest Bestalimnos herds as well as some of the best breeding stock in the region. The Mardom et~Derkaht were never much for the agrarian lifestyle of their Sang Modom brothers and sisters, preferring to roam and follow the their herds across the expanses of prairie under their control. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom: The once evil kobolds of the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are now the spiritual leaders of the Theralosian tribe. They are the only known true clerics in all of Fallenstar. The Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are also the most outspoken in their devotion to Theralos. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom society is split into four castes, with the clerics, or rather Dânesh-joo et~Theralos, first; then the Atash Jang who make up their warrior sect; the Bâstân~Ab who care for the fields and farms; and finally the Sarbâz et~Bâd who are the community hunters and herd masters. Each of these castes represents one of the four elements that make up all life in the world, and so each is viewed as an equal. This allows every member of the clan the freedom to speak his views with out fear of being ignored. Dress: Theralosian dress is comprised mostly of long flowing robes of bestalimnos fur that is woven into a very soft cloth. Men wear long pants of the same fabric, called Fereshteh Moo. Usually in bright greens and yellows. Women of the tribe generally wear long skirts in dark browns, greens and black. In times of war the Theralosians warriors will wear dark red veils called Dâhâinch. These veils cover their faces from the bottoms of their eyes to their chests. The veils are used to protect the face of the wearer from the eyes of of his enemy, so that when the enemy is killed he cannot go into the afterlife and bring harm to the Theralosians departed relatives. It has been noted that no Theralosian will kill without their Dâhâinch in place. The Political Structure of the Theralosian Tribe: I will have this up for review later. Any suggestions will help. |
| DonThelonious10-30-07, 03:24 AM | Cool, We can make a chat room on our Wiki!!!!:D I just found this out, forgive me...:blush: ---- Hey D_S and Soviet: How do you guys make those tables of contents? I have been trying like hell, but its a no go:weep:. |
| dragonoverlord10-30-07, 09:55 AM | I would like regions 14 and/or 15, if possible. Also, how did you make the maps? |
| Darth Syntax10-30-07, 03:15 PM | Region 15 would put you directly to the west of Southern Ilaros (my own region) and thus close to the Maritime Republics and, to a lesser extent the Ejantuli Empire, who are currently engaged in substantial overseas trade and colonization. -- As to map making, I use photoshop to make mine and I think Soviet uses Autorealm. If you want, you can make a draft of your map in whatever program you would like and I can do a version on photoshop. |
| Araes10-30-07, 07:50 PM | Wow, I didn't realize that 1, 2, 3, 8, and 18 were all in limbo without actual maps right now. Is that correct? Although I did see drawings for 3 a while back. Honestly my opinion is that if folks don't at least put up something (even if its just a scribble in paint) relatively quickly, say within a week or two, then their area ought to be forfeit for those who would be interested in it. Really, with regard to the world, you can't get that far away from colonialism as it appears on the map now. With the 4-10-17 continent and the 9-16-19 (which will at least become 3-9-11-16-18-19) continent, there's nowhere that's not within at least one major shipping lane as things stand. Looking at the map, someone from either continent could almost circumnavigate the globe. Right now it mostly depends on how 3 is laid out. My personal preference is that one region should be given away at a time until someone has shown a decent amount of commitment towards producing content. IE, they've at least got a map, a few countries, things like that. That said, feel free to choose 14 or 15. That whole block around 7 has been pretty lonely. Be interesting to see what that part of the world is like. Also, stylistically, it seemed kind of amusing to me with the two moons if the larger were a d12 and the smaller were a d6. The "dwelve" and the "dwix" as it were. |
| taski10-30-07, 09:41 PM | I've been discussing this Project with DS for a while, as he may have referenced a couple times, and I finally came up with an idea for an area of my own. A tiny, isolated archipelago, as of yet undiscovered. I'd like it to be in either region 15 or 14, with a slight preference for 15. The rough idea is that these islands was discovered by some lost Darfellan hundreds of years ago, and they've been living there for so long that they'd forgotten that anyone else exists. They think the rest of the whole world is just ocean. Though there are plenty of shipping lanes through the region itself, the islands are far to the south and the seas in that part of the region are treacherous. The archipelago remains undiscovered by other civilizations, leaving it for explorer-type PCs to find. |
| dragonoverlord10-31-07, 10:14 AM | i will take region 14. my basic geographic idea is there is that there are two main continental land masses, one part of the southern polar thing and the other a continuation of the continent in regions 9, 19, and 16, but separated from the rest by a very high, completely shear sided, mountain range. the first takes up the lower third, and the second takes up the upper eastern third. they are separated by a very narrow piece of water. there are a few island in the upper western third, including a couple large ones. the basic idea of the area is that it recently ( 20-50 years ago) had a series of wars that decimated the population and caused a lot of political and societal upheaval. also, the last battle of the wars created a large hole on one of the continents with a few jagged spires of rock inside it and a fractured landscape around it, and caused the destruction of most of the old gods. |
| Darth Syntax10-31-07, 03:58 PM | Araes, I can see the merit in potentially re-opening those portions of the world that have theoretically been taken but have little or no content developed. However, I would like to give the current owners of said regions a chance to let us know their intentions. The current regions that are occupied about which we known little or nothing (not counting our two new people) are: Region 2: Turalisj Region 6: Lost Mage Region 18: (I forget the proposed author, but he/she only posted once and then disappeared) There are also several regions about which we know something or other, but from which we've not heard very much for some time: Region 7: Elidorath Region 8. Alexeduardo I would like to keep these as they are for now, unless the authors state otherwise or it becomes clear that we're running out of space and we've got new people with a lot of ideas ready to be developed. The other regions that are claimed but lacking in development are all fairly newish so I'd like to keep them as they are and encourage their respective authors and/or find out what they would like to do with their regions. Anyway, before we really do anything we should probably have a lively discussion on the topic. -- On the moons, shouldn't they be a d12 and a d10? -- dragonoverlord, welcome to region 14. Some map commentary: Your idea to attach to the super continent might not work out as we don't know exactly how regions 18, 20, and 11 are shaped. If you want you could attach yourself to one of these regions instead and then connection issues would not be a problem. On content: Most of what you've got sounds good, but I am slightly worried that your 'blasted crater' bit might be stepping on Thel's thematic toes a little. However I'll leave that for you and he to discuss. -- Taski, HA! So it finally happened and you've joined this excellent exercise in insanity. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. |
| Araes10-31-07, 08:03 PM | Wow, that quickly filled in quite a bit of territory with both 14 and 15 taken. On the moons, shouldn't they be a d12 and a d10? How so? It was proposed that one was large and one was small. Seems like they could be any pair of dice smaller than a d20 that were not identical. Region 2: Turalisj Region 6: Lost Mage Region 18: (I forget the proposed author, but he/she only posted once and then disappeared) There are also several regions about which we know something or other, but from which we've not heard very much for some time: Region 7: Elidorath Region 8. Alexeduardo I would like to keep these as they are for now, unless the authors state otherwise or it becomes clear that we're running out of space and we've got new people with a lot of ideas ready to be developed. The other regions that are claimed but lacking in development are all fairly newish so I'd like to keep them as they are and encourage their respective authors and/or find out what they would like to do with their regions. I can understand keeping the ones that are more recent around, but ones like the single post for 18 seem to me like they ought to flow back into the pool. They could simply flow back with a note saying "Was previously claimed, but no contributions were made." Its a common enough problem on message boards and the like that we ought to just say what we'll do up front. Course, yellowdingo, who started this, also hasn't been around in ages. Thel's near enough the top though, and has a summary post anyhow, so he could include it. |
| DonThelonious10-31-07, 10:20 PM | Well, I fixed the summary post, and just to let everyone know I will no longer be updating it, I am directing all interestied parties to the wiki. -- As for Dragonoverlod stepping on my thematic toes, I would like to know more about his potential vortex. If it is anything like mine, then I would have to say no go, I already called it. If on the other hand its is some sort of black hole/magical portal type thing then I have absolutly no problems with it. -- Oh, and let me say Welcome aboard Dragonoverlod and Taski! :D |
| Darth Syntax10-31-07, 10:22 PM | I drawn up a map of Taski's region from a draft that she sent me and here it is for your viewing pleasure. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/1811409249_5939e2514d_o.jpg -- Speaking of region 18, if we do reopen it (as seems likely) then dragonoverlord might want to move his/her region there as it would allow of being attached to the super continent without difficulty. |
| DonThelonious10-31-07, 10:52 PM | I am considering allowing racial bloodlines from the unearthed arcana. Opinions, yea or nay, anybody else planning on using them? |
| Araes10-31-07, 11:28 PM | I have no preference one way or the other towards them honestly. I wasn't going to include them overtly in my area, but if someone wanted to use them I wouldn't really care either. The worlds a big place. Besides, I've already said yes to Races books, so bloodlines wouldn't be much of a step. |
| Darth Syntax11-01-07, 12:26 AM | I'm with Araes on this one. And for your region, Thel, I can see why they would make sense. As for possible bloodlines among the Ilaroi, I would imagine that the genie, elemental, fiendish and celestial might occur. As there are no dragons (other than 'dragon' turtles and sea serpents) those would be out, and the same goes for giant bloodlines. -- Thel, I was reading over your Beastiary and I noted that you used an Orothoi scholar as your introductory quote. No problems there, but the name you used is rather unlikely (It would be a bit like being named Temujin in early modern England or John Smith among the ancient Maya). The same goes for the title of 'sir' as there are no 'knights' among them. I was wondering if I might suggest a name or three? |
| DonThelonious11-01-07, 12:47 AM | I'm with Araes on this one. And for your region, Thel, I can see why they would make sense. As for possible bloodlines among the Ilaroi, I would imagine that the genie, elemental, fiendish and celestial might occur. As there are no dragons (other than 'dragon' turtles and sea serpents) those would be out, and the same goes for giant bloodlines. I havn't decided on exactly what bloodlines would be in my region. Dragon and Titan obviously, possibly some of the giants as well. Hmmm.... I will get back to everyone on this... -- Thel, I was reading over your Beastiary and I noted that you used an Orothoi scholar as your introductory quote. No problems there, but the name you used is rather unlikely (It would be a bit like being named Temujin in early modern England or John Smith among the ancient Maya). The same goes for the title of 'sir' as there are no 'knights' among them. I was wondering if I might suggest a name or three? I was hoping you would notice that. And as for names, please do. Preferably explorers that are of some historic merit in Orothos. Also, if you wanted to rewrite the intro, mayhaps give it a a more Orothoi textbook feel that would be fine by me. |
| Darth Syntax11-01-07, 02:06 AM | Here's a little blurb I dashed off concerning the flora and fauna of Fallenstar by the Orothoi naturalist Mélos Iarvenno, one of the earlier scientific explorers of that region. (The date given is highly negotiable) Upon our arrival in Asteriothe (this is the Orothoi name for Fallenstar – Ed.) I was struck by the very variety of plants, of birds, and of the beasts of both land and sea. Nature, it seemed, had run riot in the colors, shapes, and the forms life and each specimen I collected and cataloged was stranger, more fantastic, that those that came before. It was easy to stand in awe of the place and forget its darker and more sinister side. I had all but forgotten that the beautiful beetle pinned beneath my lens began its life as a parasite lodged in the hind-brain of our ship’s third mate, killing the poor man as it bored its way out, or that one elegant and stately species bird impaled its’ prey upon the thorns of a poisonous bush and left them there to die in agony. . . . . .This work has not been without its costs, for we have lost twenty of our company to the beasts of the place and fifteen more are either dead or dying of diseases that even the dromite physician has no name for. I am of the latter company, struck by some slow wasting disease that has robbed me of my speech and wracked me with pains such as I cannot hope to describe. Yet for all this, even for my own life, I believe it justified. The knowledge we have gained will save our number a hundred times over in the years to come. Those who follow after us will know more than we, and live the better for our pains. I only regret I shall not live to read their accounts . . . - From the Prologue of Mélos Iarvenno’s On the Natural History of Asteriothe, The University of Theneka, 1447. |
| dragonoverlord11-01-07, 11:47 AM | my basic idea with the hole is that during the last battle of the war, tremendous amounts of magic were used by both sides, and the old gods where physically on the field of battle, and eventually the strain on the magic became to great, and it,magic in general, just exploded, tearing a hole in the earth. currently, the giant hole is in appearance a big hole that has no visible bottom, but does have a few spires of rock jutting out of it. outside of the spires, it is full of wild and dead magic zones, random magic bolts that duplicate the effects of any evocation or necromancy spell, and any spell caster that stares into it for more than 1 minute is in danger of becoming insane. no magic item work predictably in it, some even explode. also, anyone who falls into the hole will , if not killed first, fall through a magic portal that takes them to a demi-plane that is full of everything that they fear and which is almost impossible to escape from. the spires are surrounded by a magical barrier, each maintained a powerful artifact buried deep inside them, that protects them from the effects of the hole and prevents any magic from leaving or entering it. I do not really need the one continent to be connected to the super continent physically. what i really want is for there to have been some commercial ties between the nations of the super continent, and maybe other continents, before the wars began. the connection can be by land or sea, and the mountains were magically raised at some point in the war to severe the connection, the only way to get to that area now is through the straits between it and the other land, or though the islands to the north east and east of it, since this side does not have the mountain range on it. the wars lasted for about 200 years, and the reconnecting of the area ith the rest of the world is one of the major current issues in the area. i also have a question, is there any underdark in this world? |
| Araes11-01-07, 07:37 PM | i also have a question, is there any underdark in this world? Speaking only to my own area: In terms of whether there is extensive groups of people living below the surface of the world who build cities and communities there? Most definitely yes - With the numbers of mining and mountain city building cultures I've got, there is a pretty massive inhabitation of places away from the sun. Sighvat, Mildar, and Nerat all build extensively downward, and most of the mountain ranges in my area have been heavily excavated. There are also connecting networks of tunnels and such that have been built between them. In terms of a more massive construct like Faerun, with whole civilizations that live only beneath the surface, and where verticle slices of the land look like pieces of foam. Not sure - I'm personally considering it, as I like the idea of doing some of that, and then also having those tunnel networks interact with the underwater regions and perhaps connect to other landmasses. Its just more to write though. As with most things on this project, the choice is largely up to the creator of the area section. If they want an underdark, there's an underdark at least where they are. Connections and movement to other areas around it are more a matter of negotiation like we've been doing surface wise with Thel and colonization. |
| LefferDP11-01-07, 10:45 PM | I vote favorably for bloodlines. They seem neato keen. I would avoid diluting them beyond the Titan and Dragon, though. They become unspecial if there are a lot of different kinds around, I would say. On yet another note to Thel, what do you feel about some sort of system to make fighter-types that don't wear armor more competitive besides the paints? Perhaps a feat or series of feats that allow access to the UA's Defense Bonus? --- As to the Underdark... Something with the same basic idea but completely different from the Forgotten Realm's Underdark is good with me. On that note, I'd be happy to completely avoid drow, but that's just a visceral reaction as I have so many bad connotations with them. If we must have drow, I preemptively declare no surface drow, maybe sunlight turns them to ashes like vampires or something. --- I'm pretty definitely going to use the hobgoblins. Should I try to make some modifications to the Hobgoblins to make them more deserving of their +1 LA or should I just leave well enough alone? I'm frankly not sure what I could do to make it more balanced without going overboard. |
| Darth Syntax11-02-07, 12:45 AM | I do not really need the one continent to be connected to the super continent physically. what i really want is for there to have been some commercial ties between the nations of the super continent, and maybe other continents, before the wars began. the connection can be by land or sea, and the mountains were magically raised at some point in the war to severe the connection, the only way to get to that area now is through the straits between it and the other land, or though the islands to the north east and east of it, since this side does not have the mountain range on it. From your current position it would be fairly easy for there be be trade with the various maritime powers of Ilaros as there is little but water and bad weather between your region and mine. the wars lasted for about 200 years, and the reconnecting of the area ith the rest of the world is one of the major current issues in the area. Two hundred years is a very long time for a sustained war. If, however it was more like the Warring States period in China or the Hundred Years war between England and France it would make a bit more sense. Also, how long ago did this war end? You said something before about 20-50 years but I originally took that to be the duration of the conflict. However, if this is the length of time sense of the end of the wars then I would imagine that your people would be fairly keen to get their economies going again. i also have a question, is there any underdark in this world? I'll add my voice to the chorus here in favor of doing what you need with your own region. As for myself, there are strange cavern systems and the like but these are home to creatures very much different from the peoples of the surface. Odd biologies that resemble more the life around deep sea vents and that sort of thing. Myconids possibly as well. -- As to drow, I've never been a huge fan of them as they just don't make much sense, especially in their generic flavor. That said, if they did exist I would rather see them more like the morlocks from The Time Machine, or something even stranger, than the dull spider fetishists of FR. |
| DonThelonious11-02-07, 01:02 AM | Here's a little blurb I dashed off concerning the flora and fauna of Fallenstar by the Orothoi naturalist Mélos Iarvenno, one of the earlier scientific explorers of that region. (The date given is highly negotiable) -- Upon our arrival in Asteriothe (this is the Orothoi name for Fallenstar – Ed.) I was struck by the very variety of plants, of birds, and of the beasts of both land and sea. Nature, it seemed, had run riot in the colors, shapes, and the forms life and each specimen I collected and cataloged was stranger, more fantastic, that those that came before. It was easy to stand in awe of the place and forget its darker and more sinister side. I had all but forgotten that the beautiful beetle pinned beneath my lens began its life as a parasite lodged in the hind-brain of our ship’s third mate, killing the poor man as it bored its way out, or that one elegant and stately species bird impaled its’ prey upon the thorns of a poisonous bush and left them there to die in agony. . . . . .This work has not been without its costs, for we have lost twenty of our company to the beasts of the place and fifteen more are either dead or dying of diseases that even the dromite physician has no name for. I am of the latter company, struck by some slow wasting disease that has robbed me of my speech and wracked me with pains such as I cannot hope to describe. Yet for all this, even for my own life, I believe it justified. The knowledge we have gained will save our number a hundred times over in the years to come. Those who follow after us will know more than we, and live the better for our pains. I only regret I shall not live to read their accounts . . . - From the Prologue of Mélos Iarvenno’s On the Natural History of Asteriothe, The University of Theneka, 1447. This is perfect. Thanks D_S. -- Dragonoverlord: Sounds to me like you will be having more of a gaping hellmouth than a vortex. Have at it. -- As for having an underdark, I have no problem with it. It would be rather improbable in my region, given the violent geological history. Underdark races are another thing entirely, since I planned on using Grimlocks (the blind subterranean humanoids) and a few races with the Insectile template from savage species tossed on them. The Grimlocks are the reason adventurers don't want to go in caves and the insectile creatures are there for flavor. -- I vote favorably for bloodlines. They seem neato keen. I would avoid diluting them beyond the Titan and Dragon, though. They become unspecial if there are a lot of different kinds around, I would say. The Titan and Dragon bloodlines would be very very rare. I am leaning towards hill giant and stone giant to underscore the fall of civilized folk. Kind of a degenerating mutation. On yet another note to Thel, what do you feel about some sort of system to make fighter-types that don't wear armor more competitive besides the paints? Perhaps a feat or series of feats that allow access to the UA's Defense Bonus? I have been thinking about that, but I still have yet to come up with a good solution other than the warpaint and the use of bone and enchanted woods for armor. I will look more into the UA and see if I can come up with something better. |
| SovietCanuck11-02-07, 01:31 AM | GAH! All right, c'est fini... I've a really good explanation as for why I haven't posted in the past few days...I've been working overtime to get the kith up to snuff for posting...and I did it! *cue rain of red and white balloons* I DID IT! Haha! 30 pages, unmodified, of text! :D The Kith are Up for your viewing pleasure! (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=947117) Critique and comment to your heart's content folks. I'm not 100% happy with what I've got there (particularly the pictures...I have three new ones drawn up, but my scanner dead, so I had to resort to some older ones...unfortunately.), so any insight and suggestions are great! Now, if you don't mind...I've got a lot of reading to catch up on this tread, so if you'll excuse me, I do believe Thel's posted Cael's tribe up here... |
| taski11-02-07, 02:31 AM | I've been brainstorming about my region with DS. It's gotten pretty interesting so far. As a whole, my island-dwelling darfellan refer to themselves as Ungku'u [uŋ.k↑uʔ.uː] (oong-koo-oo). There are two main culture groups: the Ungku'u of the north islands and the Ungku'u of the south islands. For the most part, they are very similar in culture, but their different environments have distinct effects on them. The north islands are temperate and forested, and allow for farming and stationary villages. The southern islands are too cold to farm, so the southern, nomadic Ungku'u rely on whaling, fishing, and seals for most of their diet. In the summer, the two groups trade amicably, while in the winter, they are more likely to raid each other. The south ones raid for food, while the north ones raid for whale oil. Despite the frequency of winter raids, all-out war is not common (though not unheard of). The Ungku'u population is separated into clans of very loose, extended family groups. Usually, no more than three clans occupy an island, and numerous smaller islands hold only one clan. A clan is typically governed by the eldest woman from the royal caste, the Clan Queen, while villages are typically governed by a council of elders. Ostensibly, the village council is composed of the oldest women of the royal caste, but in practice, any old person may participate as long as they show respect. Ungku'u society is separated into six castes. The Royal Caste (or Blessed Caste) leads, governs, and taxes everyone else. Below the Royal Caste, two castes share second place: the Caste of Courage and the Caste of Secrets. The Caste of Courage consists of binders (or spirit-talkers), warriors, whalers, traders, dancers and pearl-divers. The Caste of Secrets consists of wu jen (or auspicious hermits), artificers (or magical craftsmen), herbal-healers, blacksmiths, singers, and shipwrights. Below them, the Cast of Toil consists of farmers, fishermen, hunters, potters, carpenters, and other craftsmen. Petty criminals and the occasional war prisoners are stripped of their previous caste, and join the Caste of Nobodies, who are either used as slaves or exiled. The Caste of the Ill-Fated is assigned only to people who will be sacrificed, either as a punishment for severe crimes, or due to political defeat. Ungku'u religion permeates all aspects of their culture. Spirits are everywhere, ready to help or hinder if you know how to contact them. Luck, magic and cosmic order are intertwined; act in accordance with the cosmic order, and good things will happen. The gods, however, are angry, tempestuous entities with little thought and no empathy; appease them, or face disaster. The Warlock Queen will be reborn and unite the clans in a golden age, or die in the process and leave the clans doomed to war and strife. I've got some more random snippets about the Ungku'u, but they're not full-fledged ideas yet. I hope you all like my ideas so far. |
| DonThelonious11-02-07, 03:18 AM | As a whole, my island-dwelling darfellan refer to themselves as Ungku'u [uŋ.k↑uʔ.uː] (oong-koo-oo). There are two main culture groups: the Ungku'u of the north islands and the Ungku'u of the south islands. For the most part, they are very similar in culture, but their different environments have distinct effects on them. The north islands are temperate and forested, and allow for farming and stationary villages. The southern islands are too cold to farm, so the southern, nomadic Ungku'u rely on whaling, fishing, and seals for most of their diet. In the summer, the two groups trade amicably, while in the winter, they are more likely to raid each other. The south ones raid for food, while the north ones raid for whale oil. Despite the frequency of winter raids, all-out war is not common (though not unheard of). I get the impression of a very tribal people. What are the northern Ungku'u cities like? The Ungku'u population is separated into clans of very loose, extended family groups. Usually, no more than three clans occupy an island, and numerous smaller islands hold only one clan. A clan is typically governed by the eldest woman from the royal caste, the Clan Queen, while villages are typically governed by a council of elders. Ostensibly, the village council is composed of the oldest women of the royal caste, but in practice, any old person may participate as long as they show respect. So your having a matriarch society. What are the relevant roles of men and women? Are these revesed, with men serving as the home-bodies and tending to the children while the women go off to work and do raids? Can we expect amazon warrior priestesses as well? Ungku'u society is separated into six castes. The Royal Caste (or Blessed Caste) leads, governs, and taxes everyone else. Below the Royal Caste, two castes share second place: the Caste of Courage and the Caste of Secrets. The Caste of Courage consists of binders (or spirit-talkers), warriors, whalers, traders, dancers and pearl-divers. The Caste of Secrets consists of wu jen (or auspicious hermits), artificers (or magical craftsmen), herbal-healers, blacksmiths, singers, and shipwrights. Below them, the Cast of Toil consists of farmers, fishermen, hunters, potters, carpenters, and other craftsmen. Petty criminals and the occasional war prisoners are stripped of their previous caste, and join the Caste of Nobodies, who are either used as slaves or exiled. The Caste of the Ill-Fated is assigned only to people who will be sacrificed, either as a punishment for severe crimes, or due to political defeat. So how much distinction is there between castes? Are they allowed to intermarry? And what kind of political defeat gets someone offered up as a sacrifice? You also mention Wu-Jen, so does this mean your using an oriental flavor? I also noticed you have Artificers, and am very curious as to how advanced their technology is going to be. Ungku'u religion permeates all aspects of their culture. Spirits are everywhere, ready to help or hinder if you know how to contact them. Luck, magic and cosmic order are intertwined; act in accordance with the cosmic order, and good things will happen. The gods, however, are angry, tempestuous entities with little thought and no empathy; appease them, or face disaster. The Warlock Queen will be reborn and unite the clans in a golden age, or die in the process and leave the clans doomed to war and strife. So there are spirits in all things, once again very tribal, or at least mystic, thinking. How many gods do the Ungku'u have? And what sort of interaction is their between the gods and the mortals? And I would love to hear more on this Warlock Queen, and her relavence in their mythology. I've got some more random snippets about the Ungku'u, but they're not full-fledged ideas yet. I hope you all like my ideas so far. I like them a lot. Welcome aboard. -- Now for some questions about your islands. 1. From the map there seems to be very few, and they look to be very far from any shipping lanes. Do your Ungku'u travel to other continents for trade? 2. How did the islands form? Are they volcanic, or are they perhaps the remains of some previously larger body of land that has since sunk below the sea like atlantis? 3. If they are from some previously larger land that has sunk, are your Ungku'u the remenant of a civilization that arose prior to the land sinking? --- EDIT: Sorry to lay it on so heavy like this Taski. I suppose you havn't though most of these things out yet, but you piqued my curiosity. |
| taski11-02-07, 07:56 AM | I get the impression of a very tribal people. What are the northern Ungku'u cities like? There aren't any. The largest settlements would have about 5,000 people, and they're only on larger islands. Most villages have 1,000 to 3,000 people, though these numbers change. People move from one village to another on the same island, depending on the season and their profession. So your having a matriarch society. What are the relevant roles of men and women? Are these revesed, with men serving as the home-bodies and tending to the children while the women go off to work and do raids? Can we expect amazon warrior priestesses as well? They are matriarchal, but gender roles aren't reversed from our society's. Basically, the Ungku'u do not equate physical strength with political acumen. The strong males brave the stormy seas to go whaling, fishing, pearl-diving, and fighting, but they're more likely to die young. The women stay behind where it's safe, and generally live longer because of that. The Ungku'u also rely on their elders, who are wise and experienced, to solve disputes fairly and lead a village or clan to prosperity. Putting two and two together, the old women rule, because the old are wise, and the women aren't dead. So how much distinction is there between castes? Are they allowed to intermarry? And what kind of political defeat gets someone offered up as a sacrifice? Castes don't intermarry. There's nearly no social mobility between castes. Your caste teaches you all the skills you need to know to serve the village, and changing caste would mean attempting to adopt an entirely new mindset. That attempt would cost the village the work you'd be doing otherwise, and so harms the village as a whole. It's considered very unlucky, or tempting fate, to try changing caste. However, it is okay to, at a young age, change professions within your caste if the members of that profession accept you. A sacrifice-worthy political defeat is usually a defeat on the Clan Queen level. If the younger sister of the current Clan Queen tries to usurp her, the loser gets sacrificed. It is considered unlucky to keep the loser around. Practically speaking, she might actively foment divisive feelings within the clan and generally cause trouble. Best to get rid of her. As a rough analogy, while young Midieval European men would duel to the death with swords, old Ungku'u women will duel to the death with words. These duels don't happen very often, and the results can mean a new chapter in a clan's history. Also, the usurper is not always incorrect in the attempt, as her elder may be getting senile, which is (can you guess?) considered unlucky. More rarely, a war between clans can lead to the sacrifice of the ruling body and high-profile members of the losing clan. The Clan Queen, her sisters, the Lead Warrior (often a prince from the Royal Caste), the High Priest, and the Wu Jen are usually the ones chosen to be offed. It's not uncommon for these people to commit a kind of honorable suicide when it's clear they're defeated. This is a signal of surrender to the winning clan, and to the people of the losing clan to not rebel. If these leaders don't kill themselves, the losing people reserve the right to rebel, and the winning clan reserves the right to slaughter them. Such slaughter is a rare occurrence, but memory of the events live on in songs and stories, as a tragic example of what not to do. The Ungku'u live in a treacherous environment, and enough of them are killed by the weather, volcanoes, earthquakes, and hunger that adding wars to the mix runs the risk of depopulating them into extinction. As a matter of survival, it is considered best if the fewest people die from war as possible. Thus, the people most likely to serve a divisive role are killed one way or another, to ensure a smooth transition of power. It's risky being at the top. You also mention Wu-Jen, so does this mean your using an oriental flavor? Not really. My flavor is more inspired from Hawaiian, Maori, Inuit, Salish and (to a lesser extent) Viking cultures. I chose wu jen because I wanted useful arcanists, but I didn't want wizard colleges or ivory towers, and I liked the crazy hermit flavor of the wu jen. The bubbling laboratory and the rarefied library are unknown to the Ungku'u. They have a mystic system of elements and cosmic order (or cosmic balance), which fits the wu jen class well enough. I think I should come up with a different name for them, to ensure they're distinct from Asian flavor. Úhúná [uː↓ʍuːn↑ɑ̃ː ] (ooo-hooo-naa [all the vowels are long]). For Ungku'u words, a ´ over a vowel will mean the vowel is long. Úhúnás aren't very common; there are about 3 of them per 1,000 people. Because few people are capable of or suited to being an úhúná, you don't have to be born into the Caste of Secrets to become one. Ungku'u believe the úhúnás have a spiritual lineage, as opposed to a blood lineage, and so children born with the right spiritual mindset technically belong to the Caste of Secrets, even if they weren't born to it. Úhúnás are a little crazy (we would call them OCD), and a child who displays habits similar to a local úhúná will become his or her apprentice, regardless of the child's sex. Their sex will determine a few particular rituals they can or can't perform, but won't exclude them from the úhúná practice. The people capable of comprehending the complexities of úhúná magic and able to properly constrain their behavior to perform the rituals correctly are too few for the Ungku'u to afford excluding them based on caste or sex. I also noticed you have Artificers, and am very curious as to how advanced their technology is going to be. Their technology level is roughly early iron age. I know that's not a level you'd expect to find artificers at, but I wanted someone able to put magic into the items they make, without being spell-flingers. Ungku'u artificers are blacksmiths and shipwrights, hammering fire into their harpoons and weaving wind into their sails. They're the goldsmiths who make royal jewelry and priestly instruments, and they're the herbalists who can concoct many and varied potions. So there are spirits in all things, once again very tribal, or at least mystic, thinking. How many gods do the Ungku'u have? And what sort of interaction is their between the gods and the mortals? It's not so much that there are spirits in all things... Many things have spirits, but there are also numerous invisible, incorporeal spirits with magical power. Ungku'u priests know how to communicate with these spirits and request beneficial gifts and powers from them. This kind of spirit often enjoys giving power to the priests, because the spirit can "ride" inside the priest and experience what it is to be corporeal. Mechanically, the priests have the binder class, but the vestiges are called spirits and have different names. There aren't a ton of gods, but they make up in ferocity what they lack in numbers. The gods are the sea, the triplet volcanoes, the sky, the dead world-whale, and a few others that I don't know about yet. They are psychologically like two-year-olds: always begging, fighting, or throwing violent tantrums. They don't care about the Ungku'u. The only way the Ungku'u can stave off destruction by marauding god is by offering sacrifices. Usually, sacrifices are in the form of liquor or food, but human (darfellan) sacrifcies do occur when times are really bad. And I would love to hear more on this Warlock Queen, and her relavence in their mythology. A very long time ago, a priest made a particularly good deal with a particularly powerful spirit. He became the first warlock, and the first queen chose him to be her husband. Warlocks have been popping up in the royal line throughout all the clans ever since. A Royal Caste female who is a warlock and becomes a Clan Queen through traditionally acceptable means (i.e. not random murder), will become a Warlock Queen. The Warlock Queen is then considered to be invested with great magical power and courage, and with the composite spirit/soul of previous Warlock Queens. According to legend, the Warlock Queen is destined to unite the clans and usher in a golden age, where the unity of the Ungku'u people sings the gods into a peaceful slumber. In practice, previous Warlock Queens have either failed at uniting everyone or the unity they achieved was false and unraveled after they died. A Warlock Queen arises once every four to six generations, and it's been five generations since the last Warlock Queen appeared. I like them a lot. Welcome aboard. Thank you! Now for some questions about your islands. 1. From the map there seems to be very few, and they look to be very far from any shipping lanes. Do your Ungku'u travel to other continents for trade? 2. How did the islands form? Are they volcanic, or are they perhaps the remains of some previously larger body of land that has since sunk below the sea like atlantis? 3. If they are from some previously larger land that has sunk, are your Ungku'u the remenant of a civilization that arose prior to the land sinking? 1. The Ungku'u stick to their islands. They could use the trade from the continents, but they do not have the shipping technology to reach them, nor the knowledge that other continents exist. They are far from the shipping lanes of other civilizations, and remain undiscovered. I kind of want them to be available to be discovered by PC explorers. I think it could be a fun surprise. 2. The islands are volcanic. 3. The Ungku'u are originally from the southern end of DS' region. They were transient darfellan who were blown way off course. After years(?) of sailing aimlessly, they found some islands and decided to stay. It's been many generations (maybe 1,000 years), and they have since forgotten where they came from. Sorry to lay it on so heavy like this Taski. I suppose you havn't though most of these things out yet, but you piqued my curiosity. No problem. DS warned me of the format of these discussions, but I don't find it at all bothersome. The questions help me figure out what to write about next. I'm glad you're interested. :D |
| dragonoverlord11-02-07, 10:48 AM | the wars were a series of multiple wars that occurred with very little time in between them. the areas of concentration of conflict varied, and some regions saw no conflict for intervals of up to five years. the wars were orchestrated by a group that served a powerful evil being form outside of the world. this being wanted to conquer the area and wanted the people in the area to deplete their resources before he arrived. this was not apparent to everyone until the last 10 years, until then it just seemed like it was just the result of extensive political, racial and regional disagreement and desire for vengeance. when the war ended, the political structure of the lands were changed, many old nations disappeared or combined, and new ones were created. the first five years were spent figuring out the new political reality, and the new religious realties and just how terribly the infrastructure was damaged. after this, most of the nations began extensive trade again, especially for food and various natural resources, and mainly giving military goods in exchange. so, trade with the rest of the world to reestablish their economies is a very big concern for the people. however, some are suspicious of the rest of the world, since most of the nations have very small military and populations at the moment, and some think that the colonial powers of the rest of the world will try to take over them. names of lands in the area: mainland= land mass in the northeastern third helcarion= land mass in the southern third ( named after the elven nation that ruled 90% of the land) Now, i am going to post what i have so far for races in the area races humans (5 different ethnic groups) elves( sub-races: northern, helcarion, and wild) -one of the most populous races in the area, they had a number of powerful nations before the wars, but many were devastated, their remnants combined worth the lands of others races or struggling to survive on their own. each subgroup had a different reaction to this. Sub race 1: northern elves - the elves that inhabit mainland and the islands, before the wars they had a number of nations. they were split into three groups as a result of the war stats: same as standard high elves green elves-these are the average elves, they have decided that the only way to survive is to merge with other races,since the main faults of their old nations, from their point of view, were a combination of not understanding their neighbors and efforts to remain to distinctively elven. they have no nations of their own, but control a few towns and cities in nations,none of which, however, are only inhabited by elves. grey elves- these were the aristocrats of the old elven nations, they suffered tremendous losses during the war. they are now restricted to only a handful of fortresses cities on the mainland and one mixed nation on one of the islands.those are the mainland are arrogant and isolationistic, those on the island are arrogant, but not imperialistic, mercantile, militant, are strongly connected to the rest of the world. stats: same except: favored class= duskblade(PHB II) wood elves- inhabit forests on the mainland and the islands that were part of the old nations, and some live in/near the grey elves' settlements. they suffered as much as anyone, but retained most of their forest through alliances with woodsmen, hunters,fey,and other wilderness inhabitants. their attitudes that the old nations went to far away from their roots, from nature, and thus they try to stay closer to nature. this does not mean that they do not built structures or farm, usually, it means that they impose strict limits on felling of trees and hunting, try to integrate their settlements into the surroundings, honor nature, and always consider the welfare of the environment with the same weight as that of their community. stats: same except: favored class=ranger Sub-race 2:Helcarion elves - they split inot two groups as a result o the wars. their stats are the same, mostly, but their scoetys are very diffewrent. snow elves- before the wars, there was just one large elven nation that ruled most of the area of helcarion and the various races that lived there. the wars caused the empire to break apart. some of the elves were able to hold onto their cities and some of their culture, but others had their cities destroyed and most of their population was destroyed. the remnants of these people became nomads, roaming the areas they formerly ruled in bands of varying size. they only build temporary buildings, and their interactions with outside world, and their inclusion of other species in the bands, varies from band to band. they also have to share their lands with various other creatures, both hostile friendly and indifferent. ice elves- these are the elves of helcarion that retained their cities. they suffered terribly in the wars, were forced to accept some of the races they ruled, humans mainly, as equals. their own nation is now only one of a number in helcarion, but they still think and act like they rule all of the land, especially since some live in almost all of the other nations as well. they are arrogant like the grey elves, but have very strong imperialistic tendencies, and a strict caste -based society.imperialistic,however does not mean that they want one ruler. rather they have a certain group that they define as the ruling class that they want to rule. also, they do not want to rule nay lands out side of the southern continent, except for the part of main land directly across the strait. they are not , for the moment attempting any military conquest, both because of the depletion of their armed forces and the fact that their attempted conquest of land on the other side of the strait was one of the events that began the wars. their nation has,like its predecessor, a parliamentary form of government. the parliament consists of all members of the ruling class, or caste. the other castes of their society are skilled people(soldiers, craftsmen, diplomats ) , merchants, and commoners. the merchants are second to the rulers, then come the skilled people, then the commoners. the castes are further divided into sub-castes that also have ranks of importance. this was the same system as existed in the pre-wars nation,the system has been fully reinstated in their own nation and some of the others, in some , though, it has been modified or discarded. Sub-race 3:wild elves - group of elves who lost a civil war with the mainland grey elves in the distant past,and went underground, not very deeply, just a mile or two into various caves/ openings that they found. they were, before the war, a group that lived in society that bordered on anarchy. there were various families, organizations and power groups, but hey never cooperated, were always attacking each other and/or stealing from each other. there were no rulers, areas were controlled by whatever group occupied that a particular section at that certain moment. their cities had no planning, and most inhabitants died very quickly, even though they could live as long as other elves. the groups had few common beliefs except that this was how things should be, to some degree. some wanted slightly more control and/or less violence, but all thought it was a good system of organization. the war, however caused the groups to split into two broad camps. during the war, the violence in their cities increased tremendously, with many cities destroying themselves completely. they had two reactions to this. some retained their old beliefs , but decided that communities of multiple groups were a bad idea, they should reorganize into bands that would make separate communities that would war with one another. these people went further underground. others decided to change their views. they created new cities, in which different groups each take a section and run it however they want, with a collective government established, consisting of some sort of representative or representatives from the various groups that mediates disputes. they created three of these cities, and now they have even set up trade relations with other groups. (aquatic humaniod race): they have fared the best of the elven ethnicities, but still suffer terribly. many of their cites were destroyed, they now have one medium sized nation near the islands, a few scattered settlements in the straits or near the coasts. dwarves ( iron and steel [deep]) halfings gnomes -suffered most of any in the wars. their lands have been utterly destroyed, only a handful of them remained alive by the end of the war. they have one town on the grey elf island, where they retain some culture of their own, but refuse to interact with anyone except other islanders, and make extensive use of illusion and abjuration magic, and psionics. gnomes everywhere else have no culture of their own, except that most are paranoid, cold, and willing to do anything to survive. orcs - previous to the war, they were barbarians or near barbarians who liked to destroy things. however, the decimation of their tribes during the war, and the death of their god early on changed them. they are now very civilized, live in cities or towns of other races, usually serving in the army or city guard, and have developed a strict code of honor, since fortress protesting others, and honor, were the things that best kept them alive. they have become the protectors of civilized people aboleths(npc race) - 2 types, one the standard variety, the other very different. the other variety, whose name translates as crystal aboleths are a peaceful and philosophical poeple, not as innately individually powerful as the standard variety ( no spell-like/psoinic abilities, no skum). the standard variety were corrupted by the forces of the enemy. they are not very numerous, with the standard variety having only a couple dozen in the region, and the crystals having only about 3, 500. they come from a different world, one of the first worlds that the enemy conquered. a general note, there are many nations that have managed to establish firm control over their regions, but some \ do not have as firm control. other areas, particularly further inland helcarion or mainland , no nation is in control and dangerous and weird creatures roam freely. i will post stats and more info soon |
| Darth Syntax11-02-07, 05:41 PM | the wars were a series of multiple wars that occurred with very little time in between them. the areas of concentration of conflict varied, and some regions saw no conflict for intervals of up to five years. Thats a very short interbellum period. How did the various powers maintain their agricultural output and general economy sufficiently to carry on fighting? the wars were orchestrated by a group that served a powerful evil being form outside of the world. this being wanted to conquer the area and wanted the people in the area to deplete their resources before he arrived. this was not apparent to everyone until the last 10 years, until then it just seemed like it was just the result of extensive political, racial and regional disagreement and desire for vengeance. Were the wars actually orchestrated or did these 'evil conspirators' just taking advantage of an already tense and volatile situation? when the war ended, the political structure of the lands were changed, many old nations disappeared or combined, and new ones were created. the first five years were spent figuring out the new political reality, and the new religious realties and just how terribly the infrastructure was damaged. after this, most of the nations began extensive trade again, especially for food and various natural resources, and mainly giving military goods in exchange. so, trade with the rest of the world to reestablish their economies is a very big concern for the people. however, some are suspicious of the rest of the world, since most of the nations have very small military and populations at the moment, and some think that the colonial powers of the rest of the world will try to take over them. I would be interested to hear about the state of the modern religions and what role they play in the current society. Also, you say that your various nations are are engaged in substantial trade with both foreign powers and local states. How suspicious are they of their neighbors and how much of the old conflict is being carried on in the modern economics? As to the potential for colonial interference, I can see that as being a potential for interesting political tensions. The various maritime republics of Ilaros would likely want to establish control over trade lanes, and financial matters. The Nacáilans and the Orothoi are particularly good at intertwining themselves into the economy of foreign powers (through things like imports, exports, banking, and specialized industries) and making themselves indispensable. The Ejantuli are more likely to provide political and military aid in exchange for some level of taxation and the like. Not that any of this has to being going on of course, but its a possible scenario. races I think you might have a few too many sub-races and the like. Now there is nothing wrong with have a diversity of cultures and the like, but I'm not sure one needs full-blown subraces to do this. For example, I don't think you need seven elven sub-races (especially both an Ice and a snow variety). |
| NorthWind11-02-07, 07:50 PM | Guys, I wanna applogize for not being in tune with this thread for a while. I've been swamped with a load of homework, and I'm putting together an online campaign for some friends, so I've been spending my time building a different world - I'm sorry guys, I'll try to get something up as soon as I can. |
| SovietCanuck11-02-07, 10:04 PM | All right Don, I not quite as skilled at this as Darth, so don't expect any really deep, insightful questions... Okay, I have a new tribe up for review. This is the one for Cael, so Soviet I think you might have a very great interest in this. Enjoy! Theralosian Tribe Lesser Theronian Tribe Government Type: Direct Intervention and Sacred Triad Ruling Welkin: Theralos (aka: Cael) Current Leaders: Bobak al~Asef (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)8/Fighter2) Darab al~Faraj (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)10) Farbod Ebi Daryush (LN Male Kobold Cleric of Theros10) Population: 19,500 Economic Type: Trade/Barter Currency: Shisheh(Turquoise coated in yellow glass) Species Demographics: 60% Orc, 38% Kobold, 2% Other Capitol: Theralos Vale Beast Totem: Pachyrhinosaurus War Beasts: Pachyrinosaurus, Gasosaurus Nominal Alignment: Lawful Good Just looking at the Pachyrhinosaurus, does it function much like horses or camels do in western cultures, as both a beast of burden as a beast of war? And do the Gasosauri preform any other role in society besides that of a war beast? Also, the currency's interesting. I'm assuming that means they have the ability to both create and color glass. Does glass play any other role in their society (weapons, religious icons and the such), or is it strictly used for coating turquoise? And what value do these coins have in their economy if barter-based? The Theralosian Tribe is an offshoot of the Theronian Tribe located on the southwest Island of the Fallenstar region. It consists mainly of orcs, though a small population of kobolds also hails from this tribe. Originally the orcs were nothing more than squabbling clans of violent savages, until Theralos (actually Cael posing as the orcish son of the greater Welkin Theron) came to the lands in XXXX and took them into his care. He brought order to the chaotic clans and organized them into one united tribe under the Khoob Qânoon Barâye~Solh, better known as the Great Law of Peace. Right-o. So how does the Theronian tribe view their divergent neighbors? And what's Theron's relationship with his 'son'? Also, Cael would have left Caelea 1121 years ago. What time he arrived is up to you. Cael, in the form of Theralos brought the two great prophet chiefs of the originally warring orcish clans, Bobak al~Asef and Darab al~Faraj, together and made them join together in a ritual blood-oath. The two chiefs were originally reluctant but after using their divination magics saw the truth in Theralos’ call for brotherhood. Since then two of the Sacred Triads positions have been filled by orc Diviners, who serve for life and are chosen by Theralos himself. Upon being chosen these orcs give up their given names and previous clan affiliations, taking on the names of the two original Diviners who made the oath and claiming all clans yet none. Is divination a common specialization among Theralosian wizards? And how do the current clans view their union and the diviners who made it, as in has it been embellished into a great story, or still relatively factual? Also, as the wizarding arts require a system of writing to put their spells to paper, do the Theralosians have a distinct alphabet/hieroglyphic system? Are historians and the such more common among the tribes because of this literacy, and is papyrus, paper, parchment or vellum production a common? And finally, what level is literacy among the clans? According to the legends, the evil kobolds that also lived in the area of Theralos Vale were eventually won over to the side of good by Theranos when he approached their chieftan, Farbod Ebi Daryush, who lay dying from an arrow wound that had become badly infected with Demon Fever. When asked by Theralos if he would convert to the side of good if one good act could save his life, the proud chieftain gasped with his final breath that he would. Theralos then summoned his power and restored the dead kobold to life. From that day forward the kobolds gave up their treacherous and evil ways, embracing Theralos and his teachings whole heartedly. The final seat of the Sacred Triad was then filled by Farbod Ebi Daryush, who had converted and become the first Cleric of Theralos, and the name and seat have been held his devout kobold followers ever since. Very cool mythology there...fits the religious style I'm trying to build with Cael. However, I'm guessing they didn't all change overnight...any wars or whatnot between the converts to Theralos and the more traditional kobolds? And how did the kobold's original welkin view this conversion? Also, just going out on a limb here, do clerics take the place of druids in the Theralosian tribe? If so, how do other tribes view that, and if not, what is the relation between the druids and clerics in the tribe? (as it appears the power lies more in the hands of the 'civilized' classes, clerics and wizards, than in the more 'instinctual' classes, such as sorcerers and druids) For the last several centuries the Theralosian tribe has prospered, with small farming villages dotting the plains and forests of their realm within greater Theron. They grow crops of grain and squash, and raise herds of Bestalimnos they received when the Theronian tribe and the Paisanguen made joined in the Great Alliance against the vile Dragon Welkin. They supplement their diet with Brachiosaurs that are hunted once a year in a great ceremony, the meat of which is dried. One brachiosaur can easily feed and entire village for the better part of a year. So they're largely settled then? From what I'm getting here, their villages are set up somewhat like the North-East aboriginal tribes of North America...that close to the mark? Are the normally fortified, and what are the more prominent buildings within them (the ones PCs are most likely to visit)? Also, since they are largely settled, are there regular roads between the villages to facilitate trade, travel, movement of troops, and/or the sharing of news:? Ethics and Beliefs: For the Theralosian people life is a constant struggle against between the noble forces of good and the dire forces of evil. “No rest for the wicked!” is an often heard battle cry from the orcish Heivân~Barâdar atop their Pachyrhinosaurus mounts. “For Theralos the Lifegiver!” is the oft heard call of the dedicated kobolds from atop their ferocious Gasosaurus steeds. Very fundamentalist views then? So, what extent of 'evil' can be tolerated by the tribes? Is it 'the ends justify the means' or what? Thanks to the teachings of Cael, through his alter ego Theralos, a new type of dedicated holy warrior was developed to help combat chaotic forces of evil, the Heivân~Barâdar or Savage Paladin. Combining traits from both the raging barbarian and the steadfast paladin, these holy warriors are unfaltering in their duty of protecting the innocent from the ravages of evil. Savage paladins...I like that idea. I like it alot!:D Theralos has also taught his people to appreciate the spirit of nature is always surrounding them. According to his teachings the Earth Mother and all her children, even those that are evil, must be shown the greatest of respect. Every creature that is killed, every tree that is felled and every stone that is used or mined must be given thanks for being a part of the great cycle of life. Failure to do so is a sin of the highest caliber, and is punishable by banishment from the tribe. That fits in extremely well with the Caelean (note: Caelen=region, Caelean=religion) belief of reincarnation until purity is reached. If you take that and expand it to the idea that every thing has a spirit, not just living creatures as taught by the Caelean church, then by felling a tree or mining a stone, you are freeing it's spirit to continue on the cycle of resurrections, and because it died a worthy death, it's next form would be a 'step up' if you will (maybe a Bestalimnos or what not) Clans of the Theralosian: The Theralosian tribe is composed of three distinct clans. Though these clans makie up the tribe, each one has its own distinct and individual traditions and customs. Sang Mardom: This was the first clan to be approached by Theralos, and so considers itself the first of his children, and is comprised entirely of orcs. The internal workings of the clan are controlled by women by virtue of their holding sway over all things domestic. Sang Mardom women hold sole ownership over land and households. These women are also responsible for the wellbeing of the clan, and each household within the clan is run by a Clan Mother. You say they consider themselves 'first of his children'. Is there a slight friction between the clans as each one views itself slightly 'more equal', or 'closer to Theralos' than the others? Since it is a matriarchy, what roles do women fill here than men typically fill in western cultures (are they the historians, planners, doctors, (wizards and wise men?) et al?) The Sang Mardom men are charged with finding and developing new sites for villages, as well as maintaining their Bestalimnos herds, protection from dangerous predators, and maintaining hunting and fishing grounds so they do not become overrun and wild. Sang Mardom men are also the only members of the clan that are able to hold the title of Sachem, a position of power that decides when and how things are to be handled, as well as making the monthly journey to Theralos Vale for council with the Sacred Triad. Since there is a monthly council with the Sacred Triad, I'm taking it that the total area controlled by the Theralosian tribe is rather small, right? And how many Sachem are there at any one point and time? One for each village? (so then each household is headed by a Great Mother, but the town itself is run by the Sachem?) Mardom et~Derkaht: The second clan to be approached, the Mardom et~Derkaht were a brutal clan of thieves and deceivers. Orcs, humans and half-orcs make up this clan, making them the most diverse in the tribe. This lawful good clan is also a near perfect anarchy. There is no set leader, nor is there any actual set of rules governing the clan, everyone simply does what they perceive is best for the Mardom et~Derkaht. That system actually works fairly well if every member maintains a generally lawful good attitude, though I'll hazard a guess that any member that decides to be a little less lawful or good doesn't stay a member for long. Odd as it sounds this clan controls the largest Bestalimnos herds as well as some of the best breeding stock in the region. The Mardom et~Derkaht were never much for the agrarian lifestyle of their Sang Modom brothers and sisters, preferring to roam and follow the their herds across the expanses of prairie under their control. Do the et~Derkaht then use the Sang villages as trading and resupply posts, the et~Derkaht supplying the Sang with Bestalimnos and other goods they pick up on the prairies in return for manufactured good and grains? Koochik et~alMâr Mardom: The once evil kobolds of the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are now the spiritual leaders of the Theralosian tribe. They are the only known true clerics in all of Fallenstar. The Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are also the most outspoken in their devotion to Theralos. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom society is split into four castes, with the clerics, or rather Dânesh-joo et~Theralos, first; then the Atash Jang who make up their warrior sect; the Bâstân~Ab who care for the fields and farms; and finally the Sarbâz et~Bâd who are the community hunters and herd masters. Each of these castes represents one of the four elements that make up all life in the world, and so each is viewed as an equal. This allows every member of the clan the freedom to speak his views with out fear of being ignored. A caste system where every caste is equal...novel idea! So are castes inherited from one's parents, or does one choose a caste (or have a caste chosen for them) at a certain age. How are the Koochik et~alMâr communities set up? And what role do they play in the greater Theralosian society? For both the Koochik et~alMâr and the et~Derkaht, how are their leaders chosen? Is it simply the most capable at the moment that becomes their equivalent of 'Sachem', or is it an inherited system? Dress: Theralosian dress is comprised mostly of long flowing robes of bestalimnos fur that is woven into a very soft cloth. Men wear long pants of the same fabric, called Fereshteh Moo. Usually in bright greens and yellows. Women of the tribe generally wear long skirts in dark browns, greens and black. Robes eh? So how do they deal with the high temperatures (or are they a largely alpine folk, negating their tropical latitude with their evevation?) And where do they get their dies from? In times of war the Theralosians warriors will wear dark red veils called Dâhâinch. These veils cover their faces from the bottoms of their eyes to their chests. The veils are used to protect the face of the wearer from the eyes of of his enemy, so that when the enemy is killed he cannot go into the afterlife and bring harm to the Theralosians departed relatives. It has been noted that no Theralosian will kill without their Dâhâinch in place. That is awesome.:D I think again this fits in with the Caelean belief of reincarnation again. When the soul of the man they killed comes back, the Theralosians do not want to risk those reincarnated souls coming after them to exact revenge. All right...so what weapons do the Theralosians normally use, and what is their level of armor (wooden splintas seen in Japan, bronze plate, what?" The Political Structure of the Theralosian Tribe: I will have this up for review later. Any suggestions will help. Hmm...don't really have anything to suggest here. Maybe styled like the Catholic Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_church_hierarchy), the Triad being equivalent to the pope, and moving down the chain of clergy and diviners to 'cardinals', or ministers in the central government, 'bishops', heads of regions, and 'priests', heads of communities. Just a suggestion, as the only two theocratic systems I know off the top of my head are the Catholic and Shi'a (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usul_al-fiqh)(see under Scholarly Titles) And just another suggestion here...though I haven't done a lot of work on them, you may want to use Cael's traditional 'enemies', the Pentacle (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The+Pentacle+%28Caelen+Church%29) here within their religious traditions, as negative influences on the souls of the faithful (lust, fury, gluttony, arrogance and tyranny) |
| LefferDP11-02-07, 10:59 PM | I think you might have a few too many sub-races and the like. Now there is nothing wrong with have a diversity of cultures and the like, but I'm not sure one needs full-blown subraces to do this. For example, I don't think you need seven elven sub-races (especially both an Ice and a snow variety). At least without some heavy biological engineering by your friendly neighborhood mad geneticist... Perhaps the elves had some sort of crazy genetic war fueled by rival city-states from my region? Though that's pretty far, perhaps some got expelled and traveled there. |
| SovietCanuck11-02-07, 11:32 PM | At least without some heavy biological engineering by your friendly neighborhood mad geneticist... Perhaps the elves had some sort of crazy genetic war fueled by rival city-states from my region? Though that's pretty far, perhaps some got expelled and traveled there. Agreed...I honestly don't think most races, especially the slow breeding elves, would diverge enough to form a large number 'subspecies' without outside intervention. Personally, I'm doing away with subraces, and instead offering variation based on nationality (a human and an elf raised in Holtland would have about as much in common, stat wise, as an elf raised in Holtland and an elf raised in Castille) The only real diviation I'll have that's not cosmetic (ethnical) is between the Imperial and Low elves, and that's because of outside (divine) influences...and even then, they've diverged into two separate races really, not subspecies of the same race. |
| DonThelonious11-03-07, 12:38 AM | All right Don, I not quite as skilled at this as Darth, so don't expect any really deep, insightful questions... I do believe you have grossly underestimated yourself in this respect. You have given me a lot to think about. Just looking at the Pachyrhinosaurus, does it function much like horses or camels do in western cultures, as both a beast of burden as a beast of war? And do the Gasosauri preform any other role in society besides that of a war beast? Pachyrhinkosaurs function exactly as horse or camels. As for the Gasosaurs, they function primarily as war beasts, but they are also used for hunting animals. Also, the currency's interesting. I'm assuming that means they have the ability to both create and color glass. Does glass play any other role in their society (weapons, religious icons and the such), or is it strictly used for coating turquoise? And what value do these coins have in their economy if barter-based? I have actually been contemplating giving them the most advanced glass-working in my region. All their weapons will be made from specially hardened green glass, a-la Morrowind:cool:. The economy is barter based when dealing with outsiders, within the tribe the Shisheh is used. I figure that each clan has its own cut for the turquoise, and that 5 Shisheh will buy one Bestalimnos. Right-o. So how does the Theronian tribe view their divergent neighbors? And what's Theron's relationship with his 'son'? The overall tribe is cautious about having another tribe not under Therons direct control, but the dwarves are very tolerant. As for Therons feelings about having an unofficial son, well... I guess he could care less, as long as his supposed son doesn't do anything to undermine his authority Theron is fine with it. Maybe even encourages it a little, as it adds to the mystery that surrounds the Welkin. Also, Cael would have left Caelea 1121 years ago. What time he arrived is up to you. Okay, let me take a look at my timeline and I will get back to you on this. Is divination a common specialization among Theralosian wizards? And how do the current clans view their union and the diviners who made it, as in has it been embellished into a great story, or still relatively factual? I don't have wizards. I am using sorcerers that specialize in divination magic, since this way the magic is more from the blood than the mind. As for the specialization, I am leaning towards yes. I imagine them being very interested in where things will be going, as opposed to where things have been. The story is pure fact, I have yet to embellish it further, but I will. Also, as the wizarding arts require a system of writing to put their spells to paper, do the Theralosians have a distinct alphabet/hieroglyphic system? Are historians and the such more common among the tribes because of this literacy, and is papyrus, paper, parchment or vellum production a common? And finally, what level is literacy among the clans? As I said, no wizarding per se. I am planning on giving them a flowing script based largely off of Farsi. Historians are not uncommon, but literacy is quite common. Its one of the overall themes of the entire Theronian tribe, all members of the tribe are able to read and write every language they can speak, kind of a social polyglot. Very cool mythology there...fits the religious style I'm trying to build with Cael. I am glad you approve. However, I'm guessing they didn't all change overnight...any wars or whatnot between the converts to Theralos and the more traditional kobolds? And how did the kobold's original welkin view this conversion? Your right, it was far from a smooth transition. Most of the original kobold tribe followed their chief religiously, so there ended up being a very short, very bloody civil war within the clan. In the end all that was left were the newly converted chiefs followers. Also, just going out on a limb here, do clerics take the place of druids in the Theralosian tribe? If so, how do other tribes view that, and if not, what is the relation between the druids and clerics in the tribe? (as it appears the power lies more in the hands of the 'civilized' classes, clerics and wizards, than in the more 'instinctual' classes, such as sorcerers and druids) Clerics have replaced druids, your absolutely correct. The Druids of the Theronian tribe actually have no problems with this arrangement. Just so long as the clerics respect the natural order of the druids, they are happy. So they're largely settled then? From what I'm getting here, their villages are set up somewhat like the North-East aboriginal tribes of North America...that close to the mark? Are the normally fortified, and what are the more prominent buildings within them (the ones PCs are most likely to visit)? Good question. I had not considered it. Thanks, I will get back to you on this. Also, since they are largely settled, are there regular roads between the villages to facilitate trade, travel, movement of troops, and/or the sharing of news:? Yes, the entire Theronian territory is criss-crossed by roads built by the dwarves. Very fundamentalist views then? So, what extent of 'evil' can be tolerated by the tribes? Is it 'the ends justify the means' or what? Intent is equivalent to having done the deed. The ends NEVER justify the means. They have a very strict view on what is accepted good behavior, and quickly punish those that commit evil in thought and deed. This is where divinations come in particularly handy. Savage paladins...I like that idea. I like it alot!:D I will be posting the class shortly. That fits in extremely well with the Caelean (note: Caelen=region, Caelean=religion) belief of reincarnation until purity is reached. If you take that and expand it to the idea that every thing has a spirit, not just living creatures as taught by the Caelean church, then by felling a tree or mining a stone, you are freeing it's spirit to continue on the cycle of resurrections, and because it died a worthy death, it's next form would be a 'step up' if you will (maybe a Bestalimnos or what not) Gank! I will incorporate this into the finished product. You say they consider themselves 'first of his children'. Is there a slight friction between the clans as each one views itself slightly 'more equal', or 'closer to Theralos' than the others? No friction, they were simply the first clan to be approached. Since it is a matriarchy, what roles do women fill here than men typically fill in western cultures (are they the historians, planners, doctors, (wizards and wise men?) et al?) Women would be physicians and healers, the thought of letting a man practice medicine would be unthinkable for this clan. Since there is a monthly council with the Sacred Triad, I'm taking it that the total area controlled by the Theralosian tribe is rather small, right? And how many Sachem are there at any one point and time? One for each village? (so then each household is headed by a Great Mother, but the town itself is run by the Sachem?) There is one Sachem for every village, with the clan representative chosen from these. That system actually works fairly well if every member maintains a generally lawful good attitude, though I'll hazard a guess that any member that decides to be a little less lawful or good doesn't stay a member for long. About right. Banishment is a very real fear for this clan. A banished clan member becomes dead to the entire tribe, and has less rights than an animal. Do the et~Derkaht then use the Sang villages as trading and resupply posts, the et~Derkaht supplying the Sang with Bestalimnos and other goods they pick up on the prairies in return for manufactured good and grains? Eh? This hadn't occurred to me, thanks.:D A caste system where every caste is equal...novel idea! So are castes inherited from one's parents, or does one choose a caste (or have a caste chosen for them) at a certain age. The caste position would be chosen by the individual when they reached maturity (about 15 years old). Once chosen castes cannot be changed. How are the Koochik et~alMâr communities set up? And what role do they play in the greater Theralosian society? I don't know how they will be set up as of yet. As for their position in the greater tribe they act primarily as healers and clergy. Each of their settlement is equipped with at least one primitive clinic/hospital. For both the Koochik et~alMâr and the et~Derkaht, how are their leaders chosen? Is it simply the most capable at the moment that becomes their equivalent of 'Sachem', or is it an inherited system? The choice is made by Theralos himself, out of a pool of capable individuals. Robes eh? So how do they deal with the high temperatures (or are they a largely alpine folk, negating their tropical latitude with their evevation?) And where do they get their dies from? Actually they are going to be based out of a high desert on the south west island, if you check my map it would be the tannish area along the western side of the island. That is awesome.:D I think again this fits in with the Caelean belief of reincarnation again. When the soul of the man they killed comes back, the Theralosians do not want to risk those reincarnated souls coming after them to exact revenge. I had hoped so. All right...so what weapons do the Theralosians normally use, and what is their level of armor (wooden splintas seen in Japan, bronze plate, what?" Weapons will be made of extremely hardened green glass. Armor would be of leather and wood splints with the same green glass used for the larger chest and back plates. Hmm...don't really have anything to suggest here. Maybe styled like the Catholic Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_church_hierarchy), the Triad being equivalent to the pope, and moving down the chain of clergy and diviners to 'cardinals', or ministers in the central government, 'bishops', heads of regions, and 'priests', heads of communities. Just a suggestion, as the only two theocratic systems I know off the top of my head are the Catholic and Shi'a (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usul_al-fiqh)(see under Scholarly Titles) I think I might look further into the Shi'a. You pretty much have the catholic type setting on your home region. Of course I will be gutting it and building it up into something a little more regional. And just another suggestion here...though I haven't done a lot of work on them, you may want to use Cael's traditional 'enemies', the Pentacle (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The+Pentacle+%28Caelen+Church%29) here within their religious traditions, as negative influences on the souls of the faithful (lust, fury, gluttony, arrogance and tyranny)[/QUOTE] Meh. I would rather not, since they are just as you said: Caels traditional enemies. --- Great questions, and you gave me a lot to think on. Thank you Soviet, I will be getting back to you on these in short order. |
| DonThelonious11-03-07, 10:42 PM | Hey D_S, your intro for my beastiary got me thinking and well, I am statting out your brain eating bug! Here is the Link (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=947840). Its incomplete as of yet, but I will have it finished and posted in the beastiary in the next few days. |
| Darth Syntax11-03-07, 11:00 PM | I agree with the Flumph in the other thread about the thing being a disease (or something similar as I am not sure a 'cure disease' spell would really help) with no save once infected. Makes for a nice "well, I'm boned" sort of creature. As for how the larva is introduced I was imagining it entering through either an open wound or from eating fruit in which the eggs have been laid. The adult itself is probably unremarkable in its stats, although it is a singularly beautiful beetle looking something like this (http://bugguide.net/images/cache/AKXKTKMKNKNQD06QRSAQF09QRSNQCK4KOKXKAK8K J0AQTKGK307KVKIKZS1QT06QV0GQ9K4QA0EQLSEQ 10HKNK.jpg) -- Thel, I've been having trouble logging into the chat function on the wiki. It just perpetually loads and never seems to get anywhere. Any ideas? |
| DonThelonious11-03-07, 11:22 PM | I agree with the Flumph in the other thread about the thing being a disease (or something similar as I am not sure a 'cure disease' spell would really help) with no save once infected. Makes for a nice "well, I'm boned" sort of creature. As for how the larva is introduced I was imagining it entering through either an open wound or from eating fruit in which the eggs have been laid. The adult itself is probably unremarkable in its stats, although it is a singularly beautiful beetle looking something like this (http://bugguide.net/images/cache/AKXKTKMKNKNQD06QRSAQF09QRSNQCK4KOKXKAK8K J0AQTKGK307KVKIKZS1QT06QV0GQ9K4QA0EQLSEQ 10HKNK.jpg) -- Thel, I've been having trouble logging into the chat function on the wiki. It just perpetually loads and never seems to get anywhere. Any ideas? Well, I think I might just scrap the entire thing then and just make it another disease for my region. As for getting it through fruit, no. It would come from meat that had not been properly cooked. Got to have at least one safe source of food, otherwise players would be terrified of ever coming to my region. So a bit like this then, I like it because its shiny:D http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2015/1850273646_ef0926e870_o.jpg -- I have been having trouble entering the chat myself, it logs me in but doesnt show me as being there, though I was able to talk at length with SovietCanuck about the Theralosian tribe. -- I will be reposting the Theralosians later this evening with a lot of the stuff he suggested edited into it, as well as some new material I have been looking into. Maybe it won't be so bland after that. |
| Alexeduardo11-03-07, 11:28 PM | I'M BACK!!! THIS TIME'S FOR REAL!! um, so... anything you want me to help with? I understand you're probably not gonna put desagarrada wih you allready having a wiki and all But if you need some country or a nomad tribe, I'm available! |
| DonThelonious11-03-07, 11:39 PM | I'M BACK!!! THIS TIME'S FOR REAL!! um, so... anything you want me to help with? I understand you're probably not gonna put desagarrada wih you allready having a wiki and all But if you need some country or a nomad tribe, I'm available! Eh:confused:? Not put up Desagarrada:eek:? Thats crazy:P! We would love to see it put up, we just need more information on it. Welcome back:) If you need any help hammering out more details on your region I would be more than happy to help, and I am sure everyone else here would be happy to as well. After you get a bit more pegged down, along with an updated map of some sort I will PM you with the Wiki password so you can begin posting it all into Wiki as well. |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 12:35 AM | I'M BACK!!! THIS TIME'S FOR REAL!! um, so... anything you want me to help with? I understand you're probably not gonna put desagarrada wih you allready having a wiki and all But if you need some country or a nomad tribe, I'm available! As Thel said, your region is still a go, if you want it. Let us know what we can do to get your information worked out. I've got your old map draft, but I don't know what you want done with it. Do you want to keep it as it is or have you got some new and different idea? |
| DonThelonious11-04-07, 01:37 AM | Hey D_S, I was just thinking that for my Fallenstar Beastary I would like to have this person, Mélos Iarvenno, do most of the introductions for the different monsters and perhaps the races. If you don't mind I would like to write out little blurbs describing the various creatures in a text book sort of way, and then have you look them over and give them that Ilaroi flavor. Would this be possible, or no? Edit: Just had to correct my spelling for Ilaros. |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 02:32 AM | I've no objection to Mélos providing various introductions. I can help with them by providing the necessary Ilaroi (and specifically Orothoi) flavor or I can write a few of them if you want. Just let me know what you need me to do. |
| DonThelonious11-04-07, 03:22 AM | I've no objection to Mélos providing various introductions. I can help with them by providing the necessary Ilaroi (and specifically Orothoi) flavor or I can write a few of them if you want. Just let me know what you need me to do. Sweet:w00t:. I will be working on them tomarrow, I waill be tranferring some of my creations over, putting templates on some of the more exotic breeds and putting in links to monsters from the SRD. I would like to do special blurbs for the races particularly, since I already have the crunch up on those. But if you want, your more than welcome to pop into the Beastiary and do whatever monsters there that interest you. Just post them here in the thread. Thanks. |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 04:02 AM | here's a potential basilosaurus intro Basilosaurus . . .By all rights these creatures should be extinct for they are primitive in the extreme when compared with other species of cetaceans. The nostrils have not migrated to the top of the skull, and the hind legs remain (though greatly reduced) which give the creatures a strange, ungainly appearance. Yet here, in the sheltered lagoons and bays of Asteriothe the snake-whales flourish. What is the secret of this place that preserves so many primitive beasts and plants, and can we, who live so completely in the modern world, hope to survive here among the primeval monsters of out most ancient dreams? - Mélos Iarvenno On the Natural History of Asteriothe |
| DonThelonious11-04-07, 05:04 AM | Thats pretty good. I really like how you fit his personal feelings into account. It kind of makes for a text book/biography read. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about some of the larger theropods that roam my region. |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 06:18 AM | Thanks Thel, I'm glad you like the little blurbs. As to the tone of the pieces, I imagine that On the Natural History of Asteriothe is roughly equivalent to the Voyage of the Beagle with Mélos* acting as a rough Darwinesque figure. On the subject of large theropods, what all will your region have? I know you've got some relatives of the Tyrannosaurus as well as some feathered raptors but what else is Mélos likely to have written about? -- In doing these little excerpts (which are rather fun) I've run across various outdated and erroneous theories that the Ilaroi held in the past, such as orcs being sentient , mobile plants due in part to the greenish skin. Would it be alright for Mélos to refer to these in an offhand manner? -- * A brief note on Naming convention among the speakers of Lókoiros and other languages of the Maritime Republics: When one refers to someone in a formal situation, the full given name is used rather than using the family name. So Mélos Iarvenno would be referred to as Mélos or Dr Mélos in formal speech and writings. The practice probably has it's origins in the traditional nyezzai separation of family and public life. |
| DonThelonious11-04-07, 06:27 AM | Refer to Ilaroi theories in any manner you wish, as for the big predators I will need to compile the list, so give me a bit since all that stuff is at home and I, alas, am at work. -- Would it be alright if one of my Titan Welkin tribes refer to all people from Ilaros as Mélos, it could kind of be their generic term for "outsider from beyond the sea". -- {snip}...such as orcs being sentient , mobile plants due in part to the greenish skin.{/snip} That makes a lot of sense, but at the same time is so very absurd. I like that little bit of flavor, and am now curious as to what other erroneous theories they may have had, or better yet still do! |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 06:37 AM | Refer to Ilaroi theories in any manner you wish, as for the big predators I will need to compile the list, so give me a bit since all that stuff is at home and I, alas, am at work. Thank you sir. I'm sure there will be some rather odd ones that come to light. Would it be alright if one of my Titan Welkin tribes refer to all people from Ilaros as Mélos, it could kind of be their generic term for "outsider from beyond the sea". Sure, I've no trouble with that at all; its a rather interesting idea and it is plausible. That makes a lot of sense, but at the same time is so very absurd. I like that little bit of flavor, and am now curious as to what other erroneous theories they may have had, or better yet still do! I know that dwarves confused them for some time when they ran across them. You see, many Ilaroi cultures have extensive dealings with elementals and the like (including the azer) and thus were perpetually confused as to why dwarves were not on fire. This confusion has been lessened due to greater contact, but its the sort of thing one would expect to find in pre-modern accounts of foreign peoples and places. Perhaps I've been reading too much Pliny . . . |
| LefferDP11-04-07, 11:44 AM | Stranneek The best known agents of the Dvoryanin are the roving Stranneek who wander distant lands to locate the blood of exceptional beings for their masters. Genetically similar to the Dvoryanin, Stranneek have the same tendency to be tall and sinewy with pale skin. Their constant travels, however, require them to stay mostly covered to prevent sunburn. Clothing tends to resemble that of the Khauskov population at large, but often is accentuated by additions from other cultures, especially means whereby they may shield their face in style. A bizarre menagerie of creatures are used as mounts by the Stranneek. The most popular is an amphibious dire bear, and is best understood as the "standard" mount. However, such creatures die and many areas of the world lack Dire Bears the Stranneek need for the creation of a new mount, thus a fair number of other creatures have been encountered, though most hold some sort of amphibious traits as a means of conveying the Stranneek across seas and oceans. Exact means whereby the Stranneek obtain blood vary by the individual as well as the situation. The majority barter for the blood of other races and creatures, though this can often be an arduous process as few wish to part with theirs. Generally it is preferable for the Stranneek to promote a good view from those in an area, but many simply do not care. Some simply kill their prey and extract blood for the corpse, while others make use of spears or swords that draw blood from those struck and therefore only require a single, clean blow. More than a few Stranneek have set up elaborate schemes in areas to obtain resources or simply to experiment. Often these tend to involve giving certain peoples in an area genetic variations they desire to make them more similar to a more exclusive group, only to have those people turn around and request more genetic variation to differentiate themselves. Along the way, the Stranneek collects blood and gold from both parties and promotes fervor, eventually leading to a bizarre set of genetics in the region with groups unable to differentiate between one another. The Stranneek then packs up and leaves before anyone can attempt revenge, leaving the populace to sort things out themselves. Each Dvoryanin can generally only ensure the loyalty of a single Stranneek at a time, it is rare for any to have any more bound to service to them, especially given that Stranneek live longer than elves on average. However, many Dvoryanin have died and left their Stranneek alive. Thus, a fair number of mercenary Stranneek who sell blood to the highest Dvoryanin bidder exist. There are approximately 40 Stranneek total in the world today. |
| LefferDP11-04-07, 12:39 PM | Gender and Marriage amongst the Aqm Within Aqm society, gender roles are quite strongly defined. Men are the hunters, shaman, chieftain and warriors while women serve as gatherers, farmers, builders and adepts. The various genders can move between various jobs within their gender, but are not allowed to cross over to the others. Before their adulthood ceremony, any Aqm may declare them self a member of the opposite sex. They are then allowed to complete the ceremony of the alternate gender and officially become one in the eyes of all Aqm. Such a person takes a member of the same sex as mate and are allowed to have occupations of their adopted gender with little comment. Though uncommon, every tribe has at least one member that takes advantage of this system and it is generally considered normal: Sometimes the spirits mess up. (Blargh, I need a female ritual for adulthood that involves some sort of test.) Marriages amongst the Aqm are festive occasions and the entire tribe is generally involved in the celebration. A variety of rituals take place during this time, but perhaps the most important, shared by the tribes is the mixing of the couple's blood and subsequent drinking by both the couple and the head of the family. Generally the blood is diluted by water, but some tribes require a good deal of blood from the couple instead, leaving them light-headed for a while afterwards. Polygamy sometimes features in Aqm societies that have been recently ravaged by war, however it only involves the taking of multiple wives. Multiple wives are a matter of duty rather than preference for the Aqm male; It would be odd to an Aqm to see a woman with more than one husband. If there is an excess of men, Aqm men are expected to go to another village and take women from there. Occasionally, marriage by capture is used outside of times of female scarcity, but it is not absolutely necessary, as tribes tend to be large enough to allow for the avoidance of inbreeding. |
| Darth Syntax11-04-07, 05:23 PM | Stranneek The best known agents of the Dvoryanin are the roving Stranneek who wander distant lands to locate the blood of exceptional beings for their masters. How far afield have the Stranneek gone? Would they wander Ilaros taking samples from the numerous endemic species? Genetically similar to the Dvoryanin, Stranneek have the same tendency to be tall and sinewy with pale skin. Their constant travels, however, require them to stay mostly covered to prevent sunburn. Clothing tends to resemble that of the Khauskov population at large, but often is accentuated by additions from other cultures, especially means whereby they may shield their face in style. If they they can be found within my region I would guess they might masquerade as Sron, given the Sron cover themselves completely. However the height is going to be something of a dead giveaway as the Sron are not a very tall people. A bizarre menagerie of creatures are used as mounts by the Stranneek. The most popular is an amphibious dire bear, and is best understood as the "standard" mount. However, such creatures die and many areas of the world lack Dire Bears the Stranneek need for the creation of a new mount, thus a fair number of other creatures have been encountered, though most hold some sort of amphibious traits as a means of conveying the Stranneek across seas and oceans. Why don't they just make use of ships to carry them across the oceans? Even using a polar bear (which is unlikely considering where they are from) as the 'base' for the dire bear crossing thousands of miles of open water is not going to be practical. Also, if they are so concerned with hiding themselves why would they not make use of creatures more suited to the location of their travels? Exact means whereby the Stranneek obtain blood vary by the individual as well as the situation. The majority barter for the blood of other races and creatures, though this can often be an arduous process as few wish to part with theirs. Generally it is preferable for the Stranneek to promote a good view from those in an area, but many simply do not care. Some simply kill their prey and extract blood for the corpse, while others make use of spears or swords that draw blood from those struck and therefore only require a single, clean blow. Why not pose as a physician? Doctors and the like would likely want to collect samples of blood and tissue and thus provide the Stranneek with an excellent means of hiding and not arousing suspicion. More than a few Stranneek have set up elaborate schemes in areas to obtain resources or simply to experiment. Often these tend to involve giving certain peoples in an area genetic variations they desire to make them more similar to a more exclusive group, only to have those people turn around and request more genetic variation to differentiate themselves. Along the way, the Stranneek collects blood and gold from both parties and promotes fervor, eventually leading to a bizarre set of genetics in the region with groups unable to differentiate between one another. The Stranneek then packs up and leaves before anyone can attempt revenge, leaving the populace to sort things out themselves. Are you referring to a kind of genetic arms race here? Sort of a "I want green eyes because green eyes are considered beautiful" followed by all the green eyed people wanting their eye color changed to, say, puce and so forth and so on? Each Dvoryanin can generally only ensure the loyalty of a single Stranneek at a time, it is rare for any to have any more bound to service to them, especially given that Stranneek live longer than elves on average. However, many Dvoryanin have died and left their Stranneek alive. Thus, a fair number of mercenary Stranneek who sell blood to the highest Dvoryanin bidder exist. There are approximately 40 Stranneek total in the world today. What makes them so difficult to keep loyal? Also, have the Dvoryanin been practicing genetic manipulation long enough to warrent such long-lived servitors? Further, if there are only forty of these beings how can they be seen as 'common agents'? -- Gender and Marriage amongst the Aqm Within Aqm society, gender roles are quite strongly defined. Men are the hunters, shaman, chieftain and warriors while women serve as gatherers, farmers, builders and adepts. The various genders can move between various jobs within their gender, but are not allowed to cross over to the others. What are the social penalties for engaging in an activity that does not accord with your biological sex? Similarly, are members of a particular gender prevented from handling the tools of the other? Examples: men might be forbidden to touch the tools of a wood carver or of a potter. Women forbidden from throwing spears, handling a butchering knife, or coming into contact with untreated animal hides. Before their adulthood ceremony, any Aqm may declare them self a member of the opposite sex. They are then allowed to complete the ceremony of the alternate gender and officially become one in the eyes of all Aqm. Such a person takes a member of the same sex as mate and are allowed to have occupations of their adopted gender with little comment. Though uncommon, every tribe has at least one member that takes advantage of this system and it is generally considered normal: Sometimes the spirits mess up. This practices seems a bit odd considering the apparent strength of Aqm gender roles. Also, you seem to be attaching 'rite of passage ceremonies' to marriage rites. Would I be right in assuming that marriage is universal, or nearly so among them? (Blargh, I need a female ritual for adulthood that involves some sort of test.) Hmm. Sense the traditional roles of females seem to generally involve either the raising of crops or the making of objects, a test of skill might be in order. Perhaps the female who aspires to enter adulthood must labour day and night on some magnum opus which will be judged by the community as a whole. Both her skill in the final work, and her dedication to its completion would be key to successfully completing the right of passage. Marriages amongst the Aqm are festive occasions and the entire tribe is generally involved in the celebration. A variety of rituals take place during this time, but perhaps the most important, shared by the tribes is the mixing of the couple's blood and subsequent drinking by both the couple and the head of the family. Generally the blood is diluted by water, but some tribes require a good deal of blood from the couple instead, leaving them light-headed for a while afterwards. How is 'head of the family' defined in Aqm society? For example, among the nyezza, the head of the family is considered to be the one who keeps all of the family secrets. Is 'head of the family' determined by age, by social status, as the result of some contest or by some other means? Polygamy sometimes features in Aqm societies that have been recently ravaged by war, however it only involves the taking of multiple wives. Multiple wives are a matter of duty rather than preference for the Aqm male; It would be odd to an Aqm to see a woman with more than one husband. If there is an excess of men, Aqm men are expected to go to another village and take women from there. Occasionally, marriage by capture is used outside of times of female scarcity, but it is not absolutely necessary, as tribes tend to be large enough to allow for the avoidance of inbreeding. Why are polyandrous (many husband) marriages also not engaged in? It would seem to be potentially problematic to send away your warriors to another tribe and thus risk having your secrets told to your potential enemies, as well as inviting spies into your midst. Granted the same problem exists with moving females around, but as they are not generally warriors you don't have the issue of force depletion. |
| Alexeduardo11-04-07, 05:30 PM | Eh:confused:? Not put up Desagarrada:eek:? Thats crazy:P! We would love to see it put up, we just need more information on it. Welcome back:) If you need any help hammering out more details on your region I would be more than happy to help, and I am sure everyone else here would be happy to as well. After you get a bit more pegged down, along with an updated map of some sort I will PM you with the Wiki password so you can begin posting it all into Wiki as well. ok, I apparently do need help hammerng down details :D any guidelines on whatyou want posted? |
| Araes11-04-07, 06:13 PM | Ekku http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Ekku_Harbor.jpg Government: Plutocratic Republic Area: 378886 Settled: 182985 Wild: 195901 Population Centers: 67480 Cities: 549 Villages: 66931 Population: 32205320 Urban: 1932319 Rural: 29306841 Isolated: 966160 Description: Historically, until just recent times (particularly in the view of such aged races as the elves), the area which has come to be known as Ekku has been a nasty lowland area where it was almost impossible to eke out a living. Dense with marshes and deep wetlands, no traditional crops were found to take hold, and the trappings of agriculture societies could not be translated. In addition, the wetlands proved a fertile breeding ground for all manner of dangerous predators and pests, which further hampered efforts. The population of the region was at best light and largely composed of human cast-offs from nearby societies. However, roughly 1000 years ago, all of this was to suddenly change. Around this period, a plant was introduced to the mashes which thrived in the wet conditions, and could be cultivated as a staple crop for the inhabitants. Whether it was introduced by accident or through the forces of trade has been lost to history, but the impact was immediate and profound. Called Mish, the introduced crop served the same need as grains like wheat or rice in other parts of the world, and soon after its introduction there were massive fields of the plants sprouting up everywhere. Dissidents and the unwanted of nearby nations, who had already been a significant portion of the population, began pouring into the region. At first, this movement was largely unopposed by the surrounding groups, as traditionally several nations had claimed the area for their own, but no one wanted to expend the effort to actually settle and control it. However, within a century, these same groups began to see the error of their ways, as several small kingdoms had taken root within the marsh and were declaring their independent status. The largest of these was the kingdom of Ekku, which had its capital at the port city of Albis near the Marenna River delta. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Ekku_Albis_Delta.jpg Soon after, incursions by the nearby nations became quite common, as they attempted to reassert their claims on the region. The border nations in particular were hit quite hard by these assaults, and due to a lack of unity, often quickly succumbed. In addition, infighting amongst the smaller nations was also frequent, as each of the groups tried to consolidate their power and unify the region by force. However, roughly 500 years prior to the present day, the Ekku government, already isolated from the border issues by their remote position, and fueled in wealth by their booming sea trade, offered a solution to the problem. Their solution was to propose a pact, where if any other nations would swear an oath of fealty to the crown of Ekku, then they would be provided with both financial and military backing to support their claims to the land. At first, only a few accepted the offer, fearing the eventual repercussions of consolidating rule, but with within the span of a decade, opinions began to shift. Primarily this was due to Ekku being as good as their word, and on several occasions they supplied the money and men which meant the difference between a subject nation repelling invasion and being overrun. Soon the ranks of those loyal to the Ekkuvian throne were swelling, and with every additional pledge, the pool of power they could wield against imminent threats became that much greater. Facing a united foe, and suffering several major defeats at their hands, most of the outsider nations laying claim began to restrict their assaults. Within 100 years of the decree, nearly every major, independent nation had either sworn loyalty or been overrun. Capitalizing on this momentum, the current ruler of Ekku at the time, King Zakarum, along with the backing several important member nations, declared a unification in name of the entire region under the banner of Ekku. This unification carried with it the promise of irrevocable nobility for all those who accepted it, and non-intervention in personal rule from the crown. Due to these factors, as well as the security, prosperity, and unified front it promised, it was accepted by most with only a minimum of fuss, and the current nation now known as Ekku came into being. From this point forward, Ekku has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. A black hole of potential before the introduction of Mish, the Ekkuvians have come to find themselves in possession of a wide range of natural and situational resources. Possessing a plethora of harbors, and a convenient location astride one of the major N-S trade routes in the continent, ships and caravans are continually passing through the region and depositing their wealth. In addition, the Ekkuvians also possess a number of native trade products including plentiful lumber, wetland grown animals and plants, a wide selection of crafts from all the immigrated cultures, and ironically, food. In the northern section of Ekku, where the forests become much more dense, native silk worms have also been cultivated extensively, and the metropoli of Ethibea and Romia both boast vibrant, silk-based, textile industries. This growth and explosive mercantilism has also promoted quick social change amongst the ruling class. Although monumentus at the time, the crown and nobility of Ekku were not to last for more than a few centuries before they were subsumed under the pressures of rapidly accumulating wealth among commoners. Clamoring for change and wielding the weaponry of banks and loans to the nobility, ever increasing numbers of the wealthy have been granted the priviledge of nobility until the title itself is almost meaningless except for the power of votes it provides. The process of purchasing a title has actually become so common by the present day that a formalized process was created which allows for any existing citizen of Ekku to purchase a lifetime of "noble" status that expires upon their death. For a relatively moderate sum, any well to do merchant can purchase their way into the middle to upper class echelons of society and the influence it brings. In an attempt to respect the promise made by Zakarum to the original noble families, however, these titles expire with the death of the head of the household, and only those who are members of the original families may pass their votes to progeny. In terms of expansion, although Ekku was not one of the first nations to jump on the colonialism movement, it has nevertheless emerged as one of the most aggressive naval powers. Primarily supported as a military endeavor of the crown, Ekku has capitalized on its reserves of lumber and transformed them into vast fleets of ships. To support this effort, Ekku operates an entire division of the military devoted to foreign service, exploration, and claiming new lands known as the Chakka. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Ekku_Chakka.jpg Funded through grants of ships and charters, any person of who wishes to seek their fortune abroad, and can organize a sufficient crew, may apply for admission to the Chakka. If accepted, the petitioner and their cohort are trained by the crown and then provisioned for their voyages. The crown may also provide grants or liens towards the purchase of ships and other equipment based on their prestige, charm, and a variety of other factors. In return for this generosity, 50% of all material wealth claimed as a result of these expeditions becomes the property of Ekku, and all land claimed during their travels is done so in its name. Naturally, as a reward for excellent service, those particularly successful in these endeavors are often then gifted titles of control over many of the areas they have found and are often quite wealthy enough to purchase their way into the noble ranks. |
| Araes11-04-07, 07:05 PM | Alex: We don't have strict guidelines on what needs to be posted for an area of the world. Generally, just post whatever you as a DM would find useful if you were reading about a world in a supplement. A general map that lays out the area, information about native peoples, things of interest that might be encountered in the region, or potential adventures that might arise due to existing conditions. Generally, you can also look at the various authors that have already contributed information and what they have provided. I've generally been carving up my area by nationalities and then providing high level overviews of each of those regions in turn. Leffer recently has been providing sectional chunks of information that each focus on one topic in his area. SC wrote a 30 page treatise on one of his area's races with everything you could ever want to know about them. It really just varies by whatever method you find easiest to provide content with and then progresses from there. |
| Alexeduardo11-04-07, 08:50 PM | Araes dont take this personally, but I dont really have the time to read all the posts (but someday I will!!!). But for what the pretty pictures tell me, your nation has a great naval strength,and (if I'm not mstaken) that was a spanish conquest-era hat the soldier in the last post was wearing. So I Was Wondering Do you wish that your expansionist country interacts with Desgarrada? As I've said before, I'm truly sorry if my sudden dissapearance was inconvenient to you guys so I'll be more than glad to add a bunch of Ekku colonies on Desgarrada or something of the like. |
| DonThelonious11-05-07, 12:02 AM | D_S: Here is that list of big theropods and other predators. I am also going to post the master list of dinosaurs I will be using in my region: Edit: Okay, I have a complete listing up of all the dinosaurs I plan on trying to fit into my region. I know there are way to many really big creatures here, and I lack the space for them, so expect a lot of these to get cut from the final product. And before you ask: Yes I have stats for these things. The guys at the Dinosaur Menagerie (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=422781)are very prolific and very good at what they do. Big Theropods: Acrocanthosaurus Baryonyx Giganotosaurus Carcharodontosaurus Carnotaurus Epanterias Gorgosaurus Sinraptor Spinosaurus Tyrannosaurus rex Yangchuanosaurus Other Big Predators: Argentavis Basilosaurus Deinosuchus Kronosaurus Mosasaurus Postosuchus Master List: Acrocanthosaurus Anatotitan Anhanguera Ankylosaurus Archaeoceratops Archaeopteryx Argentinosaurus Bambiraptor Baryonyx Bellusaurus Brachiosaurus Carcharodontosaurus Carnotaurus Centrosaurus Charonosaurus Coelophysis Coelurus Compsognathus Epanterias Eustreptospondylus Gasosaurus Giganotosaurus Gorgosaurus Hypsilophodon Mamenchisaurus Micropachycephalosaurus Microraptor Desmatosuchus Dilophosaurus Herrerasaurus Huayangosaurus Kentrosaurus Lexovisaurus Mamenchisaurus Masiakasaurus Mononykus Parasaurolophus Pawpawsaurus Psittacosaurus Ornitholestes Ornithomimus Ouranosaurus Oviraptor Pachycephalosaurus Pachyrhinosaurus Postosuchus Prenocephale Protoceratops Pterodactylus Pteranodon Quetzalcoatlus Saurolophus Scutellosaurus Shantungosaurus Shunosaurus Sinocalliopteryx Sinraptor Sinornithosaurus Spinosaurus Stokesosaurus Stygimoloch Styracosaurus Therizinosaurus Troodon Tyrannosaurus rex Utahraptor Velociraptor Vulcanodon Xiaosaurus Yangchuanosaurus Zuniceratops Non Dinosaur Prehistoric Beasts: Ambulocetus (Special For D_S) Anomalocaris Argentavis Arthropleura Aurochs (Bestalimnos) Basilosaurus Baiji Castoroides Cave Hyena Clidastes Coelacanth Dinornis Deinosuchus Deinotherium Dragonfly, Monsterous Eogyrinus Eryops Estemmenosuchus Hallucigenia Helicoprion Icthyosaurus Kronosaurus Leptictidium Moropus Megantereon Mesosaurus Moschops Mosasaurus Nothosaurus Pelorovis Shonisaurus Simosuchus Smilodon Sphenacodon Stagonolepis Steller's Sea Cow Teleosaurus Tullimonstrum Thylacoleo Xiphactinus |
| Araes11-05-07, 01:27 AM | Alex: No worries on being absent. Perhaps my earlier posts about absentee folks came off a little harsh. If you'd like to work something out where Ekku or some of the other colonial powers in my region have established far flung colonies on Desgarrad that's fine with me, but not necessary by any means. Do what you feel comfortable with in your own region. That said, here's some more from me. Taidara http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Taidara_Centaur.jpg Government: Monarchy Area: 270633 Settled: 142834 Wild: 127799 Population Centers: 53008 Cities: 732 Villages: 52276 Population: 25710129 Urban: 2571013 Rural: 22882015 Isolated: 257101 Description: Within the inner lands of the continent, the centaur are not a loved people. Originally immigrants from far to the south, they spent much of their life as unwanted nomads - wandering gradually from nation to nation. Never persecuted or violently attacked, as some groups like the gypsies still are, they were nevertheless made to feel unwelcome within each area they travelled to. Primarily, this response was due to the stigma among most races towards what they view as a perversion of nature. Neither horse nor humanoid, and regarded by many as a sign of ill will from the higher powers, the centaur often found it easier to simply move on, rather than deal with the perceptions of those around them. Over time, this gradual migration took them from the plains of Gabon, to the forests of Mildar, up northward to the edge of Keldar, and then finally down to the gap of Lysene. It was at this location that they came upon a quandry. To their northwest lay the kingdoms of Shagenna and Sighvat - old powers, which refused them entry in full. To the southwest, there lay the proto-kingdoms which would eventually become Kadauu, and who also denied them passage. Having just left the lands behind them, it was eventually decided that they would simply rest for a time within the gap. Something of a no-man's land and unable to be firmly held by any of the nearby nations, the gap was an ideal spot in which the centaur could simply abide and pause from their long travels. Provisions were laid down, structures erected, and the beginnings of the first city of the fledgling Taidara came into being - Clemence. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Taidara_Rural_Sheep.jpg Oddly enough, this short term goal of passive settlement worked better than nearly anyone, including the centaur themselves expected. Free of their disturbing presence, many of the lands were quite willing to simply let them inhabit the lands they themselves could not hold - out of sight, out of mind as it were. In addition, as the centaur offered absolutely no resistance to trade or travel within the region, and normally stayed within their own kind, it was in many ways like they had completely vanished. Wars were waged across the gap, claims were staked to the region beyond by many nations, and yet, throughout it all, the centaur continued to prosper out of sight. Settlements spread like seedlings, setting themselves up within the groves of forests or on the open plains, away from the normal travel routes of the nations. By the time several centuries had passed, the population was beginning to crest into the hundreds of thousands, and finally some of the other nations began to take notice. The elves in particular were some of the first to protest, holding some of the strongest beliefs regarding the impurity of the centaur race. Gathering a small, but what they believed would be an adequate force, they resolved to push the centaur from the gap and cleanse the land once more. Much to their surprise, the centaur proved a somewhat more resolute foe than they had expected. Holding a strong sense of unity to the race as a single "family" and now having developed a firm bond with the land as well, the centaur were quick to unify under a single banner, and proclaim themselves the nation of Taidar. Vowing to hold back the elves and preserve their homes, thousands came from all across the lands and fought the elves in the hills and plains of their western lands. However, as determined as they were, as a race they simply lacked the experience of combat and war that the elves had honed for eons. In battle after battle, they lost to smaller, focused forces of elves, and were steadily pushed back from the borders. Seeking aid from any who would come, they sent word to all the nations around them pleading for help - yet none were willing to lift a finger for the half breed perversions. That is, until word came to Ekku. Fledgling themselves, and experienced in combat after years of war with the elves among many, the Ekkuvians saw a wonderful opportunity for growth and gratitude. Sending messages back to the Taidarans, they not only pledged support, training, and leadership on the western front of Taidara, but also their military aid in distraction on the western edge of Shagenna. Suddenly, the elves found themselves with not one, but two fronts of war, and at least one skilled opponent among them. Rather than lose ground to the vagrants of the west, they called off their assaults on the centaur and staked out a claim where they stood. In a matter of weeks, the aid of a single other nation had both stabalized, and legitimized what had once been little more than a colony of lepers. In the current day, the kingdom of Taidara encompasses most of the open plains in the central landmass south of the gap. Still wholly unagressive, but slightly more bouyed by their success, the centaur have taken advantage of their central, if somewhat precarious position, and now serve as the gateway between the NW, SW, and East. Holding only small assets in the way of natural resources themselves, their central position has nevertheless allowed them to prosper through market forces. Those who once shunned them are now simply forced to tolerate them as nearly all W-E trade eventually passes through their lands. Religously, the centaur are a strange breed of tolerance and intermixing. In a sense, the Taidaran don't really believe in the truly "divine". They believe that there are Gods, and other spiritual powers, but they view these all as representations of the universe's naturally morphic nature. In a way, its almost easier to describe the aspects of other groups they have absorbed. On one hand, they borrow somewhat from the animism views of Kadauu to the SW, in which all things in the universe have a representation as both a physical object and a spiritual presence. On the other, they also borrow portions from the divinities of Sighvat and Valgard, in that there is a spirit which is in some way greater than all others. However, the way that the Taidaran beliefs differ is in their interpretation of these views in respect to a morphic universe. Holding that all of the spiritual is affected by the physical, it is common wisdom that the wishes of the body bring life to the divine. Should a body wish for a new home, then their will brings life to that home, and to the hearth spirit which dwells within and represents it. On a larger scale, the wishes of the group and society at large also bring life to greater, more abstract concepts, such as those of good and evil, morality, and justice. Each of these concepts have their own representation within the real world, but also a spiritual form. Finally, although they believe in a greater, unifying spirit, which is drawn from the views of the Sighvat and Valgardian faiths, they do not believe in such a spirit as a personal entity, but rather as a spiritual representation of morphism itself. Within the cosmos, to their mind there must naturally be some process which guides the assignment and formation of spiritual representations of the physical. It is then the spiritual representation of this abstract concept itself which could truly be said to be the god of the centaur peoples. As if to only further incense the religions around them, they have however taken the naming conventions which the other religions apply to their own supreme beings and then applied them to their own greatest spirit. Ethnically, Taidara is unique among the central lands, as it is the only area with a significant centaur population. Initially founded by their kind and nearly mono-ethnic for a time, Taidara has slowly diversified its population through commerce and immigration. While still largely centaur dominated, a significant portion of halflings also make their residence in the nation. The largest group by percentage anywhere in the nearby nations, halflings have found that the their lifestyles and communities mesh well with the simple nature of centaur groups. In addition, although they practice a number of their own, halfling specific faiths, a number of converts to the vaguely animist way of thinking have been found among the halfling population. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Taidara_City_Belmont.jpg Communities within Taidara are generally quite spread out, even when on the scale of a metropolitan area. With their horse-like nature, the centaur have a natural preference for open spaces and this design sense has driven the formation of most communities. Open roofed courtyards, single story homes, and limited tenement development are all quite common in most cities. Road systems are generally organized around wide lanes that provide ample room for the oversized foot traffic of four legged bodies with limited use of inter-building alleyways or tunnels. Those halfings and other races which live with the centaur have simply adapted to this lifestyle, and low, sprawling suburban communities are quite common. Unfortunately, for those races without the rapid movement capabilities of centaurs, this has proven something of a challenge for organization and urban development. As such, most Taidaran cities actually tend to grow around multiple, smaller "downtown" areas so that travel distances are minimized. This growth pattern is also reinforced by the members of many immigrant races, who still prefer to maintain as much distance between themselves and the centaur as they can. Politically, Taidara could best be said to be a form of representative tribal monarchy. Initially composed of a number of ethnic tribes, the original centaur settlers of Taidara have maintained these distinctions as they have evolved as a nation. Although loyalty to the nation always comes first, loyalty to the tribal subset is also quite important for many day to day interactions. Most population centers within Taidara have formed around loci of certain tribal groups and the territory of Taidara can also be fairly easily partitioned into subsets related to each tribe. Currently, there are 16 tribes which are recognized by the ruling council of Taidara, with the three largest being the Aren, Lecceit, and Morelle. Within their own areas, governance of the tribes is handled through as needed assemblies. Generally, there are fixed representatives which attend each level of such meetings and speak on behalf of their population groups. However, there is no fixed requirement or priviledge for such speech in law, and if a concerned party wishes to speak at a council meeting, they need only be recognized by the group. At the national level of government, this process is somewhat more formalized, with specific representatives being nominated by each tribe to attend regular meetings of government, and a number of set titles existing to recognize particular functions. Foremost among these is the title of Chief of Taidara, a position roughly equivalent to a king or perhaps chancellor within another nation. Nominated from among the attending representatives, Chiefs are granted their position in terms of fifteen years, in which time they are relatively immune from interference or worries of being disposed. However, as with all representative governments, the Chiefs still must maintain good relations with most of the representative body and possess a healthy dose of political skill if they want to accomplish anything during their term. In addition to the Chief, other fixed positions with multi-year terms include War Minister, Minister of Foreign Relations, and the Trade Minister, each of whom hold extensive purview over their particular field. *edited to finish off entry* |
| DonThelonious11-05-07, 03:11 AM | Hey D_S I finished up the list of what dinosaurs will likely be in my region. I will likely be cutting each of those sections in half though, so be warned. |
| the_one_true_shea11-05-07, 04:08 AM | Testing. :smirk: (http://www.lulu.com/content/1365677) IQ? "troll country" ;) |
| SovietCanuck11-05-07, 04:21 AM | Just a little addition here I've churned out on Thel's request...I bet no one was expecting this! http://es.games-workshop.com/especialista/inquisitor/images/galeria/gal_img_01g.jpg “You lost your rights as soon as you sold your soul to the Heretic Ones. You are an object now, a soulless puppet controlled by your demon lords. You are beyond redemption. The only thing that awaits you now is death. Now, I can offer you one final choice...tell me what I want to know, and I will give your the honor of a quick and painless death. However, if you fail to cooperate, you will long for the oblivion which you have denied yourself. Make your choice, blasphemer, and know that you stand now in the furious gaze of the Emperor you betrayed.” -Eparch Inquisitor Battista Terenti, to a captured heretic The Inquisition is the most powerful, and most feared, branch of the Imperial Church. It's agents are everywhere, no one is safe from the prying eyes of the Emperor's Hounds. Though the Inquisition has existed in one form or another since the formation of the Caelen Church, it was not until around 800 years ago that it solidified into the order it is today. Originally, the Inquisition was an order dedicated to rooting out secular corruption within the Imperial Church, but as time went on they expanded their focus to the bureaucracy, then the military, then the populace as a whole. During the dying days of the empire, the Inquisition sought out and destroyed numerous cults, secret societies, and criminal organizations which reveled in the growing decadence. However, the Inquisition was still largely a benign body, focused more on the ills of society than than ills of the individual. However, following the collapse of the empire under the influence of 'heathens, heretics, and blasphemers', the Inquisition grew in power. They turned their attention away from the temporal sins, and focused on the spiritual aspects of society. The Inquisition believed that if they were able to purge the land of the evils caused by the unfaithful, the Emperor would return and bring an age of peace and stability once again. Thus began their reign of terror. Any who disagreed with the Inquisition's interpretation of holy dogma was branded an infidel, and their deaths were turned into public affairs. The common people turned on each other, accusing one another of being demon-worshipers. It has been estimated nearly one in twenty Caelens met their death at the hands of the Inquisition in the two centuries following the collapse of the Empire. However, at the time the Inquisition was little more than a fanatical group of priests and knights in loose communion with each other. It was not until Father Antonio di Vandé united the Inquisitors of Caelea, Volenza, Bascillica, Devandi, San Rillo, Toreno, Bosborda, and the Church States under his leadership that the modern inquisition took shape. Under Antonio's direction the Inquisition transitioned from a bunch of zealous bullies, to an organized network of informants, infiltrators, and scholars. Public trials didn't exactly stop, but they became far less common, and the entire process became much more civilized. By the time Father Antonio passed away in 264, he had lain the groundwork for the Inquisition to become the shadowy guardian of sacred doctrine it is today. Holy Orders of the Inquisition “Eight are the Orders, Eight are our swords. Doge not one lest you be struck down by seven.” -Vicar Inquisitor Jean-Michel Louis The Inquisition is divided into eight separate orders, each with their own separate goals and objectives. Even through the central bureaucracy of the Inquisition remains united, it was realized that to combat the varied threats that followers of Cael face every day, specialization would be needed. Therefor, three orders were founded, all specializing in a separate threat faced by Caeleans: Ordo Daebolus sought out the demons and their followers, Ordo Umbrae hunted down the living dead and their twisted masters, and Ordo Arcanum sought to protect the secrets of the Church from those who would abuse them. As the years progressed, new orders were founded: Haereticus to combat the spread of heresy and apostasy among the faithful, Barbarus to control the spread of foreign ideals, Militarus to prevent corruption within the Caelean church, Magus to monitor the use of magic among the faithful, and Draconis to restrict the powers of dragons within the Caelen nations. Ordo Daebolus Continuing on what they view as the original mission of the Inquisition, Ordo Daebolus' sole mission is the extermination of all demons, dark cults, and anything they deem to be related to the Pentacle. The Ordo Daebolus is the most militant of any of the inquisitorial orders, possessing their own private army of demon hunters which they use to great effect all across the region. Though primarily devoted to the elimination of any and all traces of diabolic influence, the Ordo Daebolus also seeks the eradication of aberration from the Caelen region, seeing aberrations and fel spirits as two sides of the same coin. The Ordo Daebolus is the largest and most influential order, having well over two thousand members, and a presence in almost every town. The Ordo Daebolus is the order most associated with mock trials, witch hunts, and public executions, all to keep the fear of Cael is the people's hearts. Ordo Haereticus Dedicated to maintaining the dominance of the Caelean faith over the people of Caelea, preventing conversions to any and all heathen faiths, and eliminating heresies within the church itself, Ordo Haerticus is the most insidious of all the inquisitorial orders. They are believed to be the second largest order, though their exact numbers are impossible to discover. They were formed directly as a result of the “Great Heresy”, where Harold Krissen converted nearly half the isle of Great Flans away from the worship of Cael to the teachings of the Lady of the Chalice. They have proven fairly successful in preventing the spread of the Chaliceite faith among the mainland kingdoms, and in keeping the fractious regional churches largely under the thumb of the Imperial Church. Ordo Haereticus is not overt in their actions as Ordo Daebolus, much preferring the use of torture, intimidation, and fear-mongering to public displays of the might of Cael. Ordo Barbarus Ordo Barbarus is the youngest inquisitorial order, but it has risen quickly in power and influence. With the gaze of the Caelen region turning outwards, more and more foreigners are coming to the Caelen peninsulas, brining with them their strange ideas, magics, and most troublesome, faiths. Since the Ordo Haereticus focuses on preventing conversions away from Caelean, and the Missionary Orders work on converting heathens to the worship of the God-Emperor, the Ordo Barbarus seek to regulate the flow of more temporal ideals between foreigners and the faithful. They often censure books and works of art to fit a more 'Caelean' worldview, and try to prevent some of the more radical scientific and philosophical theories from gaining much traction with Caelen academics. To further this goal, the Ordo Barbarus has set up an elaborate spy network within foreign nations, their members often posing as spiritual advisors for ambassadors from the Caelen nations, in hopes of influencing the foreigners views and perception of the Caelen peoples. Ordo Umbrae Though the primary enemies of the Caelen church are the twisted followers of the pentacle, the waking dead have long been an anathema to the followers of Cael. Though the primary duty of exterminating these abominations falls to the Exorcists, the Ordo Umbrae serves as their eyes and ears amongst the people. The Ordo Umbrae's mission is to prevent an undead infestation from even happening. They work in close consort with the Ordo Daebolus, as necromancers often work in close consort with cults of the Pentacle, sometimes even leading them for their own nefarious means. The Ordo Umbrae also seeks to root out all intelligent undead residing in the Caelen region, and prevent their taint from spreading any farther. Ordo Magus The rift between the Arcane Congress and the Imperial Church is what spawned this small, but influential, order of the Inquisition. The Ordo Magus' mission is the regulation of all users of magic within the Caelen nations, though they focus most strongly upon practitioners of the arcane. However, any practitioner of foreign magic is likely to be followed by a Magus Inquisitor, at least until they can determine the foreigner's intent and the extent of their powers. The Ordo Magus is not as covert as some of the other orders, but it does have numerous agents stationed within the Arcane Congress, trying to keep tabs on the Congress' myriad of schemes, plots, and political manipulations. However, the Congress and the Ordo Magus are likely to work together to neutralize rogue wizards operating outside of the Congress' purview. Ordo Militaris Formed out of the Ordo Haereticus, Ordo Militaris has a much more specific responsibility: to limit and control the influence and power of other dicasteries of the church, such as the Exorcists, Church Knights, and Missionaries, have over the central church, as well as placing operatives within the governments of Caelen nations. Relatively week when compared to the other Orders, the Militaris is still plays an important role within the Inquisition, serving as their public face within the governments of friendly nations. Unlike the Ordo Haeretius' more insidious methods, the Ordo Militaris seeks to prevent heresy by keeping nations in full communion with the Imperial church, though they are not above using fear as a weapon against less amicable individuals. Ordo Arcanum While other inquisitorial orders turn their eyes outwards, the Ordo Arcanum instead focuses inwards, poring over dusty tomes of forbidden lore and heretical dogma in an attempt to solve the mysteries of the church. Treated as eccentrics by their brethren, members of the the Ordo Arcanum firmly believe that through the study of ancient myths and legends they will help protect the church against things too vile and horrible for most mortal minds to handle. The number of Ordo Arcanum members that are driven mad is frighteningly high, though the Hosplitars do ensure that the only listeners to their horrifying tales are the wall of church asylums. Still, when an inquisitor encounter an unknown in their investigations, they know that they can call upon Ordo Arcanum to shed some light on the mysteries. Ordo Draconis Dragons were driven from the Caelen region 1500 years ago, at the height of Cael's reign, by legions of specially trained dragonslayers. However, after the collapse of the empire, dragons slowly worked their way back into Caelea, disguised as humanoids. They established themselves as minor nobles, and founded numerous small kingdoms and principalities with their formidable skills. It was not until around five hundred years ago when Ordo Arcanum uncovered the first inklings of the vast draconic conspiracy, however the full extent of what they had found was both astounding and deeply frightening. Thus, a new inquisitorial order was established, Ordo Draconis, to limit and control the power of the dragons without destabilizing the political systems they were now part of. Ordo Draconis now works within the noble courts, seeking out the dragons and their servants, and killing them off as subtly as possible. Though there have been several incidents where the Inquisition was forced into an all-out brawl with the wyrms, the Ordo has been largely successful in their goals. Still, the number of dragons posing as nobles within Caelen nations numbers in the hundreds, and their servants are many, so the Ordo Draconis has their work cut out for them yet. Role of the Inquisition “I come to cleanse this land. Stand not in my way, lest you find yourself my first victim” -Sister Inquisitor Maria Padiro The Inquisition is arguably the most power Dicastery of the Caelean church, likely the most powerful non-sovereign entity in the the entire Caelen region. Their influence reaches up to the highest echelons of power, and they are able to cast down even kings and prelates if they find good cause. Not even their bothers and sisters within the church are immune from their scrutiny, though the Inquisition treads carefully amongst the Exorcists and the Church Knights. However, no soul is beyond the Inquisition's grasp...and the Inquisitors have ways of making things happen the way they want them to. Inquisitors are granted the rights to be judge, jury and executioner in the areas of heresy, demon-worshiping, apostasy, necromancy, and other “vile acts”. The sentence is usually death, and appeals only happen upon the intervention of another inquisitor. However, the means of death differ depending on the crime and the individual inquisitor...from being publicly burned at the steak, or flayed alive, to forced conscription into the military, to being sent to the dark dungeons under Turris Angelus, the Inquisition's headquarters, where they are subjugated to revolting experiments by members of Ordo Arcanum. An inquisitor can also try an individual or organization in absence, and declare them Excommunicae, at which point it falls to the Church Knights and the Exorcists to hunt down and slay the heretics. The Inquisition draws it's recruits from pious young men and women seeking entrance into another Dicasteries of the Caelean Church who catch the Inquisition's eye by being particularly zealous or ruthless. They are put through tests to determine the strength of their faith, their conviction, and their dedication to uncovering evil in all forms. Those who pass the tests and are not found wanting are granted entrance into the Holy Order of Inquisition of their choice, and commence their training as Inquisitors of the Caelean Church. Operations Most Inquisitors live a nomadic life, traveling amongst the faithful as their duties require. Inquisitors prefer to deal with threats personally, though they are not foolish and will rarely engage in a suicide mission. Instead, an inquisitor will often request aid from the Church Knights of Exorcists, requisition local militias and even conscript peasants if they find themselves in desperate need of reinforcements. An inquisitor can even take command of army divisions if the threat calls for it. All an inquisitor must do to requisition soldiers is show his Signet Ring and invoke the authority of the Inquisition and the Living Emperor. The forgery of an Inquisitorial Ring is punishable by death throughout the Caelean Nations and the impersonation of an Inquisitor is cause for some of the punishments a civilized nation can dole out. The Inquisition as an Affiliation http://es.games-workshop.com/especialista/inquisitor/images/galeria/gal_img_21g.jpg The Inquisition is always looking for pious faithful to join it's ranks. The nature of the Inquisition's work requires candidates to be unquestionable in their loyalty to the Caelean church, strong in mind, body and soul. It makes use of individuals skilled in many fields, from subterfuge to combat, from the arcane to the divine. It needs men and women willing to kill one today to save hundreds of souls tomorrow. Inquisitors typically work alone, though they may find acceptance within a group of faithful individuals. New acolytes are typically partnered with more experienced members until they have proven themselves able to fend for themselves. Once they have demonstrated their skill, they are granted the title of Brother or Sister Inquisitor, and are allowed to peruse cases without the supervision of a superior. Inquisitors are allowed to pursue cases at their own pace, though if assigned one by an Eparch or Exarch they are expected to devote their entire waking hours to the extermination of that threat. To become a member of the Inquisition, one must be a follower of Cael, and have proven your devotion to him at least once in your past, whether that was via completing training as a priest (most common), participating in a ministry, fighting against enemies of the faith, or other such activities. The Individual must them pass grueling tests set forth by the Prelates of the Inquisition, designed to tests one's piety, strength of will, and willingness to commit evil for the benefit of the greater good. Those that pass are welcomed into the ranks of the Inquisition, and those that fail with their sanity intact are directed to other dicasteries more suited to their personal talents, normally the Exorcists or the Church Knights. Once a character is accepted for membership within the Inquisition, he or she gains an affiliation score that shows their standing in the organization. A new member begins with a base score of 1 plus one-half the character's level. From there the score increases or decreases, depending on which of the factors listed on the accompanying table apply (a character can receive the “5 ranks modifier for each of the listed skills.) As your reputation within the Inquisition increases, you'll eventually be invited to accept positions of greater and greater power, granting one access to more potent weapons and spell to use in combat against the minions of the Pentacle. Modifier Character level bonus +1/2 PC's level At least 5 ranks in a relevant skill:Gather Information, +1 Intimidation, Knowledge (Religion), Search, Sense Motive Lifelong Worshiper of Cael +2 Previously a member of a different dicastery of +2 the Caelen Church Previously aided a member of the Inquisition +3 Per successful mission on behalf of the Inquisition +3 Recommendation from a Prelate or Prefect +4 Convert to Caelean -1 Discovered to have accepted bribery -2 Per failed mission for the Inquisition -2 Convicted of a major crime in a Caelean nation -3 Priest of another deity before conversion -3 Discovered to have ties to demon worshipers -4 You reveal the identity of other members of the -4 Inquisition to the public Affiliation Score Consequence 3 or less No affiliation 4-11 Potential Member: The Inquisition has it's eye on you...in a good way 12-19 Acolyte Inquisitor: You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on attempts to influence followers of Cael. The Inquisition will guarantee your freedom if you are arrested and detained for a minor crime in any Caelean nation. You gain the ability to requisition local militia for up to one day every three months as part of an Inquisition-ordained mission. 20-27 Brother/Sister Inquisitor: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on attempts to influence followers of Cael.The Inquisition will guarantee your freedom if you are arrested and detained for any crime in any Caelean nation. You gain the ability to requisition local militia for up to one week every three months as part of an Inquisition-ordained mission 28 or more Vicar/Vicaress Inquisitor: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on attempts to influence followers of Cael.The Inquisition will guarantee your freedom if you are arrested and detained for any crime in any Caelean nation. You gain the ability to requisition a division of the Church Knights for up to one week every three months as part of an Inquisition-ordained mission Inquisition Benefits The Inquisition takes care of it's own, ensuring loyalty to the dicastery and the Church as a whole. Joining the Inquisition means you are joining one of the most feared organization in Caelea. You are treated with respect and fear wherever you go, and even nobles tremble in your presence. Contacts: The eyes and ears of the Inquisition are everywhere, and an inquisitor can find contacts in most towns, trustworthy souls able to give a detailed layout of the town, and any events that look like they might need an inquisitorial check-up. Services: The inquisition will supply it's members with basic food, lodging and travel expenses when on a mission. Inquisitors are asked not to spend to extravagantly, or they will soon be finding themselves paying for their own necessities. Inquisitors who lie about these expenses will usually be called in by their superiors for questioning. The Inquisition is able to grants it's inquisitors false identification papers, travel papers, and disguise kits at no cost. If an Inquisitor is arrested while incognito, the Inquisition will take steps to free them as quickly as possible, usually within 2d6 days. The Inquisition won't go out of it's way for an Acolyte who commits a heinous crime and gets themselves caught, in fact such an action is likely to get one expelled from the Inquisition, so unless the inquisitor was on a mission of vital importance, they will likely have to languish in jail. Inquisitorial Ring: This crimson band, carefully crafted and enspelled with Arcane Sigils, so as to ensure it's authenticity and prevent any forgeries, is the key symbol of an Inquisitor's authority as enforcer of church doctrine. With this ring, an inquisitor can requisition soldiers, appropriate goods, and even act as arbiter the for the purpose of his inquisition. If an inquisitor looses his ring, he is expected to recover it or face expultion. Gear: An inquisitor is granted a masterwork warhammer on acceptance into the Inquisition. Though they are not expected to use it, it does serve as a symbol of their position much as an Inquisitorial Ring does. They are also granted the pure black cassocks of the Holy Inquisition, though again they are not expected to wear it unless they are working within the Turris Angelus,or in any other ecclesiastical building in Cittia Sulla Collina. Access: As a member of the Caelean Church, you have access to factulties throughout Cittia Sulla Collina, and the entirety of the Caelean kingdoms. The libraries, residencies, armories, and workshops of the Caelean church are open for your use whenever your mission demands it. These libraries are the greatest store of knowledge in the Caelean kingdoms, even greater than the libraries of the Arcane Congress. These libraries collectively grant a +20 modifier on any Knowledge check, though it takes around 4d12 hours to find the answer to an obscure question within the endless halls of the libraries, as members of the Librarians are often preoccupied with dozens of tasks set down by other discateries, and reference books are few and dated. Playing a Member of the Inquisition You are a holy enforcer of the Living God's will. It is your responsibility to cut through the lies and deceit cast about by those who seek to harm His faithful. Everywhere you go, you see the darkness that lies in the hearts of men, the potential for evil that every soul possesses. You are constantly on the look out for those who have given into those dark desires, the whispers of the demons and the siren call of power. These heretics will only bring pain and suffering to loyal followers of Cael, and it is your duty to strike them down before they can set their plans in motion. For within the shadows lurk things that seek to tear down civilization, and will revel in the chaos and mayhem of it's destruction, and it is your job to prevent these creatures' depraved dreams from becoming reality. Missions Your missions are fairly simple: seek out threats to the Caelean Church wherever they may lie, and strike them down. Now, individual cases are typically much more complex, but it all boils down to the same thing, simply destroying threats using subtly and deceit as your main weapons. Typically, you are expected to follow rumors, whatever they are, to their bitter end, confirming these rumblings by ending them as quickly and quietly as possible. If need be, you will recruit a local militia to serve as your own army in this quest to end these treats to the Caelean people. In the end, you seek to end the Pentacle's threat to civilization before they even begin to set their plan into motion. Advancement Advancement within the Inquisition is relatively easy. Eparchs and Exarchs are always monitoring those inquisitors who happen to find themselves under their supervision. Those inquisitors who repeatedly show their dedication to the principals of the Inquisition, and their skill at hunting down and neutralizing threats, are routinely rewarded with praise, and if the occasion presents itself, advancement within the ranks of the Inquisition. Those that have proven themselves loyal members of the Church are given a great deal of leeway to peruse personal ambitions, such as adventures and the such, but they are expected to be constantly vigilant for enemies of the Caelean people. Responsibilities Individual inquisitors are given only one real responsibility: the protection of Cael's faithful. Though you may be called upon from time to time to conduct missions by their superiors, you are allowed to be pretty much freelance, working where you feel you are most needed. However, when your superiors entrust you to complete a mission, you cannot turn it down unless serving under higher orders. To refuse to accept a mission is cause enough for expulsion from the inquisition, though normally it only results in a minor reprimand. Should you choose to leave the inquisition, you will be subject to a modify memory spell, and have all knowledge of the Inquisition and it's members whipped from your head. Those who are expelled have a similar procedure preformed, though they normally find themselves in a prison believing themselves guilty of serious crime. The Inquisition in the World “The Inquisition has eyes everywhere. Trust no one, my brother, for they are the most insidious of the Usurper's minions!” -A cultist of the Pentacle, to an Inquisitor Corruption is rampart in Caelea. Demon cults call upon their foul masters in the stink of the sewers, necromancers ply their trade on sacred soil, and heretics preach insane drivel on street corners. It is the role of the three Congregation Militants to put an end to these: The Church Knights, the Exorcist and the Inquisition. However, while the Church Knights and Exorcists deal with those threats that have become known, it is the Inquisition's job to prevent them from becoming so. Countless heretics, heathens, and traitors have died before their plans could come together, the last thing they see the crimson ring of the Inquisition. The Inquisition can find a role in any adventure, as inquisitors can be found throughout Caelea and the wider world, seeking out those that they deem to be threads to the Living Emperor's faithful. A party may find themselves working alongside an inquisitor to track down a necromancer before he achieves lichood, or end up on a collision course trying to free a wrongly-imprisoned friend from their fanatical grasp. Organization The Inquisition is headed by the Prefect of Holy Inquisition, one of the Prefects that serve as the Concilium Allegi, the advisors to the Archprelate of the Caelean church. The current Prefect of Holy Inquisition is Prelate Domenica Staeloveré (LN human female cleric 5/ rogue 3/ Caelean Inquisitor 8), a lifelong inquisitor who has been fairly loose in her leadership of the Inquisition, being a firm believer that each inquisitor knows what's best for the people under their protection. Aiding her is the Secretary for the Holy Inquisition, the second-highest ranking member within the Inquisition, currently one Franco di Sideni (LN elf male cleric 6/ Caelean Inquisitor 5), a skilled, if rather conservative, inquisitor in his own right. Next come the various Prelates that serve as heads of the various Inquisitorial Orders, the most important of which is the head of the Ordo Daebolus, Dominik Redezni (LN halfling male paladin 12/Caelean Inquisitor 4), whose blind hatred of all things demonic has lead him to making several grave mistakes that have severely limited his chances at further advancement. Of special not is the head of Ordo Barbarus, Diiv Vanth-Reyat (NE kith male cleric 5/Caelean Inquisitor 4), a kith convert to Caelean who has proven to be an extremely effective head of the Order Barbarus, though his actions are sometimes questionable. Under the Prelates serve the Exarchs Inquisitor, normally in charge of the operations of a specific order within a nation, or portion thereof, and beneath them the Eparchs Inquisitor serve as rulers of specific cities and regions that deserve a permanent inquisitorial presence. Below the Eparchs are the Brothers and Sistors Inquisitor, who are ulltimately responsible to the Eparch or Exarch whose territory they find themselves in, but free to travel where they wish to counter threats to the Caelean church unless so called upon by a superior of any order or dicastery. The Inquisition's headquarters is the Turris Angelus, the Keep of Angels, a great keep near the center of the Cittia Sulla Collina. It's cold stone walls serve as an administrative hub, a school for training initiates, and a prison for the many heretics and enemies of the church held by the Inquisition for 'questioning'. The dungeons under the Turris Angelus stretch for miles, and only the Inquisition has the exact number of individuals kept chained in the darkness beneath the bustling streets of Cittia Sulla Collina...though if the screams that emanate from the sewers on rare occasions are any indication, they number in the hundreds. NPC Reactions The Inquisition is largely respected...and feared, among the the citizens of the Caelen region. Inquisitors can expect an initial reaction of friendly from all followers of the Caelean church, if a little frightened or intimidated. However, from those individuals who have had family members falsely accused by the Inquisition, one can expect an unfriendly reaction. However, since most of the time inquisitors are acting under cover, they receive no benefits nor penalties because of their affiliation with the organization. The Holy Inquisition Lore Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) or knowledge (local Caelen peninsulas) can research the Inquisition to learn more about it. When a character succeeds on a kill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower Dcs. Also, remember that inquisitors pays close attention to those asking to many questions about the Inquisition and it's current activities. DC 10: The Inquisition is one of the many branches of the Caelean Church, geared specifically towards rooting out threats to the faithful. DC 20: The Inquisition is headed out of the Turris Angelus in Cittia Sulla Collina, though inquisitors can be found throughout Caelea. DC 25: The Inquisition is occasionally accused of preforming tactics such as torture, fear mongering and strait out intimidation to coerce it's victims into giving the desired responses. There are also records of show-trials and mass killings, all to maintain an air of suspicion and fear about the Inquisition. DC 35: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details of the Holy Inquisition as it relates to your campaign, including history, notable members, the areas of it's operation, and current activities. The Inquisition in the Game Whenever threats to the faithful arise, the inquisitors are the first ones to respond. Though many Caeleans has deep fears and reservations about the Inquisition, most would argue that without them, life would be far worse. The Inquisition's shadowy nature allows it's presence to be felt anywhere in the world, it's membership diverse and skilled at deception. Characters may encounter an inquisitor and never realize it. Indeed, the PCs may have been working for the Inquisition since the beginning, and only realize it as their master plan comes together. The Inquisition could serve as a vessel for revealing even greater evils, such as a sinister cult among nobles, or a demon lord recently released from it's prison. Whatever you envision for them, the inquisitors of the Caelean Church provide both an insidious enemy, and an untrustworthy ally for any adventuring party. As you can see, I'm a little short on quotes here, so if the nationals of your regions have anything to say of the Inquisition, I'd love to hear it. Other than that, fire away!:D Also, there is a PrC to go along with this...I'm just not done making it yet! ---- Araes, just finished skimming though Ekku, and I have to say, looks great! Would also explain why the Caelean empire failed to pierce far into your region, if on one side it was bordered by desert and scrubland, and the other by trackless swamps...really makes an empire's job difficult! Also the nation of mine that borders most closely on Ekku would be Rostem, on the north side of the Zergart river. I've based their culture and language largely off the South Slavs, if you need a referance. Rostem was absorbed into the Vestenreich a few decades ago, and I have Vestenreich complete and up on the Wiki |
| Darth Syntax11-05-07, 04:25 AM | Cutting the lists of creatures is probably a good idea as you've got a large number sizable predators which probably would through the ecosystem all out of whack. However I think most of the smaller animals could be kept more less intanct. Also, what about the non-saurian inhabitants of Fallenstar? -- The_One_True_Shae, I'm somewhat confused. |
| SovietCanuck11-05-07, 04:41 AM | Looks like she was keylogged, or some such. That's my best guess... |
| DonThelonious11-05-07, 04:54 AM | D_S: I have the smaller list at the bottom, those are all non-saurian. As for the super predators I plan on having 2 on each big island, followed by 1 or 2 super herbivores (the big sauropods) followed by the progressivly smaller and smaller dinos. My biggest problem is likely going to be balancing out the ecosystems for the aquatic areas. -- I don't get her post either... -- Soviet: Thanks:D. I will be reading them over while the boards are down and will post my opinions on them later this morning. -- As for the campaign I am planning, there will be some slight alterations. I won't be starting it in my region:weep:, my players are afraid it will end up a TPK very quickly. So I am condiering starting it out either in Ilaros or Calea, since those two regions seem to be the most detailed and low-level friendly (No offense to the rest of you, they just have more detailed relations within their regions:) ). What I am considering is starting them out in Ilaros, doing some political intrigue/espionage. Followed by a trip to Caelea (perhaps to escape a bounty;)), where they meet up with the wrong people and have to be hunted by the inquisition and deal with the Kith. Then I was hoping to go with that idea Soviet and I discussed about the airship and the epic battle with the elves. Afetr the day is saved they would be heavily damaged and drift over to my region and crash land somewhere and have to make it out alive. After that I don't know... Just some thoughts on what I would like to do. |
| Darth Syntax11-05-07, 06:33 AM | Just a little addition here I've churned out on Thel's request...I bet no one was expecting this! Well, they aren't Spanish, so I saw them coming a mile away. They usually send a polite note when they drop by for tea and heresy. The Holy Orders of the Imperial Inquisition Been playing a bit much Warhammer of late sir? :tie: The Inquisition is the most powerful, and most feared, branch of the Imperial Church. It's agents are everywhere, no one is safe from the prying eyes of the Emperor's Eyes. Your last sentence is redundantly worded and thus lacks the rhetorical punch that is so very nearly delivers. An elimination of the first 'eyes' might do it. Though the Inquisition has existed in one form or another since the formation of the Caelen Church, it was not until around 800 years ago that it solidified into the order it is today. Originally, the Inquisition was an order dedicated to rooting out secular corruption within the Imperial Church, but as time went on they expanded their focus to the bureaucracy, then the military, then the populace as a whole. During the dying days of the empire, the Inquisition sought out and destroyed numerous cults, secret societies, and criminal organizations which reveled in the growing decadence. However, the Inquisition was still largely a benign body, focused more on the ills of society than than ills of the individual. How did the early imperial peoples feel about having this organization peering into internal business? It would seem as thought the Inquisition watches, but (and I hope you will excuse the cliché), 'who watches the watchers? However, following the collapse of the empire under the influence of 'heathens, heretics, and blasphemers', the Inquisition grew in power. They turned their attention away from the temporal sins, and focused on the spiritual aspects of society. The Inquisition believed that if they were able to purge the land of the evils caused by the unfaithful, the Emperor would return and bring an age of peace and stability once again. Thus began their reign of terror. Any who disagreed with the Inquisition's interpretation of holy dogma was branded an infidel, and their deaths were turned into public affairs. The common people turned on each other, accusing one another of being demon-worshipers. It has been estimated nearly one in twenty Caelens met their death at the hands of the Inquisition in the two centuries following the collapse of the Empire. What exactly would count as a heretical view among the Caeleans? In a related question, what would be considered orthodoxy? I have some experience with the study of the heresies of the early Christian churches going all the way up through the fifteenth century. I might be able to point out some of the more interesting beliefs as possible sources of inspiration, especially considering the clearly catholic feel of your religion. Moving on to deaths and slaughter. Why didn't the secular authorities destroy the Inquisition in its infancy and thus prevent that whole sale slaughter of 5% of the total population? However, at the time the Inquisition was little more than a fanatical group of priests and knights in loose communion with each other. It was not until Father Antonio di Vandé united the Inquisitors of Caelea, Volenza, Bascillica, Devandi, San Rillo, Toreno, Bosborda, and the Church States under his leadership that the modern inquisition took shape. Under Antonio's direction the Inquisition transitioned from a bunch of zealous bullies, to an organized network of informants, infiltrators, and scholars. Public trials didn't exactly stop, but they became far less common, and the entire process became much more civilized. By the time Father Antonio passed away in 264, he had lain the groundwork for the Inquisition to become the shadowy guardian of sacred doctrine it is today. What exactly allowed this particular priest to unify the early inquisitors? I can imagine that the doctrinal differences among the regional groups would have made for a potential problem. Further, how did the Inquisition gain the necessary legitimacy to function the region over? Holy Orders of the Inquisition The Inquisition is divided into eight separate orders, each with their own separate goals and objectives. Even through the central bureaucracy of the Inquisition remains united, it was realized that to combat the varied threats that followers of Cael face every day, specialization would be needed. Therefor, three orders were founded, all specializing in a separate threat faced by Caeleans: Ordo Daebolus sought out the demons and their followers, Ordo Umbrae hunted down the living dead and their twisted masters, and Ordo Arcanum sought to protect the secrets of the Church from those who would abuse them. As the years progressed, new orders were founded: Haereticus to combat the spread of heresy and apostasy among the faithful, Barbarus to control the spread of foreign ideals, Militarus to prevent corruption within the Caelean church, Magus to monitor the use of magic among the faithful, and Draconis to restrict the powers of dragons within the Caelen nations. What foreign ideals would be considered dangerous by the Inquisition? I assume that ideas concerning the essential non-existence of souls (or their existence as purely metaphorical objects) would be seen as at least a bit on the dangerous side. Also, the whole lacking belief in Cael would probably be high on the list. However, what about ethical notions such as Utilitarianism and the like. And what of the virtues of greed, deception, wit, doubt, and knowledge (the five virtues of pan-esuin and Adósian culture)? You say they they Inquisition seeks to restrict magic; why and how does it go about this? Ordo Daebolus Continuing on what they view as the original mission of the Inquisition, Ordo Daebolus' sole mission is the extermination of all demons, dark cults, and anything they deem to be related to the Pentacle. What qualifies as demon worship? Would sacrifice of animals, objects, and the pouring of libations be considered thus? What about willing sentient sacrifice? Also, would the alchemist or arcano-cosmologist that summons beings commonly thought of as 'evil' for the purposes of study be considered to be in league with dark powers? The Ordo Daebolus is the most militant of any of the inquisitorial orders, possessing their own private army of demon hunters which they use to great effect all across the region. Though primarily devoted to the elimination of any and all traces of diabolic influence, the Ordo Daebolus also seeks the eradication of aberration from the Caelen region, seeing aberrations and fel spirits as two sides of the same coin. The Ordo Daebolus is the largest and most influential order, having well over two thousand members, and a presence in almost every town. The Ordo Daebolus is the order most associated with mock trials, witch hunts, and public executions, all to keep the fear of Cael is the people's hearts. I can imagine inquisitors of this order getting into quite a bit of trouble in certain of my countries, especially those where neogi are considered to be citizens and afforded all the legal rites thereof. Ordo Haereticus Dedicated to maintaining the dominance of the Caelean faith over the people of Caelea, preventing conversions to any and all heathen faiths, and eliminating heresies within the church itself, Ordo Haerticus is the most insidious of all the inquisitorial orders. They are believed to be the second largest order, though their exact numbers are impossible to discover. They were formed directly as a result of the “Great Heresy”, where Harold Krissen converted nearly half the isle of Great Flans away from the worship of Cael to the teachings of the Lady of the Chalice. They have proven fairly successful in preventing the spread of the Chaliceite faith among the mainland kingdoms, and in keeping the fractious regional churches largely under the thumb of the Imperial Church. Ordo Haereticus is not overt in their actions as Ordo Daebolus, much preferring the use of torture, intimidation, and fear-mongering to public displays of the might of Cael. I know you've refered to various sects of the Caelean religion; how does this order feel about each of these? Ordo Barbarus Ordo Barbarus is the youngest inquisitorial order, but it has risen quickly in power and influence. With the gaze of the Caelen region turning outwards, more and more foreigners are coming to the Caelen peninsulas, brining with them their strange ideas, magics, and most troublesome, faiths. Since the Ordo Haereticus focuses on preventing conversions away from Caelean, and the Missionary Orders work on converting heathens to the worship of the God-Emperor, the Ordo Barbarus seek to regulate the flow of more temporal ideals between foreigners and the faithful. They often censure books and works of art to fit a more 'Caelean' worldview, and try to prevent some of the more radical scientific and philosophical theories from gaining much traction with Caelen academics. To further this goal, the Ordo Barbarus has set up an elaborate spy network within foreign nations, their members often posing as spiritual advisors for ambassadors from the Caelen nations, in hopes of influencing the foreigners views and perception of the Caelen peoples. I would love to know what sort of the theories the Ordo Barbarus considers dangerous. It could make for an interesting source of tensions between my peoples and yours. Further I could see the potential differences in intellectual and philosophical traditions creating a kind of 'conversion stalemate' whereby Ilaroi are unlikely to convert to the Caelean faith and Caeleans are unlikely to adopt such religions as the Tlón, The Bifurcating Path, or the Orations of Sacred Ur. Ordo Umbrae Though the primary enemies of the Caelen church are the twisted followers of the pentacle, the waking dead have long been an anathema to the followers of Cael. Though the primary duty of exterminating these abominations falls to the Exorcists, the Ordo Umbrae serves as their eyes and ears amongst the people. The Ordo Umbrae's mission is to prevent an undead infestation from even happening. They work in close consort with the Ordo Daebolus, as necromancers often work in close consort with cults of the Pentacle, sometimes even leading them for their own nefarious means. The Ordo Umbrae also seeks to root out all intelligent undead residing in the Caelen region, and prevent their taint from spreading any farther. Interestingly, I can see the Jauric nations supporting this group out of a desire to prevent the spread of the immorality of immortality. Ordo Magus The rift between the Arcane Congress and the Imperial Church is what spawned this small, but influential, order of the Inquisition. The Ordo Magus' mission is the regulation of all users of magic within the Caelen nations, though they focus most strongly upon practitioners of the arcane. However, any practitioner of foreign magic is likely to be followed by a Magus Inquisitor, at least until they can determine the foreigner's intent and the extent of their powers. The Ordo Magus is not as covert as some of the other orders, but it does have numerous agents stationed within the Arcane Congress, trying to keep tabs on the Congress' myriad of schemes, plots, and political manipulations. However, the Congress and the Ordo Magus are likely to work together to neutralize rogue wizards operating outside of the Congress' purview. Does this order make much use of arcane magic itself or do they combat 'rogue' acranists with divine magic? Ordo Militaris Formed out of the Ordo Haereticus, Ordo Militaris has a much more specific responsibility: to limit and control the influence and power of other dicasteries of the church, such as the Exorcists, Church Knights, and Missionaries, have over the central church, as well as placing operatives within the governments of Caelen nations. Relatively week when compared to the other Orders, the Militaris is still plays an important role within the Inquisition, serving as their public face within the governments of friendly nations. Unlike the Ordo Haeretius' more insidious methods, the Ordo Militaris seeks to prevent heresy by keeping nations in full communion with the Imperial church, though they are not above using fear as a weapon against less amicable individuals. It sounds like this group is concerned with keeping people in doctrinal line and thus subservient to the central church. Also, as the public face of the Inquisition, how often do they have to defend the more unsavory practices of the organization? Ordo Arcanum While other inquisitorial orders turn their eyes outwards, the Ordo Arcanum instead focuses inwards, poring over dusty tomes of forbidden lore and heretical dogma in an attempt to solve the mysteries of the church. Treated as eccentrics by their brethren, members of the the Ordo Arcanum firmly believe that through the study of ancient myths and legends they will help protect the church against things too vile and horrible for most mortal minds to handle. The number of Ordo Arcanum members that are driven mad is frighteningly high, though the Hosplitars do ensure that the only listeners to their horrifying tales are the wall of church asylums. Still, when an inquisitor encounter an unknown in their investigations, they know that they can call upon Ordo Arcanum to shed some light on the mysteries. I can see them containing a large number of Archivists (Heroes of Horror), as well as being somewhat more respected as they seem less outwardly militant and 'witch crazy' -- I'll do some more commenting later, and I'm sure I'll formulate more questions. All in all, though, I think the Inquisition looks to be a promising, and frightening organization. |
| DonThelonious11-05-07, 06:35 AM | :eek: HOLY CRAP!!!! (No pun intended;)) Those Inquisiters are hard core. I really want to know how they would feel about knowing that Cael had taken a tribe of barbaric svages and granted them his blessing (not to mention his presence). The attitude of the Inquisiters is almost a polar opposite of the Theralosians. There would be some serious animosity between the two if it Theralos' true identity was ever to be discovered. I was particularly impressed with the Ordo Haereticus and the Ordo Barbarus. They have a very gritty and... diabolical feel to them, I could almost see their High Inquisiter being some type of Tan'ari, or at least in cahoots with a devil. I am especially curious as to the Ordo Barbarus' reaction should they discover the truth of the Theralosians What is the Inquisitions position on clerics of Cael being able to work their divine magic in Fallenstar? Does this mean our previous thought of having some sort of "Find Cael Crusades" in my region still going to happen? So many questions, I just can't put them all down right now. These will have to do. :thumbsup: Man, you earned it. |
| LefferDP11-05-07, 08:27 AM | How far afield have the Stranneek gone? Would they wander Ilaros taking samples from the numerous endemic species? Yes, they would have visited any place they could, though there's only so many of them, so they tend to miss areas and have to loop back around. Ideally, one has visited every region in the Project. If they they can be found within my region I would guess they might masquerade as Sron, given the Sron cover themselves completely. However the height is going to be something of a dead giveaway as the Sron are not a very tall people. Yes, but the average person might not notice an abnormally tall Sron as a non-Sron. They're most likely to simply take it at face value. Why don't they just make use of ships to carry them across the oceans? Even using a polar bear (which is unlikely considering where they are from) as the 'base' for the dire bear crossing thousands of miles of open water is not going to be practical. Also, if they are so concerned with hiding themselves why would they not make use of creatures more suited to the location of their travels? It's a strange creature indeed that the amphibious genes have come from. The mount is intended as sort of the result of many years of research and experimentation to produce something that was capable of traversing the sea and still working well on land in terms of combat and mobility. Part of the rub is more that some hide and others are more open about their existence, just as they go about aquiring blood a variety of ways. Thus, different areas can have radically different perceptions of the Stranneek as a whole. Why not pose as a physician? Doctors and the like would likely want to collect samples of blood and tissue and thus provide the Stranneek with an excellent means of hiding and not arousing suspicion. Quite a good idea in lands that rely heavily on medicines. Might not work so well in areas that use more faith based healing. Are you referring to a kind of genetic arms race here? Sort of a "I want green eyes because green eyes are considered beautiful" followed by all the green eyed people wanting their eye color changed to, say, puce and so forth and so on? Precisely. If someone wants to integrate it into a region, it'd be nice to have examples. Examples would help a lot for explaining the idea. I was thinking of Dr. Seuss's Sneetches when I wrote it. What makes them so difficult to keep loyal? Also, have the Dvoryanin been practicing genetic manipulation long enough to warrent such long-lived servitors?Well, they've had at least 1000 years. One of their first aquisitions was elf and fae blood, which they've used to increase their own life spans. I'm working on the history's dates for various things in Khauskov's history stuff. Further, if there are only forty of these beings how can they be seen as 'common agents'? Because, they tend to become pretty well known despite what secrecy they might try to keep and hopefully wind up integrated into legends in many places. A lot of vampire references and tales are actually refering to the Stranneek. -- What are the social penalties for engaging in an activity that does not accord with your biological sex? Similarly, are members of a particular gender prevented from handling the tools of the other? Ostracization is the most common result, but a sound beating may be administered in some tribes. Yes, there is: the tool becomes tainted when one of the opposite sex touches it and has to be replaced. This practices seems a bit odd considering the apparent strength of Aqm gender roles. I think of it as the exception that makes the rule, really. Also, you seem to be attaching 'rite of passage ceremonies' to marriage rites. Would I be right in assuming that marriage is universal, or nearly so among them? I'm not quite sure what you mean by attaching, could you rephrase? Yes, marriage is very common. Hmm. Sense the traditional roles of females seem to generally involve either the raising of crops or the making of objects, a test of skill might be in order. Perhaps the female who aspires to enter adulthood must labour day and night on some magnum opus which will be judged by the community as a whole. Both her skill in the final work, and her dedication to its completion would be key to successfully completing the right of passage. I will have to reflect upon this a bit, but it sounds like a good idea. How is 'head of the family' defined in Aqm society? For example, among the nyezza, the head of the family is considered to be the one who keeps all of the family secrets. Is 'head of the family' determined by age, by social status, as the result of some contest or by some other means? The member of the family that is considered the strongest. Formal tests are rare and it is more common for the current title holder to simply pass it on once he recognizes someone else as better than he. Why are polyandrous (many husband) marriages also not engaged in? It would seem to be potentially problematic to send away your warriors to another tribe and thus risk having your secrets told to your potential enemies, as well as inviting spies into your midst. Granted the same problem exists with moving females around, but as they are not generally warriors you don't have the issue of force depletion. I'm not quite sure how to answer this satisfactorily, truthfully. I don't think strategic ideas necessarily enter into it so much. Mostly it's a reflection of the primitive marriage-by-capture customs of humans combined with a slightly more civilized culture. More importantly, the society is patriarchal and men are often concerned with ensuring a they have a child that is theirs, when the woman is shared, they cannot guarantee it. |
| Araes11-05-07, 08:15 PM | Oddly amusing that you went the route of 40k with the Inquisitors, as I was actually heading in that direction for my next post of Kedara, just with a bit more of an Eldar bent to them. Always did like playing the skinny space elves, particularly the dark and evil ones. Also glad that the Ekku stuff worked out relatively well in terms of border interactions between our nations. I'll probably expand on them in the future to cover even more of their societal organizations, history, ect.., but right now I'm just trying to get good overviews on all of the various nations. However, when that time does come around, I'll see about integrating some of the slavic influence into the vaguely latin / asian naming scheme I've been going with so far. Vae Victis! Quod per ardua ad astra Imperator gloriam! |
| SovietCanuck11-05-07, 08:39 PM | Woah...okay, a lot more questions that I have answers for...and quite a bit to muse about! Well, they aren't Spanish, so I saw them coming a mile away. They usually send a polite note when they drop by for tea and heresy. That's what they want you to think... :smirk: Been playing a bit much Warhammer of late sir? Eh what? No...I'm too cheep for that! ...Now reading the novels on the other hand...:rolleyes: How did the early imperial peoples feel about having this organization peering into internal business? It would seem as thought the Inquisition watches, but (and I hope you will excuse the cliché), 'who watches the watchers? Well, of course there was some resentment, but it was generally accepted as being for the good of the Empire. If they did nothing wrong, they had nothing to fear from the Inquisition, right? And the Inquisition wasn't quite the SS, KGB or Stasi; the Empire was relatively liberal and open nation, so the Inquisition was less concerned with maintaining control, and more with simply enforcing the laws. As for your second question, initially, the Inquisition was just another part of the central church, and thus was monitored much like any other branch by the central prelates at the time. However, the modern incarnation of the Inquisition is expected watch it's own, though ranking members of any dicastery can question members of the Inquisition if they feel they had reason to do so. So even a Constructor (a member of the Sacred Congregation for the Erection and Maintenance of Churches and Houses of Prayer) can call upon an Inquisitor to testify before a jury of their peers. What exactly would count as a heretical view among the Caeleans? In a related question, what would be considered orthodoxy? Heresies would be ideas like questioning Cael's divinity (the most common, by far), insisting that Cael was a human who ascended to divinity, not the creator reascended, belief that Cael is but one in a pantheon of gods, or that the Pentacle are actually allies or servants of Cael instead of traitors, or that Cael was actually the messenger for some greater being (The Great Hersey of the Chaliceites). Then there are the more extreme ideas, such as Cael's ascension to divinity removed the ability from any other mortal to reach heaven, belief that Cael has reincarnated into human form (popular with cult leaders who have illusions of grandeur), or even that the Lords of the Pentacle are the true deities, and Cael has usurped their rightful position from them (Worship of the Pentacle) Some orthodox beleifs would be that Cael's children were divine like he was, and their descendants have inherited that divine nature, the belief that elves are all tainted and thus cannot be true followers of Cael (those who believe this often feel the same goes for kith, Alstanic humans, or other races from foreign lands), belief that Cael was never married and eternally chaste, or that the Emperor will not return until all of Caelea is united once again under one ruler. I have some experience with the study of the heresies of the early Christian churches going all the way up through the fifteenth century. I might be able to point out some of the more interesting beliefs as possible sources of inspiration, especially considering the clearly catholic feel of your religion. I have a fair bit of knowledge in Abrahamic theology, but any advice would be great! Moving on to deaths and slaughter. Why didn't the secular authorities destroy the Inquisition in its infancy and thus prevent that whole sale slaughter of 5% of the total population? What secular authorities? The empire had imploded in on itself, and authority came from stabbing people with sharp sticks, or melting their faces off with fireballs. It was literal anarchy...and the Inquisitors were able to use it to their advantage, often rallying villages around them, offering them protection from the heathens and heretics (remember, the Empire was ruled by the Horselanders for the last two decades, so their shamans were everywhere at the time, and the Horselanders publicly supported followers of the Pentacle to act as a counter balance to those of Cael, so demon cults were frighteningly common) It took most nations about two hundred years to sort themselves out into stable principalities, and Castillia still hasn't figured itself out! This map is outdated (Caelea should be about a third of the size, and Aysa should be carved out of it's easternmost part), so I need to draw up a new one, but it should give you a fair idea what the political situation looked like in the Caelen region during the later years of the inquisition http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/550395783_294eb2e458.jpg What exactly allowed this particular priest to unify the early inquisitors? I can imagine that the doctrinal differences among the regional groups would have made for a potential problem. Further, how did the Inquisition gain the necessary legitimacy to function the region over? Well, Antonio was an incredibly charismatic man, and relatively intelligent as well. He ended up becoming head of the head of a small group of Inquisitors in Caelea (the Principality of), and he through his support behind the prince almost immediately, effectively serving as the principality's secret police. He then used his position of relative stability to attract other inquisitors to join his organization, offering them military support and access to the Cittia Sulla Collina, something that had been long denied to those not born within a day's travel of the sacred hill. Now, that was enough to garner the suport of many of the Inquisitors in other "nations", cementing Antonio's power base. And those that chose not to join the new Inquisition were often driven from their homes and villages by Inquisitor or the Legion of Caelea. The doctrinal differences were relatively minor, nothing that they couldn't "agree to disagree" about for the time being. The region that they solidified in was the heartland of the Imperial church, and shared a doctrinal language, as well as similar interpretations. As for legitimacy, they did essentially control the Cittia Sulla Collina, and though the Imperial Church still exerted some influence, it relied largely on the inquisitors to carry out it's duties (indeed, many of the Archprelates from the time of the Empire's fall, and the 300's were inquisitors, though they never really attempted a unification until after Antonio started the ball rolling) What foreign ideals would be considered dangerous by the Inquisition? I assume that ideas concerning the essential non-existence of souls (or their existence as purely metaphorical objects) would be seen as at least a bit on the dangerous side. Also, the whole lacking belief in Cael would probably be high on the list. Anything that generally punches holes in common Caelean beliefs (such as arguments against reincarnation, the Caelean view of creation and the Divine Realms, ect.) would be censored, along with the things you mentioned. However, what about ethical notions such as Utilitarianism and the like. And what of the virtues of greed, deception, wit, doubt, and knowledge (the five virtues of pan-esuin and Adósian culture)? Ahh, they already have the kith for the first three, but yes, ethics and philosophy would also be censored if it doesn't line up with the church's view. So theories like socialism, Darwinism and the like would be nipped in the bud rather quickly. You say they they Inquisition seeks to restrict magic; why and how does it go about this? Why? For the protection of the people against rogue wizards, socerers and their ilk. One rogue socerer can do far more damage to a community than a band of bandits typically could. The church believes that magic-users need monitoring, lest they be tempted to do evil with their considerable powers. I think I mentioned this before, but you need a specific, but rather common, resonance crystal known as a Wizard's Diamond to cast spells in Caelea, thanks to magic being thrown slightly out of phase due to the arrival of Nohn, and death of a God, within a decade of one another. Though they are easy enough to pick up and cut, anyone found using magic with one not stamped by the Church, Congress, or one of the Jewling companies that specialize in resonance crystals, is jailed for illegal use of magic. Also, they attempt to regulate access to schools that teach magic, and the production and sale of all but the most basic magic items, so as to cut back on the number of people who have access to the arcane arts. What qualifies as demon worship? Would sacrifice of animals, objects, and the pouring of libations be considered thus? What about willing sentient sacrifice? Yep, all of the above, and generally any form of worship that involves blood, flesh, and the like. Grains, fruits, and crafted objects are considered acceptable offerings, though the church much prefers gold and silver. But generally, anything involving "baser" or "savage" practices are considered demonic. Also, would the alchemist or arcano-cosmologist that summons beings commonly thought of as 'evil' for the purposes of study be considered to be in league with dark powers? These actions are only allowed if church sanctioned, and done on church soil. Unregulated summoning of demons is illegal, and anyone caught doing so will end up having a nice, long chat with the Ordo Daebolus. I can imagine inquisitors of this order getting into quite a bit of trouble in certain of my countries, especially those where neogi are considered to be citizens and afforded all the legal rites thereof. Thankfully, Daebolus is pretty much confined to Caelea, and Ordo Barbarus are a little more accepting of aberrations. (though the most often encountered of the dicastery in Ilaros would be the Communion for the Proselytization of the Faith, or the Missionaries) I know you've refered to various sects of the Caelean religion; how does this order feel about each of these? They didn't much like them, viewing them as heretical orders that needed to be stopped, though since most were spawned by peasant uprisings against the Imperial Church, there was relatively little they could do about it other than burn a few leaders at the stake and be chased from town by an angry mob. However, as the other churches (aside from the Church of Qalitz) tend to be rather decentralized and individual affairs, Ordo Haereticus can infiltrate them relatively easily, and maintain their "communion with the Imperial church" I would love to know what sort of the theories the Ordo Barbarus considers dangerous. It could make for an interesting source of tensions between my peoples and yours. Further I could see the potential differences in intellectual and philosophical traditions creating a kind of 'conversion stalemate' whereby Ilaroi are unlikely to convert to the Caelean faith and Caeleans are unlikely to adopt such religions as the Tlón, The Bifurcating Path, or the Orations of Sacred Ur. I mentioned some of these before, but I think the most important would be the refutation of reincarnation (a central belief of the Caelean Church), as well as any flat out denial of Cael's divinity. Once I get more information up on the Caelean Church, flashpoints should be relatively easy to spot. As for conversions, that's not the Inquisition's area of expertise. That honor belongs to the Missionaries...those annoying fellows who stand in the street dressed in the brown cassocks, proclaiming salvation can be found in the Living Emperor, and all that jazz. Interestingly, I can see the Jauric nations supporting this group out of a desire to prevent the spread of the immorality of immortality. Like the Ordo Daebolus, Ordo Umbrae is pretty much restricted to the Caelean region. The one's whose support you'd be likely to garner would be The Orders of Sacred Exorcism, or the Exorcists, who are a little more likely to offer their support to the non-faithful. Does this order make much use of arcane magic itself or do they combat 'rogue' acranists with divine magic? They would use arcane magic...I would think there would be a large number of beguilers and lurks in the Ordo Magus, as well as Mystic or Divine Theurges. It sounds like this group is concerned with keeping people in doctrinal line and thus subservient to the central church. Also, as the public face of the Inquisition, how often do they have to defend the more unsavory practices of the organization? Your first statement is bang on. They are the one who ensure priests, scholars, and what not toe the line as set down by the Concilium Allegi. As for defending the more unsavory practices of the organization? They try to keep those practices to a minimum, but still they have to defend them on a regular basis. "The life of one damned soul is not worth the hundreds of innocents he could corrupt", and what not. I can see them containing a large number of Archivists (Heroes of Horror), as well as being somewhat more respected as they seem less outwardly militant and 'witch crazy' That's the idea...archivists fit extremely well within this order. However, your second point is slightly off...yes, the Ordo Arcarum are less likely to burn you at the steak, but they are far more likely to run through the streets proclaiming "the Thousand's maws cry out in hunger for the golden bile of mortal souls", and what not. So, less 'witch crazy', more general purpose insane. I'll do some more commenting later, and I'm sure I'll formulate more questions. All in all, though, I think the Inquisition looks to be a promising, and frightening organization. That's the goal! ---- :eek: HOLY CRAP!!!! (No pun intended;)) No, no. That's the Prelateal Council on Relieving the Ills of the States and the Church. This...this is Holy Stabbity-Death! Those Inquisiters are hard core. I really want to know how they would feel about knowing that Cael had taken a tribe of barbaric svages and granted them his blessing (not to mention his presence). The attitude of the Inquisiters is almost a polar opposite of the Theralosians. There would be some serious animosity between the two if it Theralos' true identity was ever to be discovered. Eh, not their purview...the Missionaries would likely be the first to encounter the Theralosians, and even then, they would just view it as another heathen faith and try to convert the lot of them. The Missionaries aren't known for their interest in foreign faiths... I was particularly impressed with the Ordo Haereticus and the Ordo Barbarus. They have a very gritty and... diabolical feel to them, I could almost see their High Inquisiter being some type of Tan'ari, or at least in cahoots with a devil. SHHHH!!! No one's supposed to know about that!!!:P I am especially curious as to the Ordo Barbarus' reaction should they discover the truth of the Theralosians What is the Inquisitions position on clerics of Cael being able to work their divine magic in Fallenstar? Does this mean our previous thought of having some sort of "Find Cael Crusades" in my region still going to happen? Again, not the purview of the Inquisition. No, that's the Missionaries, the Holy Orders of the Knights of the Church, and the Congress for the Status of Crusades and Holy Wars (Church Knights and the Crusaders) So yeah, Crusades are still a go, though the number of inquisitors in Fallenstar is likely no more than two dozen, compared to the few thousand Crusaders (normal peasants equipped by the church and their nation to carry out a war on the church's behalf) Right-o! That should cover everything! And Darth, Araes, Leffer, or NorthWind, if any of you want to write down a quick quote or something from one of your nations dealing with the Inquisition, go ahead! I would like a few more to drop in there! (sorry to the rest of you, but the natives in your regions would likely have had minimal contact, if any, with inqusitors of Cael) |
| Darth Syntax11-06-07, 02:35 AM | Woah...okay, a lot more questions that I have answers for...and quite a bit to muse about! Well I hope my questions are both helpful and on target (more or less). Eh what? No...I'm too cheep for that! ...Now reading the novels on the other hand...:rolleyes: I fully understand the cost thing. I can't say I've ever read the novels (nor any D&D novels either). Well, of course there was some resentment, but it was generally accepted as being for the good of the Empire. If they did nothing wrong, they had nothing to fear from the Inquisition, right? And the Inquisition wasn't quite the SS, KGB or Stasi; the Empire was relatively liberal and open nation, so the Inquisition was less concerned with maintaining control, and more with simply enforcing the laws. So it might be seen to have begun as a sacrifice for the greater good; interesting. As for your second question, initially, the Inquisition was just another part of the central church, and thus was monitored much like any other branch by the central prelates at the time. However, the modern incarnation of the Inquisition is expected watch it's own, though ranking members of any dicastery can question members of the Inquisition if they feel they had reason to do so. So even a Constructor (a member of the Sacred Congregation for the Erection and Maintenance of Churches and Houses of Prayer) can call upon an Inquisitor to testify before a jury of their peers. I can imagine that the amount of intrigue is staggering withing the hierarchy of the church, especially if there is no defined oversight. Heresies would be ideas like questioning Cael's divinity (the most common, by far), insisting that Cael was a human who ascended to divinity, not the creator reascended, belief that Cael is but one in a pantheon of gods, or that the Pentacle are actually allies or servants of Cael instead of traitors, or that Cael was actually the messenger for some greater being (The Great Hersey of the Chaliceites). Then there are the more extreme ideas, such as Cael's ascension to divinity removed the ability from any other mortal to reach heaven, belief that Cael has reincarnated into human form (popular with cult leaders who have illusions of grandeur), or even that the Lords of the Pentacle are the true deities, and Cael has usurped their rightful position from them (Worship of the Pentacle) What theological tenet depends upon the prior divinity of Cael? The heretics who hold that he ascended to god-hood would, no doubt, still believe that worship of him is right and proper. As to the others, now you've got me thinking right and left about the nature of some of these beliefs. For example, some group that holds that Cael and the Pentacle are allied might believe that the five took on the aspect of adversaries specifically to allow Cael to deliver his divine message. Sense it is only because they were willing to be derided, abhored, and seen as betrayers that the divine could be known to mortals it is they who should be revered. Some orthodox beleifs would be that Cael's children were divine like he was, and their descendants have inherited that divine nature, the belief that elves are all tainted and thus cannot be true followers of Cael (those who believe this often feel the same goes for kith, Alstanic humans, or other races from foreign lands), belief that Cael was never married and eternally chaste, or that the Emperor will not return until all of Caelea is united once again under one ruler. What a second. How can Cael have had offspring if he was also eternally chaste? It might be vaguely plausible if Cael were female (we could assume parenthogenesis or some such thing) as the maternity would be assured, but as Cael is male, how does that work out? Also, why are the elves, the kith, and the Alstanic people considered tainted? I can definatly see the Caeleans seeing the Ilaroi as tainted, if for no other reason than they are incapable of being divine casters. I have a fair bit of knowledge in Abrahamic theology, but any advice would be great! I'd be glad to help, just let me know what direction you might like a heresy or two to go. Further, I can imagine that small heretical sects might spring up in areas where there is a large amount of foreign contact. It might be interesting to find a heresy which takes the belief that the creator-god is worthy only of derision and ridicule from the Bifurcating Path and grafts it onto some other heretical beliefs. What secular authorities? The empire had imploded in on itself, and authority came from stabbing people with sharp sticks, or melting their faces off with fireballs. Hey, if I'm the Lord High Thug of Blimpf I'm not going to take kindly to a bunch of priests interfering in my ability to oppress my people in the manner to which I am accustomed. It was literal anarchy...and the Inquisitors were able to use it to their advantage, often rallying villages around them, offering them protection from the heathens and heretics (remember, the Empire was ruled by the Horselanders for the last two decades, so their shamans were everywhere at the time, and the Horselanders publicly supported followers of the Pentacle to act as a counter balance to those of Cael, so demon cults were frighteningly common) It took most nations about two hundred years to sort themselves out into stable principalities, and Castillia still hasn't figured itself out! This map is outdated (Caelea should be about a third of the size, and Aysa should be carved out of it's easternmost part), so I need to draw up a new one, but it should give you a fair idea what the political situation looked like in the Caelen region during the later years of the inquisition. So the Inquisition gained power because it was slightly more organized than the rest of the place. As to the map, It looks perfectly rational, with properly small countries which enable effective government. :D Well, Antonio was an incredibly charismatic man, and relatively intelligent as well. He ended up becoming head of the head of a small group of Inquisitors in Caelea (the Principality of), and he through his support behind the prince almost immediately, effectively serving as the principality's secret police. He then used his position of relative stability to attract other inquisitors to join his organization, offering them military support and access to the Cittia Sulla Collina, something that had been long denied to those not born within a day's travel of the sacred hill. Ah, nothing like being in control of the sacred 'City on the Hill' to lend a little theological force behind the hammer. Why were people born outside a days travel forbidden to enter the city? Now, that was enough to garner the suport of many of the Inquisitors in other "nations", cementing Antonio's power base. And those that chose not to join the new Inquisition were often driven from their homes and villages by Inquisitor or the Legion of Caelea. The old 'join us or be driven out' method. How did this effect the life of the communities where otherwise respectable people were seen as being in oposition to the inquisition? As for legitimacy, they did essentially control the Cittia Sulla Collina, and though the Imperial Church still exerted some influence, it relied largely on the inquisitors to carry out it's duties (indeed, many of the Archprelates from the time of the Empire's fall, and the 300's were inquisitors, though they never really attempted a unification until after Antonio started the ball rolling) Any particular reason why unification took so long, or was it simply a result of constant conflict? Anything that generally punches holes in common Caelean beliefs (such as arguments against reincarnation, the Caelean view of creation and the Divine Realms, ect.) would be censored, along with the things you mentioned. Ahh, they already have the kith for the first three, but yes, ethics and philosophy would also be censored if it doesn't line up with the church's view. So theories like socialism, Darwinism and the like would be nipped in the bud rather quickly. Then I would imagine that the whole body of religious writings of the Bifurcating Path and related traditions would be considered banned as 'perpetual adaptive metamorphosis' (evolution with an alchemical hat) is central to the belief system. The same would go for a large number of scientific texts (Such as the one from which the blurbs for Thel's beastiary are taken), philosophical writings, and probably works of fiction. It might give the Caelens a rather 'interesting' view of the Ilaroi peoples, as they would not have access to much of the information about their science, art, and religions. Why? For the protection of the people against rogue wizards, socerers and their ilk. One rogue socerer can do far more damage to a community than a band of bandits typically could. The church believes that magic-users need monitoring, lest they be tempted to do evil with their considerable powers. I suppose that is technically correct, I've just grown accustomed to seeing arcanists as just another member of the professional classes and nothing all that special. Yes, I've got working class wizards. Yep, all of the above, and generally any form of worship that involves blood, flesh, and the like. Grains, fruits, and crafted objects are considered acceptable offerings, though the church much prefers gold and silver. But generally, anything involving "baser" or "savage" practices are considered demonic. What is the origin of the prohibition of 'blood' sacrifices? Is there some sacredness to blood? These actions are only allowed if church sanctioned, and done on church soil. Unregulated summoning of demons is illegal, and anyone caught doing so will end up having a nice, long chat with the Ordo Daebolus. I'm sure many a foreign wizard has run afoul of the Ordo Daebolus for simply engaging in their profession. Does the Inquisition have a (for lack of a better term) warning system whereby they glare at you sternly and tell you in no uncertain terms 'now don't do it again' or do they go straight to the torture? Thankfully, Daebolus is pretty much confined to Caelea, and Ordo Barbarus are a little more accepting of aberrations. (though the most often encountered of the dicastery in Ilaros would be the Communion for the Proselytization of the Faith, or the Missionaries) I'd be interested to know a bit about the missionaries, and their possible response to the utter lack of divine magic on Ilaros. They didn't much like them, viewing them as heretical orders that needed to be stopped, though since most were spawned by peasant uprisings against the Imperial Church, there was relatively little they could do about it other than burn a few leaders at the stake and be chased from town by an angry mob. However, as the other churches (aside from the Church of Qalitz) tend to be rather decentralized and individual affairs, Ordo Haereticus can infiltrate them relatively easily, and maintain their "communion with the Imperial church" Do the more organized of these splinter churches have their own Inquisitions or similar organizations? I mentioned some of these before, but I think the most important would be the refutation of reincarnation (a central belief of the Caelean Church), as well as any flat out denial of Cael's divinity. Once I get more information up on the Caelean Church, flashpoints should be relatively easy to spot. As for conversions, that's not the Inquisition's area of expertise. That honor belongs to the Missionaries...those annoying fellows who stand in the street dressed in the brown cassocks, proclaiming salvation can be found in the Living Emperor, and all that jazz. I look forward to seeing the religion written about as it seems to be such a large part of your region. Like the Ordo Daebolus, Ordo Umbrae is pretty much restricted to the Caelean region. The one's whose support you'd be likely to garner would be The Orders of Sacred Exorcism, or the Exorcists, who are a little more likely to offer their support to the non-faithful. Well, considering the general feeling towards elves (and Jaur being elves) I can't really see much cooperation actually occurring. Your first statement is bang on. They are the one who ensure priests, scholars, and what not toe the line as set down by the Concilium Allegi. As for defending the more unsavory practices of the organization? They try to keep those practices to a minimum, but still they have to defend them on a regular basis. "The life of one damned soul is not worth the hundreds of innocents he could corrupt", and what not. Must make them popular fellows. Sort of like lawyers and tax officials. That's the idea...archivists fit extremely well within this order. However, your second point is slightly off...yes, the Ordo Arcarum are less likely to burn you at the steak, but they are far more likely to run through the streets proclaiming "the Thousand's maws cry out in hunger for the golden bile of mortal souls", and what not. So, less 'witch crazy', more general purpose insane. Well, madness is a perfectly respectable state, provided no heretic burning occurs. Right-o! That should cover everything! And Darth, Araes, Leffer, or NorthWind, if any of you want to write down a quick quote or something from one of your nations dealing with the Inquisition, go ahead! I would like a few more to drop in there! (sorry to the rest of you, but the natives in your regions would likely have had minimal contact, if any, with inqusitors of Cael) I'll see what I can come up with for blurbs. it might be a day or so as I am currently engaged in writing on the Bifurcating Path. |
| taski11-06-07, 06:24 AM | As for the campaign I am planning [...] After that I don't know... Your PCs could discover my islands at some point. :) --- I've mostly been thinking about the "look" of the Ungku'u, and the geography and ecosystem around them. I drew a picture of a pair of southern Ungku'u... The young man on the left is a harpooner, with a seeking distance harpoon and a keen whale-bane harpoon. The old woman on the right is a koyáma (ko-yaa-ma), a grandmother-councilor. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2396/1886121174_95f6c24382_o.jpg -- The islands were originally formed by volcanic action, and have been eroded by rain and glaciation. They encircle a shallow sea, which might be the sunken caldera of a very large extinct volcano (I don't know?). These days, only three volcanoes are active, on Yáma, Ngo'o, and Ikak Ikak islands. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1886656543_2cc8a92d85_o.jpg Hulú is a god of rain and wind, and rules the northern ocean. Namak is a god of cold, snow, and darkness, and rules the southern ocean and the southern polar continent. Molu is the cosmic order, or cosmic balance, that the Ungku'u try to live in accordance with. -- The Ungku'u have domesticated the local sea cow (stellar's sea cow), and herd them in the shallow Molu Sea, where they are protected from storms by the islands. Whalers leave the islands to hunt sperm whales, humpback whales, belugas, and narwhals, but never orcas (they are considered people). On the land, Ungku'u herd alpaca for their wool, cultivate tubers and vegetables, and gather nuts, berries, and mushrooms. -- I'm considering the possibility of having another sentient humanoid race on the islands. They'd live away from shore and the Ungku'u, up in the thick inland forests and hills... Perhaps uldra, those small fey people from Frostburn? |
| DonThelonious11-06-07, 08:19 AM | Wow Taski, you are a fantastic artist:clap: . Do you take requests? If you do I would love to get a drawing of one of my races riding its tribal dinosaur. :bigeyes: pwease :bigeyes: As for them popping into your region, I don't know how I could fit into the scheme. :plotting: Perhaps D_S has some ideas since it close to his region, unless you got something... -- Anyways, I have got all the racial adjustments up for all the races I plan on using. I have changed some of the stat adjustments (:cookie: to whomever wants to go into the wiki and find out which:D). D_S: If I could get you do one of your Mélos blurbs for the top of the races section that would rock. Possibly for the races as well but thats not a huge thing. -- Soviet: So there IS a Tana'ri at the helm! :plotting: :evillaugh :devil: In that order. I think as part of the adventure on your region I would like to have the players discover this. It would make for a wonderful adventure, what with the Inquisiters after them. Perhaps the real Head Inquisiter is a prisoner of the devil and the players can free him and get the Inquisition to leave them alone Then they chase the Tana'ri over to Nohn, kill it, find the airship save the day in the battle with the elves and finally get set adrift to crash into Fallenstar.:D What do you think? |
| eue11-06-07, 09:05 AM | Hi folks! After all the time I spent reading the thread real life kicked back in and I had to shift priorities towards my studies. Real life can be quite annoying sometimes... Now I come back and... I have three more pages to read! (I'm using 50 posts per page!) Ok... Now I'll have some free time to dedicate to Alm, Izxhe, and Jari. --- I mentioned the huz and the luti before as the dominant races of Alm. Well, both huz and luti are quite the same, humans with psionic ability (instead of their extra skill points, a power pool of 1... or maybe 1 per level, like the kalashtar?). Well, the thing is, huzet and lutit cannot interbreed. They can be distinguished from each other because the huz always have blank eyes (without irises <- is this the correct word?). In all other (physical) aspects, they're the same. The difference comes with their personalities, mainly. Because they cannot interbreed, communities tend to be racially seggregated, with huz-dominated areas, luti-dominated areas, and common areas. This leads to some competition between the two races, which resulted in the wars between them. --- Has anyone here ever read Walden Two? It's a book about an utopic community of peace and prosperity... Well here's text from wikipedia: Skinner (the author) mentions that Walden Two has "no institutionaled system of government, religion, or economics" and relates this to the goal of 19th century anarchism. Skinner essentially posits Walden Two as a practical non-violent "anarchist" system. Well, I was wondering if I could model the government of Jari after Walden Two. Would it seem too "modern" for our setting? Is it conceivable that a middle age society evolved into such an idyllic form of government (there's no government actually, but you get the idea...)? Let me know what you think about having such a society in the world and the impact on its neighbors. Oh, and by the way, I used the words utopic and idyllic a lot, because things will most likely fail sometimes. It is not a flawless system... --- On Izxhe... Well, so far all I've got is the name... I'll be focusing more on Alm and Jari to begin with, and as they take shape, they will eventually help in shaping Izxhe... I think I will drop the illithid domination idea... --- I have noticed some people coming back, like chimpman and alexeduardo, and we also have new faces, taski and dragonoverlord. So, correct me if I'm wrong. This is the current distribution of the triangles, right? I've marked people surrounded by doubt with question marks. And by the way, where on Kareh (sorry, expression from my running campaign, can't help but use it...) is yellowdingo? #01. ?Dex? #02. ?turalisj? #03. Northwind #04. chimpman #05. eue #06. ?LostMage? #07. ?Elldorith? #08. Alexeduardo #09. SovietCanuck #10. Darth_Syntax #11. #12. yellowdingo #13. DonThelonious #14. dragonoverlord #15. taski #16. LefferDP #17. Darth_Syntax #18. ?Crebain? #19. Araes #20. If this is correct, only two regions were never claimed. But some are pretty empty anyway... Or their owners are lost in time, along with the kickstarter of this Project, yellowdingo... I agree with the idea of freeing the "empty" but "claimed" regions for the new people who will fill them. --- Now, I'll check what I've been missing. (Goes back to read through the thread...) |
| DonThelonious11-06-07, 09:23 AM | Nice to read you again eue. As far as the anarchic society goes, I would say go for it. It is in your region and no one here can tell you not to. I don't foresee it having a huge impact on the overall world canon, so do as you see fit. Honestly I have a perfect anarchy set up in my very primitive region, so its not unprecedented. |
| eue11-06-07, 11:54 AM | (Still reading the thread...) As far as the anarchic society goes, I would say go for it. It is in your region and no one here can tell you not to. I don't foresee it having a huge impact on the overall world canon, so do as you see fit. Honestly I have a perfect anarchy set up in my very primitive region, so its not unprecedented. You say you have an anarchy set up in your region? Ain't your tribes "ruled" by the Welkin? But, anyway, my question was kinda stupid, I guess. Nevermind. A peaceful anarchic "government" would never make any great impact, except for, perhaps some migration from outcasts and stuff. But that's not the kind of system I was hoping for. There is a way for this utopic perfect society to work (theoretically) without crime and stuff. It's not a bunch of outcasts that band together and live as they please. It's a community. Not every man for himself. --- Regarding the hard to resurrect trend that we've been observing... Well, I'm inclined to do that in my islands as well. I am currently running a campaign where my PCs cannot use that kind of spells without Nerull's consent. I cut down the material costs of those spells to nothing. And, when one of the PCs passed away, it was one hell of a plot hook (still running...) I hate it when PCs reach the point where they can simply go and buy a bunch of diamonds at the local jewelry store and "poof"! They are back from the dead. They simply don't have "fear" of death. Characters, although heroes and all that, should not see death as a simple "cash withdrawal". --- |
| dragonoverlord11-06-07, 04:34 PM | Thats a very short interbellum period. How did the various powers maintain their agricultural output and general economy sufficiently to carry on fighting? the nations/power groups maintained agricultural outputs by farming every inch of land that was not under attack and using magical demi-planes/pocket dimensions created specifically for this purpose by the combined efforts of their most powerful spellcasters. they used very other resource they had to either make weapons or other war material. they ignored all other aspects of their economies, for the most part. part of the problem after the wars end, and part of the reason that they stopped, was that the magical explosion that created the hole also destroyed all of the demi-planes/pocket dimensions, severely reducing their agricultural output. also, i did not men that every town, village, farm, etc., did not have any longer breaks from fighting, but that no large area had a longer break. some small areas, especially far way from major cities and the borders, had larger breaks. Were the wars actually orchestrated or did these 'evil conspirators' just taking advantage of an already tense and volatile situation? they simply took advantage of volatile situations that already existed. they looked for these things, then worked to make sure that circumstances worked out in a way that would cause these tensions to come to the breaking point. for example, they encouraged Helcarion to pursue their cross strait ambitions very aggressively and manipulated the factions in the wild elf cites that were always enemies to all simultaneously try to destroy each other. they basically worked to make very dispute/ international incident turn out in the worst way possible. I would be interested to hear about the state of the modern religions and what role they play in the current society. i ahve not completly dveloped the stae of modern reliogns. their role is very importnat in the region, after the events that have occured there, poeple are ither very religous, or completly reject religon. the vast majortiy of poeple are very religous. they turn to rekigon fir explanetions of why the vcents of the recent past occured, and how to live better lives. each religon has it sown distinctive role, thoguh, and it s hard to make genrelizations beyond this. the reliogns of the region are nearly completly new. the old reliogns, the worship of the old gods, are dead becasue the old gods are all dead or changed. the old gods are the standard d&d deites, withsligth mdoifactions and soem addtions. the only survivors are: -a modfied hextor(LN),who is now the patron of all civlized law codes, honor, honorable combat, rules, nobles, justice,dsicipline and orderly retribution. he is now one of the most popular gods in the areas that have gained some dgree of stblity -bahamut(NG), now the general patron of good,in addition to all his old areas fo influence, and wisdom. he is the only one of the good dites to survive, and is now one of the two eldest gods. -obad-hai(N), patron of nature, respectful hunting and framing, enemy of any who despoil or abuse nature. he was the only god that did not fight in the last battle. he is the eldest god. -boccob( CN[e])he survived the wars, but was terribly sacred. the explosion during the last battle injured him badly, physically and mentally. also, since he was connected to all magic, an equivalent hole opened on his body in the area of his heart. his last rational action was to stop any further damage to magic by switching it to his body. this had is intended purpose, but also drove him insane and gave him terrible pain that he could not cure. he is now the god on insanity, entropy,wild vengeance, and patron of those who have been driven mad by grief. (one more will be added, have not decided on their details yet) new gods: (i have not fully creatd these yet) the names may be changed away from their standard names, but i am using the standard names for place holder for the moment.the modern religions also include some philosophies that do not worship a god. Also, you say that your various nations are are engaged in substantial trade with both foreign powers and local states. How suspicious are they of their neighbors and how much of the old conflict is being carried on in the modern economics? they are suspicious of many of their neighbors. their suspicions are based on the actions and allegiances that existed during the war, the nation that were allied at the end of the war are not very suspicious of each other. the nations that were bitter enemies by the end of the war are very suspicious of each other, and all other nations fall somewhere in between. also, the alliances that i mention are not large scale things, mainly because most close allies have merged into a single nation in modern times. the alliances that have not are small ones, usually not more than 2 or 3 groups, never more than 4.also, all groups are suspicious of foreigners, because of their experiences with the agents of the Enemy during the war that are still fresh in their minds. this category of foreigners includes any one who is not from the nation/territory of the group or that is from another continent. a lot of the old conflicts are being carried on in modern economics. nations that still are enemies try to block the development of, and interfere with, each other's economies in any way other than open war. they do this because they know that they are not currently fit to wage a war, but still wish to "defeat" the "enemy". for most nations, their level of success in modern times is not merely measured by an objective analysis of their economies, but by comparing them with their enemies. the alliances that still exist have transformed in military and economic alliances, for these same reasons. As to the potential for colonial interference, I can see that as being a potential for interesting political tensions. The various maritime republics of Ilaros would likely want to establish control over trade lanes, and financial matters. The Nacáilans and the Orothoi are particularly good at intertwining themselves into the economy of foreign powers (through things like imports, exports, banking, and specialized industries) and making themselves indispensable. The Ejantuli are more likely to provide political and military aid in exchange for some level of taxation and the like. Not that any of this has to being going on of course, but its a possible scenario. i like these ideas. this kind of foreign interference was something that i considered a major issue for the area. I think you might have a few too many sub-races and the like. Now there is nothing wrong with have a diversity of cultures and the like, but I'm not sure one needs full-blown subraces to do this. For example, I don't think you need seven elven sub-races (especially both an Ice and a snow variety). you're right, i had too many sub-races. i have now reduced the number of subraces, by making some of them societyies, groups, within particular sub-races. |
| Darth Syntax11-07-07, 06:49 PM | the nations/power groups maintained agricultural outputs by farming every inch of land that was not under attack and using magical demi-planes/pocket dimensions created specifically for this purpose by the combined efforts of their most powerful spellcasters. they used very other resource they had to either make weapons or other war material. they ignored all other aspects of their economies, for the most part. part of the problem after the wars end, and part of the reason that they stopped, was that the magical explosion that created the hole also destroyed all of the demi-planes/pocket dimensions, severely reducing their agricultural output. With their economies in such disarray I can see why foreign powers would be Here is the first map, the basic draft taken from the one you sent me. rather keen on getting their foot in the door; they would have a chance to create dependent markets. In regards to the explosion of magic, how has this effected the number of spellcasters and their power? Have they become rarer? Are they now treated with fear and suspicion? also, i did not men that every town, village, farm, etc., did not have any longer breaks from fighting, but that no large area had a longer break. some small areas, especially far way from major cities and the borders, had larger breaks. I would have thought that the border areas would have seen the most conflict as they are in the path of armies going from one place to another. they simply took advantage of volatile situations that already existed. they looked for these things, then worked to make sure that circumstances worked out in a way that would cause these tensions to come to the breaking point. for example, they encouraged Helcarion to pursue their cross strait ambitions very aggressively and manipulated the factions in the wild elf cites that were always enemies to all simultaneously try to destroy each other. they basically worked to make very dispute/ international incident turn out in the worst way possible. Makes sense really, but why did the conspirators want to bring about this state of chaos? True there is the evil entity bit, but what purpose would this serve? i ahve not completly dveloped the stae of modern reliogns. their role is very importnat in the region, after the events that have occured there, poeple are ither very religous, or completly reject religon. the vast majortiy of poeple are very religous. they turn to rekigon fir explanetions of why the vcents of the recent past occured, and how to live better lives. each religon has it sown distinctive role, thoguh, and it s hard to make genrelizations beyond this. the reliogns of the region are nearly completly new. the old reliogns, the worship of the old gods, are dead becasue the old gods are all dead or changed. the old gods are the standard d&d deites, withsligth mdoifactions and soem addtions. the names may be changed away from their standard names, but i am using the standard names for place holder for the moment.the modern religions also include some philosophies that do not worship a god. I would strongly encourage the changing of the names of the gods both because you've essentially created new and different entities and because the world doesn't have any connection to the standard cosmos Now, onto the religions themselves. You've said that most of the religions in the region are 'new', how likely are these people to have converted to various foreign religions such as Soviet's Caelean religion or one of the several Ilaroi religious traditions? they are suspicious of many of their neighbors. their suspicions are based on the actions and allegiances that existed during the war, the nation that were allied at the end of the war are not very suspicious of each other. the nations that were bitter enemies by the end of the war are very suspicious of each other, and all other nations fall somewhere in between. also, the alliances that i mention are not large scale things, mainly because most close allies have merged into a single nation in modern times. the alliances that have not are small ones, usually not more than 2 or 3 groups, never more than 4.also, all groups are suspicious of foreigners, because of their experiences with the agents of the Enemy during the war that are still fresh in their minds. this category of foreigners includes any one who is not from the nation/territory of the group or that is from another continent. How insular and isolationist are these people? Are there some nations that are more open to trade and foreign involvement than other (possibly out of necessity)? Also, how many states, countries, and so forth are you imagining as existing? In the aftermath of such a war, I would imagine that things would be fairly fragmented with power bases being small as large territories would be harder to control and defend. a lot of the old conflicts are being carried on in modern economics. nations that still are enemies try to block the development of, and interfere with, each other's economies in any way other than open war. they do this because they know that they are not currently fit to wage a war, but still wish to "defeat" the "enemy". for most nations, their level of success in modern times is not merely measured by an objective analysis of their economies, but by comparing them with their enemies. the alliances that still exist have transformed in military and economic alliances, for these same reasons. Sounds like a volatile place where future conflict is all but inevitable. Also, sense the economies seem to be rather important, what sort of economic philosophies prevail? Are they physical economies, backed by some good or commodity such as gold or silver, are they land-based economies, or do they have a more abstract economic system? Granted one could have very diverse economies, I'm just trying to get an overall feel. i like these ideas. this kind of foreign interference was something that i considered a major issue for the area. Let me know what kind of foreign involvement you might want. I can imagine the existence of proxy states and the like, along with economic control being prevalent, but I'll leave it up to you. you're right, i had too many sub-races. i have now reduced the number of subraces, by making some of them societyies, groups, within particular sub-races. It did seem a bit like overkill. What is the current list of races for your region? -- Ok, we've got maps today. Ready for comment and general deconstruction. Dragonoverlord, I've drawn three versions of your map, the first is a relatively straight forward version of what you sent me, the second is simply a 'naturalized' version of the first (more coastline detail, some fiddling with the shapes and so on) and the third is, admittedly, something of a radical edit. I'll explain the maps as I go. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/1909809066_89c63562cd_b.jpg This is the first map, just a basic drawing based upon what you sent me. -- http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/1909594512_fdbeb25452_b.jpg This is the second map. The edits are mostly to coastline shape, such as the inclusion of numerous fjords in those places where glaciation is likely to have had an effect on the shape of the coast. There are some general purpose edits as well such as the inclusion of some barrier islands, and that sort of thing. -- http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/1909595974_674d51e76d_b.jpg The last map is, as you can see, somewhat different. I've rotated the northern landmass about 90° clockwise and made the channel between the two landmasses narrower (you did call it a strait). The reason for the rotation came from your proposed mountain position (which I stupidly left off the maps, way to go Darth) running along the west coast of the southern landmass and along the (formerly) northern coast of the northern landmass. I've more or less lined these two ranges up, making for a very long mountain chain running north-south as well as opening the large bay (or sea or gulf or whathaveyou) in the northern landmass towards the west which would (theoretically) allow for the prevailing winds to bring rains to the countries around the bay without having to worry too much about a rain shadow. Now, you don't have to take any of these edits into consideration, I was jut having a bit of fun. For some reason your map was really fun to play with. -- Well, that's all for now. |
| Alexeduardo11-07-07, 10:33 PM | Wow, so many dedicated writers, and me with my pathetic excuse for a medieval europe... :weep: well, any way. Now that my face's dry, I might start working on another world. Yes, I know I can't just decide to simply get another triangle just like that, so I 'm gonna fit another island right below Desgarrada. And... Lorg, a human warlord, has just approached me with something very unusual. He had a hat on that seemed to have some sort of fin on top. While he went on about how a secret evil angel empire used this for maximum air flying (not very cultured of a guy), I carefully drew the hat in question. As you may have already infered, If the man assoiciated the hat with heavens, I can't afford it. Still, that hat will always remain in my memory,and I'll never stop wondering what would have happened hadit been me the one to find it and not that bumbling barbarian. From the memoirs of norhio the old. |
| Alexeduardo11-07-07, 10:52 PM | Ok, false fire alarm :D Here's some light on Norhio: Young Norhio arrived at Desgarrada with his family about ten generations ago. His family was running from war and represion, and traveled illegally in a small Caravel (yes, in this world, there is such a thing). His father found a brilliant future as a jewel crafter in Esniocho, but her mother died when Norhio was 40. Curiosly, Norhio never forgave his parents' desicion to move to Desgarrada. He never stopped longing for the beautiful gardens and vast libraries of the gnome homeland. This might be why he was always financing book and plant smuggling from the gnome homeland into Esniocho. This process was risky, and very patience-requiring. But when the Big Enciclopedias finally arrived, he would shut himself on his room for days on end, studying that one particular subject that had made him partake of crime. When his father died, his first impulse was to sell everything and take the first ship to his homeland. But right before boarding, he heard an old beggar comment something about Goliaths. Never having heard of them, Norhio went on to interrogate the beggar about the goliaths. Having squeezed all he could from the old man, he went on to investigate more. He eventually learned all he could from the city, then he learned all he could from the neighboring towns. And the next neighboring towns. and the next. and the next. His questions eventually became more varied, and he eventually started recording it on various recordable surfaces. He soon became a celebrity among the people of Desgarrada. and serfs and warlords alike went to him for answers, recording of their deeds, and , most importantly, new and exiting questions. Ironically, Norhio never visited his homeland on body. But he did send a copy of all his notes to a publishing house, that publishing house sold The investigations of Norhio the Old all across the continent. The book sparked even more interest and questions about Desgarrada, and drastically increased the flow of foreigners. not very relevant, but all i've got |
| SovietCanuck11-07-07, 11:04 PM | Oddly amusing that you went the route of 40k with the Inquisitors, as I was actually heading in that direction for my next post of Kedara, just with a bit more of an Eldar bent to them. Always did like playing the skinny space elves, particularly the dark and evil ones. Eh, 40k has some brilliant ideas in it's setting, and I'm particularly fond of the Imperium. Shades of Grey in the extreem:D . However, to each their own! It'll be intresting to work out the Kedara-Qalitz and Kedara-Horselander relations (feel free to suggest any ideas. I hope to have Qalitz up this weekend...I started on it, but unfortuneately, I got caught up in the inquisition, leaving Qalitz stalled at only Government) Also glad that the Ekku stuff worked out relatively well in terms of border interactions between our nations. I'll probably expand on them in the future to cover even more of their societal organizations, history, ect.., but right now I'm just trying to get good overviews on all of the various nations. However, when that time does come around, I'll see about integrating some of the slavic influence into the vaguely latin / asian naming scheme I've been going with so far. Right-o. Just an idea, however...since you say your languages have a Latin feel to them, and the Ilasts are a Latin/Romance people, would it be alright if they originated from your region, and migrated north some 3000 years ago? Vae Victis! Quod per ardua ad astra Imperator gloriam! It is better to die for the Emperor than to live for yourself!:D --- I fully understand the cost thing. I can't say I've ever read the novels (nor any D&D novels either). Eh, like a lot of novels based of games, they can be hit and miss. However, I'm really enjoying the Horus Hersey series that they're running now...loads of inspiration can be drawn from those ones, even for DnD campaigns. So it might be seen to have begun as a sacrifice for the greater good; interesting. Isn't that how most of these things start? :D I can imagine that the amount of intrigue is staggering withing the hierarchy of the church, especially if there is no defined oversight. That's the plan. I want Caelea to be rife with intrigue and back-door politics. That's one the three "adventure loci" I'm going to be focusing on: Urban Intrigue, War Campaigns, and Ruins. What theological tenet depends upon the prior divinity of Cael? The heretics who hold that he ascended to god-hood would, no doubt, still believe that worship of him is right and proper. The current interpretation holds Cael as the original creator of the universe, who after creating life, lay down to rest, and was cast down while sleeping by his jealous advisers, the Pentacle. To claim Cael was not originally divine means attributing creation to someone or something else, which would be to admit there is something more powerful than Cael, which is, of course, heresy. As to the others, now you've got me thinking right and left about the nature of some of these beliefs. For example, some group that holds that Cael and the Pentacle are allied might believe that the five took on the aspect of adversaries specifically to allow Cael to deliver his divine message. Sense it is only because they were willing to be derided, abhored, and seen as betrayers that the divine could be known to mortals it is they who should be revered. Ohh, that's cool. Consider it cannon! :D What a second. How can Cael have had offspring if he was also eternally chaste? It might be vaguely plausible if Cael were female (we could assume parenthogenesis or some such thing) as the maternity would be assured, but as Cael is male, how does that work out? Different churches mate! The former would be Church of Qalitz, which banks heavily on the Divine Right of Kings, the latter would be the patriarchal Roenic Orthodox. Also, why are the elves, the kith, and the Alstanic people considered tainted? It's all a matter of interpretation. A lot of Cael's sayings can be twisted to fit someone's particular wouldview, so if they wanted to say that 'race x' is damned, they just take a quote like "And to all those who doth proclaim witness to this victory, know that thout shalt be blessed, and so shalt all thy children, and the children of thy children, and so unto the end of days" and twist it so that those who never fought the elves were never meant to revive Cael's blessings (applying to kith and Alstanic humans) I can definatly see the Caeleans seeing the Ilaroi as tainted, if for no other reason than they are incapable of being divine casters. Oh yes, that would definitely mark them as 'damned', 'godless', 'god forsaken', and the like. I'd be glad to help, just let me know what direction you might like a heresy or two to go. Well, I have looked into both Gnostic and Montanic Heresies, but any of the other more radical early heresies, from about 200 AD-500 AD, would be the generally what I'm going for. Further, I can imagine that small heretical sects might spring up in areas where there is a large amount of foreign contact. It might be interesting to find a heresy which takes the belief that the creator-god is worthy only of derision and ridicule from the Bifurcating Path and grafts it onto some other heretical beliefs. Aye...that could very well prove the foundation for heresies, or at least the founding of splinter branches of established church. As for the Bifurcating Path, seeing as how nearly all Caeleans worship Cael as the creator of the universe, to suggest that he is only worthy of derision and ridicule would definitely rub the majority of them the wrong way... Hey, if I'm the Lord High Thug of Blimpf I'm not going to take kindly to a bunch of priests interfering in my ability to oppress my people in the manner to which I am accustomed. But see, if the peasants disobey you, they might come back as a heathen, or an elf, but if they disobey the priest, they'll come back as a ox...I don't know about you, but I'd rather live my next life as a heathen than a ox, for at least I have a chance at redemption, instead of a chance as ending up as someone's dinner. So the Inquisition gained power because it was slightly more organized than the rest of the place. As to the map, It looks perfectly rational, with properly small countries which enable effective government. :D Ayep....on both counts Ah, nothing like being in control of the sacred 'City on the Hill' to lend a little theological force behind the hammer. Why were people born outside a days travel forbidden to enter the city? Because that was the region controlled by the Principality of Caelea, and to try and gain power/influence, the Princes of Caelea forbade entrance to all not under their rule at that point in time. I used day as a rough number, it was actually more like 5 to 7 days travel to the border of the Principality. The old 'join us or be driven out' method. How did this effect the life of the communities where otherwise respectable people were seen as being in oposition to the inquisition? Well, there were ways of making those of little faith move...after a few of their neighbors had lost their heads, most got the idea fairly quickly. Any particular reason why unification took so long, or was it simply a result of constant conflict? It wasn't really high on most priests priorities. If there were independent and free to do as they pleased, why would they want to submit to a higher authority. Only when the benefits of joining a unified church outweighed the benefits of independence, was unification seriously considered (such as when a stable central authority existed, that would grant the priests protection, as well as access to religious texts and artifacts that would enhance their legitimacy) Then I would imagine that the whole body of religious writings of the Bifurcating Path and related traditions would be considered banned as 'perpetual adaptive metamorphosis' (evolution with an alchemical hat) is central to the belief system. The same would go for a large number of scientific texts (Such as the one from which the blurbs for Thel's beastiary are taken), philosophical writings, and probably works of fiction. It might give the Caelens a rather 'interesting' view of the Ilaroi peoples, as they would not have access to much of the information about their science, art, and religions. Ayep...and those that do make it though would likely have been censored beyond recognition. But as you said, it severely limits their knowledge of foreign nations to what the church wants them to know I suppose that is technically correct, I've just grown accustomed to seeing arcanists as just another member of the professional classes and nothing all that special. Yes, I've got working class wizards. Aye...but very few trades can burn down a city without significant aid can they? :rolleyes: But yeah, my region has significant numbers of magewrights (particularly amongst the Vestrians and kith), most of whom are Congress approved and Sanctioned What is the origin of the prohibition of 'blood' sacrifices? Is there some sacredness to blood? Nope...it's just associated with the old gods (particularly the Horselander and Roenic spirits), so practice of that particular offering was barred as to prevent the association with Cael and the elder gods. As well, Cael claimed to bring peace and civilization to his people, and the wanton spilling of blood did not appeal to him...he had seen enough blood spilled on the battlefield that he wanted no more spilled in his name unless absolutely necessary. I'm sure many a foreign wizard has run afoul of the Ordo Daebolus for simply engaging in their profession. That's their fault, damned pagan socerers! :rolleyes: Does the Inquisition have a (for lack of a better term) warning system whereby they glare at you sternly and tell you in no uncertain terms 'now don't do it again' or do they go straight to the torture? Depends on the individual, their mood, what the crime in question is, and whatnot. So if you catch an inquisitor on a bad day, you could be publicly flogged for just using the Pentacle's name in a curse, while on a good day, the same inquisitor might let off a minor demonic summoning by a foreigner with only a small fine, and a warning. I'd be interested to know a bit about the missionaries, and their possible response to the utter lack of divine magic on Ilaros. They'd likely be shocked at the utter godlessness of the place, and seek to convert the masses as to bring them back into communion with their creator, so that their souls may at last be lifted to heaven...and all that jazz. But yeah, I'll be detailing the missionaries later on...I'm likely going to do articles like I did for the Inquisitors for the Missionaries, Exorcists, Church Knights, Crusades, and Lay Priests. Do the more organized of these splinter churches have their own Inquisitions or similar organizations? The Church of Qalitz has the Mutaween, who fill much the same roll, but are a little bit more open about it (not that they aren't capable of subterfuge, they just engage in it only when completely necessary.) The Mutaween are a smaller organization, and they tend to be less specialized, but besides that they are much alike. Other than Qalics, none of the others posses the central organization to establish an inquisition, and most have a dim view of the Inquisition's tactics in general. I look forward to seeing the religion written about as it seems to be such a large part of your region. I'm working on it! :D Well, considering the general feeling towards elves (and Jaur being elves) I can't really see much cooperation actually occurring. Hey, low elves are deeply integrated into the Caelean way of life...so it'll depend on whether or no the Jaur are more like the "arrogant, human-hating, pointy-eared devils", or the magewright who lives down the street. Must make them popular fellows. Sort of like lawyers and tax officials. Pretty much, yeah. They're about as well liked as a White House Press Secretary in a Blue State... Well, madness is a perfectly respectable state, provided no heretic burning occurs. Well, to the peasants maybe...the church, not so much. Much better to burn the peasants, then babble on to them about alien minds which lurk beyond reality! I'll see what I can come up with for blurbs. it might be a day or so as I am currently engaged in writing on the Bifurcating Path. Right-o. Look forward to it! --- Soviet: So there IS a Tana'ri at the helm! :plotting: :evillaugh :devil: In that order. I think as part of the adventure on your region I would like to have the players discover this. It would make for a wonderful adventure, what with the Inquisiters after them. Perhaps the real Head Inquisiter is a prisoner of the devil and the players can free him and get the Inquisition to leave them alone Then they chase the Tana'ri over to Nohn, kill it, find the airship save the day in the battle with the elves and finally get set adrift to crash into Fallenstar.:D What do you think? Well, really I want to leave it open. If you want them to be working with servants of Zertal against the more chaotic demons, go right ahead. I'm not going to reveal everything about them, as a certain amount of mystery makes it easier for a DM to fiddle things so they fit into their campaign. Also, there is no "Head Inquisitor"...it's the Prefect of Holy Inquisition, at this point in time Domenica Staeloveré. Also, seeing as how the ancient kith were experimenting on devils and what not, the Tanar'i could be trying to free it's lord still trapped within stasis chambers. Work with the idea...see what you can come up with! --- And now for an addition on my part here...a little map of the religious sects within the Caelean church. Not certain how much this will affect other regions, but it's still important internally. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/1911330198_6760c84239_o.gif There are four primary divisions within the church: The Qalic Churches (ultra-orthodox), Orthodox Churches (orthodox...), Imperial Church (conservative), and Reform Churches (moderate). I'll be getting more into the details of each devision later, but right now I thought I might set down how the different churches are lain out. --- Finally, I'm prolly going to do some major work on the population demographics of my region...seeing as how the population of Ekku is about the same as all of Caelea east of the Dragonrests...I think I'm doing something wrong.:D |
| DonThelonious11-08-07, 04:32 AM | Okay everyone, sorry I have been out of the loop the last few days, been working on my Savage Paladin PrC. -- Soviet: Here is the preliminary post on the Theralosian Savage Paladin PrC. The flavor will be changed to something more appropriate when it gets moved onto the Wiki. -- Tell me what you guys think! *Snip It just got moved to a competition, wish me luck:). |
| Darth Syntax11-08-07, 04:49 AM | I'll be responding to all these excellent things in the near future, but tonight I would like to offer up the very beginnings of The Ejantuli Empire (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/The-Ejantuli-Empire). Comments and critiques are always welcome. Enjoy. |
| DonThelonious11-08-07, 07:06 AM | Okay D_s, a few things. Again and again Ejan was sent out upon the deadliest of ventures, and time and again he returned covered in glory. His victories had won him the accolades of the people of Lutaj and it was not long before the city was under his command. Was it a coup? Was it a peasant uprising? Was his pure charisma and the love of the people? How exactly did Ejan come to be master of Lutaj? From Lutaj, Ejan began to expand his power, conquering the neighboring city-states and petty kingdoms. Within a decade of his initial rise to power, he had laid the foundation for a new Jauric trading empire, and one that would endure far longer than the one now lost to the deep. Were these battles bloody and brutal? Were they free of bloodshed? And what, if any, allies did Ejan have during all of this? What other races joined his call? petitioners, and of enemies. There are rituals for the raising of taxes, for the commissioning of armies, and for the making of judgments, and for the summoning of advisors. From the rising of the sun to ascendancy of the second moon the Emperor is bound in ritual observance for these are not merely strange and symbolic gestures. The whole of the Imperial Palace is laid out as a massive psionic artifact, keyed to the actions and person of Emperor. The performance of the rituals ensures his health, his safety, and his sanity as well as his continued access to the visions which guide his rule. Your missing part of a sentence that looks to be important. Gedj Shjra Nyedanan is a cunning and charismatic leader, devoted to making the Empire the power it once was. He is gregarious, arrogant, charming, intelligent, and endlessly ruthless; a combination of traits that make him a formidable ruler and one who is not lightly trifled with. Despite his arrogance and sense of destiny, Gedj welcomes dessent among his advisors and publicly praises those who show enouch courage to disagree and suggest alternate courses of action. He has said on numerous occasions that he would rather be advised by his deadliest foes than by an army of toadies who fawn over him, for he can at least trust the motivations of his foes. This guy would get along famously with the Overzeese Koningen. How would he feel about being visited by a Welkin in the form of a storm giant? Thats all I have questions about for now. I like the history of the empire, it has a strong feel of the trade empires of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. |
| Darth Syntax11-08-07, 04:10 PM | Okay D_s, a few things. Was it a coup? Was it a peasant uprising? Was his pure charisma and the love of the people? How exactly did Ejan come to be master of Lutaj? I've added a bit to the article on this point. Essentially, Ejan became too popular with the wrong sort of people and the lords of the city attempted to assassinate him. Trying to assassinate someone who can see into the future is a difficult thing. When the attempts failed, Ejan's commanders and those loyal to his cause killed the lords of city and brought the bodies to him. He took their rings of office (the Ejantuli do not have an Imperial crown, but rather a set of rings to denote their position) and ordered their bodies to be buried, which would be roughly the equivalent of burring someone in unconsecrated ground in medieval Europe, and stepped in and filled the power vacuum. Were these battles bloody and brutal? Were they free of bloodshed? And what, if any, allies did Ejan have during all of this? What other races joined his call? The battles were indeed bloody, for such things cannot be avoided. Ship to ship warfare with primitive explosives and burning pitch and naphtha is not pretty and casualties on all sides were high. Despite this, Ejan's fleet managed to stay more or less alive due mostly to superior tactics and that handy seeing into the future bit. Ejan went into battle knowing he would win, all he had to do was go through the motions. On your second question; very few other races joined in the early conflicts surrounding the foundation of the Empire. The region from Nyerra to the coast of the mainland is populated mostly by Jauric elves and it was between them that the wars were fought. It wasn't until the Empire began to push inland and south that they had to deal with non-Jaur in any great number. Your missing part of a sentence that looks to be important. So I am. Spit. Well, I've hopefully fixed that bit as well. This guy would get along famously with the Overzeese Koningen. How would he feel about being visited by a Welkin in the form of a storm giant? Gedj is rather devout in his religious and cultural dealings, and as such speaking with an entity that claims to be a god, or godlike, would be considered immoral and unclean. True gods do not walk among mortals, they do not concern themselves with day to day affairs of lesser beings, they have the whole of the cosmic order to attend to and should only be 'bothered' in properly grave situations. Petitioning gods for everything would be seen as some odd combination of blasphemous and very rude. Beings that claim to be gods or avatars of gods are viewed as ill omened and as 'evil' (I hesitate to use the latter word as 'evil' isn't a valid concept in Jauric religion and thought). However, if the welkin claimed that the whole 'god' thing is merely a ruse to control lesser beings, he might be better received. It really does depend on how things are framed in the discussion. Thats all I have questions about for now. I like the history of the empire, it has a strong feel of the trade empires of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. That's generally the idea. I wanted an empire that has waxed and waned in power but that is fully capable of reasserting itself and more than making up for its losses. |
| Araes11-08-07, 11:09 PM | The Lasarii and the Togai - Part 1 In time before memory, when the world was young, and its surface still pristine, it is said that on Arron, the dream land, there walked but two peoples – the Lasarii and the Togai. Few in number, they lived their lives in peace with one another, and with the land itself. For it was said that in this place, the great troubles of man had yet to find the peoples, such was the world’s infancy. War, pestilence, even death touched not their lives, for time itself was foreign to them. And in this bastion they prospered, and the land welcomed them, and responded to their will, and gave forth great bounty, such was its pleasure at their presence. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Cities.jpg Twas in such a state that they existed, side by side, for eons. Their cultures grew, and spread, and came to cover the whole of the land, and shape its form by their will. Great cities arose, and wonders were erected for the glory of the world and its peoples. Learning and artistry flourished, and countless fine works were laid down by even the most meager of folk. Yet, it was this very growth and prosperity which would ultimately spark their downfall, for unbeknownst to the peoples, the first of man’s great evils had slipped into their utopia unseen – greed. Throughout the Dreamland, for as long as the people could remember, the most important guide of their destiny had been their own will. Should they want for anything, they had only to think of it, and the land would turn their wishes to reality. Yet, as they had grown and spread, the people had come to find that the land responded less and less to their wishes directly, and even when it do so, the responses were sluggish and weak. Diluted by the thoughts of a million voices, the land could only reply to the most unified wants of the whole. Without the fruits of easy bounty at their fingertips, that which already existed slowly came to gain greater importance. Without instant gratification, they came to look to the world around them and what others had to try and meet their needs. What they found, though, was that their compatriots were not always willing to share the results of their efforts. Food, works of art, even loved ones were hidden away from the prying eyes of the world so they couldn’t be shared. Yet, even with this hording developing, still violence had not found the people. Not until the time of KaFelEl. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_El.jpg It is said that millennia ago, El was a beauty such as the world had never seen. A purest wish for love, beauty, and compassion made manifest, but granted to two different men simultaneously. One of these men was a Lasarii by the name of Ka, while the other was a Togai called by Fel. Each had hoped to find true love in life, and each was granted a part of the soul of Esh. However, like the greed of objects, which had come to consume the people, so to did the two men covet the far more precious rarity of love. El herself was no more able to readily make a choice then they were, as both men possessed traits she herself had wished for – grace, confidence, and passion for life. Yet, in the end, she did come to a decision, and that decision was Fel. And so it was that the next great evils of death and, shortly thereafter, war came to the peoples. For when Ka heard of her choice, he was overwhelmed in misery, in discontent,…in anger. The more he fed these feelings, the more they grew and began to take on a life of their own, warping and twisting, becoming things of darkness. Until at last, they broke free of Ka’s grasp, and lashing out into the world, grabbed hold of the dreamland. With a wish like none had ever made, they screamed rage into its fabric, and cried death for the one who had stolen their love. So primal and fierce were their roars that the land moved at once in response, and, with a great lash, tore the very immortality from Fel’s body. Instantly he was struck down, as years of mortality piled on their toll in the span of a second. With El at the time, his very body withered and decayed before her eyes, until little more than a pile of ash remained. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Ka.jpg Being the first being of their kind to ever witness death, and to witness such a death in one of the most horrible ways possible, something inside El broke in that moment. Where Ka had been consumed by anger, El simply found anguish. In waves, it rolled off her as she wept over the body of her fallen love; so pervasive in its presence that members of the people who had never met here, who were leagues away, could feel her pain and were aware of what had transpired. In fact, as each felt the pain, echos spread even further into the population, as a new sorrow for the awareness of their changing world overtook them. Never more would be the idyllic days of luxury and bliss. The wishes of the dreamland were gone, and in their place had crept all the dark specters of the world. And the fractures were only beginning. After the initial attack by Ka, there was a great deal of discord among the peoples for months afterward, as every member debated what should be done with such a person. There had never been death, let along killing among the peoples, and there simply was no system in place to deal with such an occurrence. Some, largely members of the Togai, demanded equality in justice – death for he who would kill their own. Others, some Lasarii and some Togai, argued though that this would simply bring his curse of killing down upon them as well. Instead, they felt that banishment was the better alternative and that he should be cast out of civilization to make his way without tainting them further. Finally, a few Lasarii contended that the only compassionate way to deal with Ka would be to accept his failings and let him try to remain one of them. To cast him out in their eyes would be little better than committing him to his own death, as how could anyone survive away from their great societies? It was near this point in the debate when Fel’s brother Tur returned to the dreamlands. Long absent exploring the world beyond, Tur was one of the few members of the Togai who had felt neither the initial sorrow of El, nor the spreading ripples of discontent among the rest of society. It was nearly a year after his brother’s death before he was even aware something was amiss, and his feelings were a troubling mirror of Ka’s initial anger. This was only intensified when upon his arrival, he found that not only was his brother slain, but that nothing had been done in the name of justice whatsoever. Ka wandered free among the peoples as any man, and debate had become locked to the point of uselessness in Tur’s eyes. Speaking passionately among his people, he questioned why they sat silently while the first murderer of the lands walked care free? A man who had killed one of their own, who had broken the will of their sister in marriage, who’s very presence was splinter in the side of society. With speech after burning speech he whipped their social psyche to action until it pulsed and roiled for his blood, until they could do little but attempt to make justice for themselves. So it was that on a cold night in the heart of winter, they came for Ka in the city of Tedaro. Next part in a bit... Basically, what I'm trying to do with these guys is set up the backstory for how certain races have come to inhabit the section I'm working on. This will eventually lead into the creation of Kedara and Bratan - the elves and the orcs. What this is also aiming for is the setup of some rather powerful, old figures that can wander the backstory. More on that when I get to the next part, but basically, all elves in the section are going to be decendants of the Lasarii, and orcs the Togai - both originally immortal races. Elves and orcs themselves aren't immortal though, so there are definitely some intermediary steps. However, some of those steps, as well as some of the original immortals themselves are still walking the world - including Ka ( K -edar- a ). Also, some more on the naming scheme for elves when I get back to it. Short version, every extra syllable of an elf's name is another mark of shame for the number of steps between them and immortality. IE, Ka or El, single syllable, immortal. Mirabela, four syllables, three removed from immortality. |
| DonThelonious11-08-07, 11:37 PM | Wow. That was so engrossing, I could really feel for Tur. I have to ask though, are the feeling of rage and desire to hurt, on the part of Ka, the source of most of the monsters in your region? Kind of a pure psionic manifestation of Pandora Box? And where the heck do you get your pictures man? Those things are bloody brilliant! |
| Araes11-09-07, 07:56 PM | I have to ask though, are the feeling of rage and desire to hurt, on the part of Ka, the source of most of the monsters in your region? Kind of a pure psionic manifestation of Pandora Box? I actually hadn't thought of that, but that's definitely an interesting idea. Particularly since that rage, anger, and violence is going to be taken up even more when the fallout of the Togai coming for Ka happens. The monster thing might end up being something of a multi-source issue. Perhaps some were released or morphed due to the entering of the great evils into the world, while I'm think that others may have been related to the starfall that mostly ended up in your region. One idea I have been considering, and that I already have a nice piece of artwork for, would be that before the impact happened, it fragmented somewhat, and some of the smaller pieces landed outside the main zone that became your section. I may either put one of those landing zones in my own area, or grab a new one, attached to the main continent, and stick it there. By this point, they've also been there so long, that people have returned to inhabit what used to be the blast zone, and have made some rather interesting cities near them. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/StarFall_FragmentCity.jpg On the topic of the art itself, really its just a ton of hunting online for stuff to use. A lot of it is from sites like: www.conceptart.org www.deviantart.com www.elfwood.com www.cgchannel.com/ Quite a few individual concept art folks I know of like: http://www.goodbrush.com/ (Craig Mullins) http://www.christianalzmann.com/ (Christian Alzmann) http://www.fengzhudesign.com/ (Feng Zhu) http://www.ghull.com/ (George Hull) http://www.jamesclyne.com/ (James Clyne) There's also several I have that have been just picked up off of lucky Google Image searches for silly keywords like "castle", "landscape", or "forest" and a couple that I just made myself by finding real pictures of places I liked and then running them through a bunch of filters on Photoshop. My Google Pages account has something like 400 art pieces in it right now, and I keep adding more and modifying them so they won't kill forum users bandwidth. |
| Alexeduardo11-09-07, 11:29 PM | As the wise orc king and his relentless human servant walk up the hill. The servant, defying his lord, questions staying in the castle of freedom that night. The servant says that if they left, thay could be in a ship to the empire before the moon is born again. He even goes on to question the orc's love for the land. This misplaced audacity goes on until they reach the top of the hill. The old and wise lord grabs the restless human by the neck and points his head towards the east. This, he says, is why we must stay and die. This, is our Desgarrada (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/1941778732_871ef0185b_o.jpg) sadly, the rhyme is lot in translation. |
| DonThelonious11-10-07, 10:47 AM | Took me half the night, but I have it up! The Fallenstar Beastiary (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Fallenstar-Beastiary) is up and running. It's usable, but I still need to get the dinosaurs and dire animals posted into it. I had to edit a lot of the fluff for many of the MM creatures, and while doing so I decided that the ancient elves were master animal breeder and extensively used magic during the breeding process to enhance the animals. This gave rise to the Giant Eagle, Girallon, Sea Cats, and Spider Eaters. Araes and/or D_S: Would it be possible for my ancient elves to have been at war with either one or both of you? Most of these things were bred to be mounts, so I need something for them to to be mounted against. The elves controlled the entire continent of Starfall, so would it be possible for them to have been in some kind of conflict with your respective peoples? |
| Araes11-10-07, 01:13 PM | Well, I can potentially work things in that direction. After the idyllic time of the Lasarii was over in my section, and got around to the time of the first of the other races, where the Arron continental elves would have come on the scene, then yeah, they could have. It will take me a bit to figure out why they would be, but I'm sure something can be worked out. |
| Alexeduardo11-10-07, 01:48 PM | I don't mean to intrude, but you don't really need a war for mounts. Horses were originally domesticated so they could carry things or work a mill. I gues elves should have figured that out |
| Alexeduardo11-10-07, 02:15 PM | When the first Great Jarl led the First Great Ferl Invasion of The East, no one could stop him. The Ferl entered this beautiful Desgarrada and took it by surprise. The free divided were doomed. But as the army marched south, it had to divide itself so it could still mantain it's firm grip on the free divided. So by the time they arrived at fire lake, they were just about a third of the original force. Fire lake has it's name because on the night before Harvest day an army of troll, kobold and orc warriors set fire to the Ferl army by using arrows lit afire. it was an extraordinary militery feat, but six houndred orc men stopped the ferl until two houndred trolls and one houndred kobolds arrived at the battle, firing incendiary arrows. Up to date, the night before harvest day is considered holy and no one spills free divided blood when celebrating the First Great Victory. It took the free divided one whole generation (40 years) to get the ferl out of their lands. After the ferl were driven out of free territory, the fear of another great invasion was still present, for no one dared forget the horrors the occupied had gone through. And it was a mix of this fear and something greater that led Amson the orc to unify the north and west Desgarrada under one banner. And Amson the orc devised a plan to modify the Gates to Tartar. He ordered more that ten houndred thousand free divided to dig a tremendously profound road on the ground from the gates of tartar to a small hill located many kilometers from it. An on that hill, he erected the castle of freedom (http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/1940824961_8986037b9a_o.jpg). A rather small fortification, the castle of freedom was the final destination of the Second Great Ferl Invasion of the East. An on that castle did more than ten houndred thousand free men die for the freedom of the free divided. They died for me. They died for you. They died for every man's right to live and die however he sees fit. They died for Desgarrada. The castle of freedom has had many owners ever since, but not one drop of free divided blood has been spilled by another comrade. And they haven't been few the Ferl Invasions that have tried to pass it. But whenever the northern fiend invades the land, the warlords of all over Desgarrada answer the call of Amson the orc and the castle of freedom. |
| NorthWind11-10-07, 04:23 PM | Alright, guys, I confess I haven't been paying much attention to this thread - I have a campaign setting and game in the works right now, and I've been devoting most of my DnD powers towards running and designing it. That being said, when that game ends, or gets rolling, I'll come back. If someone asks for my triangle, however, don't worry about giving it away - I understand...I haven't been working too much on this. |
| Darth Syntax11-10-07, 04:50 PM | Took me half the night, but I have it up! The Fallenstar Beastiary (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Fallenstar-Beastiary) is up and running. It's usable, but I still need to get the dinosaurs and dire animals posted into it. Thel, I've a formatting question here: Would be be possible to, perhaps, make the page into a something of a linked list rather than the source for the various creatures? As it stands its a bit cumbersome to follow. If nothing else a table of contents would help greatly. I had to edit a lot of the fluff for many of the MM creatures, and while doing so I decided that the ancient elves were master animal breeder and extensively used magic during the breeding process to enhance the animals. This gave rise to the Giant Eagle, Girallon, Sea Cats, and Spider Eaters. Do any of the peoples of your region still practice these (or similar) breeding programs, or have they essentially vanished with the loss of the elven peoples? Araes and/or D_S: Would it be possible for my ancient elves to have been at war with either one or both of you? Most of these things were bred to be mounts, so I need something for them to to be mounted against. The elves controlled the entire continent of Starfall, so would it be possible for them to have been in some kind of conflict with your respective peoples? I can imagine there being some contact between either (or both) the Nravo and the Jaur and the elves of your region. Depending on how long ago you wish these conflict to have occured, the interested parties from my region would vary, but there is some potential. If the conflict is rather old indeed, it might have its genesis in the expansion of the Jaur out from Nyera during the period of their trading empire. If the conflict imediatly predates the whole doom-on-toast bit, then I could see the conflict having occurred with either the Ejantuli or the Cantabrigoi (a now generally defunct power mostly in region 10). -- Speaking of region 10, it is now open to the colonial powers of the world to carve small slices out of. here is a map of the place http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/1953528053_3cd82099f9_b.jpg The colored portions are, as indicated, the spheres of influence of the various southern Ilaroi colonial powers that have holdings in the region. The boarder lines are generally negotiable so, Araes, Soviet, feel free to claim some land and all of that. Just watch out for the dream-obsessed, vaguely mayan goblins and the giant, enigmatic bugs. -- I've been thinking (I know this is a dangerous thing) about the peoples of Ilaros and I can't really say that the goliaths do much for me at the moment. I like the race and all, it just dosen't seem to need to exist in my portion of the world. Combined with the fact that Alexeduardo has an idea for them, I would like to remove them from Ilaros and fill the 'gap' with something else. Possibly genie worshiping hobgoblins. |
| LefferDP11-10-07, 06:21 PM | Excerpt from the Writings of Veko Hosladek, Brother of the Playwright Duseko Hosladek I think, dear brother, I may have found quite the romantic tragedy amongst the Longrunners. Though I am relaying it to you more or less as I was told to me, I have attempted to simply it a bit to make up for the language differences. In particular, the Longrunners refer to the female in the story as "He" or "his" because she has adopted the traits of a man in their society... I have instead replaced the instances with "she" and "her" to avoid confusion. Note that the Longrunners prefer to use the term "He and he" when referring to two people rather than the more general "they." The Tragedy of Sanaa and Kibwako There once was a child name Sanaa who was born into this world so powerful and handsome that upon her day of adulthood her very chief requested she become a man, and so she did. Amongst the wilds she hunted for days and came upon a shadow snake, whose bite can taint even the strongest body, and she slew it snicker-snap. So, she returned with her prize and was hailed as the mightiest new man in a century. Sanaa served her tribe well and grew stronger and stronger, until many thought she might overtake the chief himself. One day, a young woman of the village was stolen away and Sanaa was taken in the group to search for the captured bride in a nearby tribe's territory. They went to the tribe's chief and asked after the woman, whom he said was not present, as the old ritual went. At the meeting, Sanaa gazed upon Kibwako, the chief's son for the first time, and he to her. Though the shadow snake's tooth hung proudly at her breast, he ignored it as did she. Later that night, as the search group rested, Kibwako stole into Sanaa's hut. They embraced and all was forgotten. Early the next morning he crept back to his own hut, knowing they would embrace never more. The search group gathered and began their hunt after breakfast, walking among the tall grass as panthers stalk the forest. Still, Sanaa searched half-heartedly as she thought about Kibwako and the life he and she could have had if she had not chosen the spear. As she thought, she came to observe footprints near a bush. Knowing this wile, she pushed aside the bush and listened into the small cave as the captive talked to her captor lovingly. Though tradition dictates captives who do not wish to be found are not to be, Sanaa's envy grew as she listened and in a fit of rage she rushed into the cave and snicker-snap went her spear. The captor lay dead at her feet. There she left him as she grabbed the captive and pulled her away, leaving the spirit of the captor to struggle in the cave. Having expected to go home empty-handed, as most search parties do, the others were surprised to see Sanaa with bride in tow. Sanaa's chief, upon seeing this beat his chest in rage at the ill treatment which he knew must have fallen upon the captive. So he stalked to the captor's chief and issued a proclamation of war, then retreated back to his own tribe with the party to make ready. War came to the two tribes, and they met upon the savanna, hot blood in their veins and cries of fire upon their lips. Sanaa saw Kibwako and Kibwako saw Sanaa across the field. They desired not to be the one to fell the other and thus they remained on the farthest sides, each slicing bloody swaths through their opponents. The two were such fine killers that all fell before their spears until, finally, all that remained were he and she. They paused a moment in consideration as they stood before one another, their spears shaking with uncertainty. Even their two chiefs no longer remained, long perished on the field of battle. He and she thought perhaps they could leave this and run away. Then, they tightened their spears and advanced once more, both intent upon the killing blow, and they both struck true, slicing each other's bellies in a fine motion. Sanaa, with the last of her strength, crawled over to the dying Kibwako and embraced him. --- I've been thinking (I know this is a dangerous thing) about the peoples of Ilaros and I can't really say that the goliaths do much for me at the moment. I like the race and all, it just dosen't seem to need to exist in my portion of the world. Combined with the fact that Alexeduardo has an idea for them, I would like to remove them from Ilaros and fill the 'gap' with something else. Possibly genie worshiping hobgoblins. Hm... More "civilized" versions of the Aqm? |
| LefferDP11-10-07, 06:22 PM | Drat, double post... |
| Araes11-10-07, 10:06 PM | Dumped a bunch of stuff onto the wiki today. Still cleaning up a lot of the placeholder text in places, but the countries of Mildar (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations_Mildar), Nerat (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations_Nerat), Gabon (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations_Gabon), Taidara (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations_Taidara), and Ekku (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations_Ekku) are all up and running, as well as a bare bones trade relations page and formatted placedholders for the main index page (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron) to the section called Arron (section 19), and the nations of Arron (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Arron_Nations). --- Thel: Do you think we could mail support@pbwiki.com and get them to turn on javascript permanently for the wiki? As I would personally love to have it enabled so I don't have to type in formatting by hand. (Its a way to get around the lack of CSS in our current subscription.) |
| DonThelonious11-10-07, 10:09 PM | D_S: I am considering doing all the monsters on individual pages, I think I just might. As for a Table of Contents, I tried, but the table always comes out like crap. I don't know how to make them all fancy and... accurate like you and Soviet:weep:. I will persevere though, and get them set up properly in the next day or so. -- As for region 10, I was thinking about having a tribe from my region migrating there. The thought behind it being that one member of the tribe came over to help train animal handlers in Ilaros, then stopped in at region 10 on his way home. When he stopped there he fell in love with the lands as well as a local girl, then went back to his homeland with her. When he got there he talked to his tribal elders about this bountiful place where life would be so much easier for the tribe. They talked it over with their welkin and then the whole tribe up and moved over to region 10. It would be only a very minor tribe. Just an idea though. -- Araes: What version of the editor are you using? There is a very simple point and click version that works fine for both my work computer as well as my home PC. Edit: Also, would it be possible to get you to post it in english? I am not sure what language it is posted in, but it looks like Italian. Just wanted to point that out. |
| Araes11-10-07, 10:26 PM | Thel: I think what you are refering to the is this? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed magna urna, ornare at, dictum vel, mattis imperdiet, nibh. Maecenas eros lacus, vehicula in, tempus non, If so, that's just standard placeholder text. Its actually from Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum (On the Ends of Goods and Evils, or alternatively [About] The Purposes of Good and Evil ). More on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum) Most of the rest of the entries are actually filled in and in english. I just put that there until I could write what I wanted. And I don't think the javascript thing is pressing anymore. I figured out a hack for how to get cascading style sheets to work with the Wiki, so I can do most of the formatting I want now. Edit: Also, the reason I want javascript is so that I can have certain sections of my wiki area be dynamically generated and linked. I'm actually using the standard version of the editor, but I'm just injecting my own code. Since I program for a living, mainly in Perl, PHP, and design, its kind of a compulsion for it to look good. |
| Darth Syntax11-10-07, 10:39 PM | D_S: I am considering doing all the monsters on individual pages, I think I just might. As for a Table of Contents, I tried, but the table always comes out like crap. I don't know how to make them all fancy and... accurate like you and Soviet:weep:. If you want, I can try and see what I can work up for a table of contents. As for region 10, I was thinking about having a tribe from my region migrating there. The thought behind it being that one member of the tribe came over to help train animal handlers in Ilaros, then stopped in at region 10 on his way home. When he stopped there he fell in love with the lands as well as a local girl, then went back to his homeland with her. When he got there he talked to his tribal elders about this bountiful place where life would be so much easier for the tribe. They talked it over with their welkin and then the whole tribe up and moved over to region 10. It would be only a very minor tribe. Just an idea though. The Welkin would have some problems existing in that region (or at least the portion from the vast desert of the Aktójaa to the east) as the strange alterations to divine magic still function in that part of the world leading to their replacement by psionics and other such things. Also, region 10 is not an easy place to live, full of nasty creatures, strange peoples, cities built out of the dreams of blue (psionic goblins), and remnants of ancient and alien powers. Not to mention cannibals and men whose faces do grow beneath their shoulders. It might not have brain-beetles or dinosaurs, but it has its dangers. Edit: Also, would it be possible to get you to post it in english? I am not sure what language it is posted in, but it looks like Italian. Just wanted to point that out. I believe that Araes' place-holder text is the typographers faux-latin used to demonstrate what a final document might look like. It shows layout and a naturalistic letter arrangement without necessary content. The lorem ipsum tipped me off. edit: Blast! Araes beat me to it. |
| DonThelonious11-11-07, 01:03 AM | I didn't want to move a Welkin over to the area, just a splinter tribe, with their dinosaur mounts and belief systems. Does Druidic magic still work in that region? -- On Araes' postin th the wiki, cool. I understand now. |
| Darth Syntax11-11-07, 03:25 AM | I didn't want to move a Welkin over to the area, just a splinter tribe, with their dinosaur mounts and belief systems. Does Druidic magic still work in that region? I've been gnawing at that issue for weeks now, and I can't really come up with a good answer. On the one hand, druidic magic is technically divine magic which is impossible for natives of the region to perform. However, from an internal, conceptual, point of view druidic magic is really nothing like clerical magic. So, I believe that druids might work, but they are not going to be a common class (they probably only exist among those groups that imported the tradition). For your people, druids are fine, but they're not going to find much in the way of local traditions to draw from. |
| eue11-12-07, 03:00 PM | More on my little piece of Dwenty. I really like elans and the idea that they are made and not born. So, Izxhe is the land of the elans! I believe no one has elans in their region so far. At least I don't remember anyone mentioning them (still some posts unread...). Can I claim the knowledge for "making" them exclusive to Izxhe? Elans can effectively live forever, restarting over and over, but none is allowed reformation. Well, there is an exception: Supreme Culler Illyss also known as The Eternal Queen of Izxhe, Chosen of Karhiz, The Immortal Lady, The Lady Out of Time, Mother of the Great Race, or The Great Mother among elans. Elans refer to themselves as the Great Race. Karhiz was the powerful psion that invented the process to become an elan. He is sometimes referred to as Father of the Great Race, or, among elans, The Great Father. Karhiz made Illyss an elan and taught her the process. This can be read in the first chapter of The History of the Great Race, this chapter written by the Immortal Lady herself, telling the story of her beloved. Everything the little boy sought was enlightment and knowledge, of his world and of those beyond it. Seeing his lifespan and his ever lurking death as an obstacle to his enlightment, the boy left his parents' house and set off in search of knowledge. He wandered for turns and turns and turns. And he learned things. Small, insignificant things. He wanted more. One day, the boy found a monastery. He had heard that people went there to seek enlightment and perfection. And so he entered the monastery and learned how to tame his young mind. And he learned quickly. The little boy spent many years learning. And he matured. And he became the most gifted student in the monastery and was no longer a student nor a little boy. The little boy was now a man. And the student was now a master. There was nothing left to learn at the monastery. But the boy made man, the student made master, could see his life sliding down the lane, heading towards its inevitable end, in death. And his thirst for knowledge was not yet satisfied. So he decided to teach his own self, to learn from nothing, to research. And he researched, and learned, and mastered new things, things no one else had learned before. The little boy who became a man was now more than a boy, more than a man, more than everything. He called himself an elan which means immortal in his language. And he lived on. A cycle passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. Ten cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A hundred cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A thousand cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. By then the elan felt himself fainting, as if death came back to finally claim him. But he was prepared to fight death. Again and again. The elan built a library and stored his knowledge in books there. Then the boy made man made elan was made elan again. And he learned everything again. And he lived on. A cycle passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. Ten cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A hundred cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A thousand cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. Death came to claim his life once more. And he begun everything all over again. All this time, he learned things of his world. And he learned many things. Among those, he learned that there are many worlds, and he learned how to cross the boundaries between those worlds. So he left. He departed his world. And he arrived at ours. A cycle passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. Ten cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A hundred cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. A thousand cycles passed. And the elan lived. And the elan studied. And the elan learned. During all his lifetimes, the boy never cared for anyone. His only concern was with his enlightment. But this world was not like his. His world was not a beautiful world. But this one was filled with beautiful things. Here, the boy found the beautiful Illyss. And for a while, the boy forgot about his quest for enlightment. He had all the time in all the worlds to achieve it. A cycle passed. And the boy lived. And the boy thought about Illyss. Ten cycles passed. And the boy lived. And the boy thought about Illyss. And the boy named himself Karhiz, which means Enlightened One in his language, and introduced himself to Illyss. And they were happy. A cycle passed. And Karhiz lived. And Illyss lived. And their happiness lived. Ten cycles passed. And Karhiz lived. And Illyss lived. And their happiness lived. But Illyss was not immortal. Illyss was not an elan. So Karhiz took her from her deathbed and made her one. A cycle passed. And Karhiz lived. And Illyss lived. And their happiness lived. Ten cycles passed. And Karhiz lived. And Illyss lived. And their happiness lived. A hundred cycles passed. And Karhiz lived. And Illyss lived. And their happiness lived. But the thirst for knowledge overwhelmed Karhiz. And one day, he left this world. And behind he left Illyss, with the knowledge to become an elan again and reform herself, until the day he returns. A cycle passed. And Illyss lived. And Karhiz did not return. And Illyss suffered. Ten cycles passed. And Illyss lived. And Karhiz did not return. And Illyss suffered. A hundred cycles passed. And Illyss lived. And Karhiz did not return. And Illyss suffered. Illyss begun to seek the knowledge required to follow Karhiz, her beloved. To help her she created other elans. And she kept the secret of immortality to herself. A cycle passed. And Illyss researched. And Karhiz did not return. And their immortal sons lived. Ten cycles passed. And Illyss researched. And Karhiz did not return. And their immortal sons lived. A hundred cycles passed. And Illyss researched. And Karhiz did not return. And their immortal sons lived. A thousand cycles passed. And Illyss researched. And Karhiz did not return. And their immortal sons lived. And their immortal sons still live, waiting for the Great Father's return. Karhiz came from another world a long time ago and left around two or three thousand years ago. Nowadays, Izxhe is a closed island. Only elans can enter it. But elans usually leave and build embassies on other places, seeking to gather as much knowledge of the world as possible, to offer their Great Father upon his return. Elans can sustain themselves through the power of their minds, so they don't require food or water to survive. In Izxhe there is not a single square yard of farmland. They do eat and drink from time to time, for sheer pleasure, usually exotic foods brought from all over the world. New elans are chosen from the various communities of humans from across the whole world. -- Now, here are some maps I've been working on. I am tempted to create some underwater nations to neighbor chimpman's, and to make the "lines" between the triangles seem "softer", if you know what I mean. It's future, anyways. [sblock=So, here's my topographical map][sblock] [sblock=And the geopolitical map goes here][sblock] The small mountainous island north of Alm is called Pareh Mak, which in Jar means "house of peace". The island is "owned" by the Udalm'krafh, but who actually lives there are some condemned criminals. A small community of illithids is also set there. The Udalm'krafh made an agreement with the colony: they keep their briny tentacles out of the main land, and they can do whatever they please with the prisoners, as long as they don't let them escape. The island is covered with some strange metallic sticks, that work as amplifiers for the elder brain's telepathic awareness. This way the elder brain knows where everyone is in the island at all times. -- Thel, could you please PM me with the wiki password? -- Sorry I forgot to upload the maps.... But I've gotta go now... Real life calls.... I'll get them up by tomorrow... |
| Araes11-12-07, 03:30 PM | The Lasarii and Togai - Part 2 In the city of Tedaro, largely Lasarii by population, Ka was residing while he awaited some form of judgment for the slaying of Fel. Not originally an inhabitant of the city, Ka had been cast out from his former home by a populace that reviled him for what he’d done, and in some ways feared that he might strike out again. He had eventually come to Tedaro, because they bore some of the greatest sympathetic towards him among the Lasarii, and were predominantly in favor of correcting what they saw as flaws in his being, rather than outright banishment. By the time that Tur and his cohorts had arrivedat the city in pursuit of him, Ka had become quite used to his more calm lifestyle in a small grove of the city. Living slightly apart from everyone else, he was not welcomed warmly to their number, but was at least accepted and tolerated. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Tedaro.jpg It was in the dead of night that Tur’s company moved into the city proper in search of Ka. Wrapped in their own anger, they seemed to almost pulse with an inner fire that pushed them ever inward. Having been informed of Ka’s location previously, they moved the streets with stride and purpose, an avalanche of bodies pouring through the maze of structures in search of their goal. However, this purpose and drive, and more importantly, such a concentration of it one place, was to be their undoing. For races like the Lasarii and Togai, able to hear thoughts and feel emotions, and with such a historically peaceful history, the warmth of even a single heart lit by anger would be enough to warrant notice. The fire of a hundred moving as a mob was strong enough to penetrate even the dreams of the sleeping and rouse them from their slumber. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Tur_Mob2.jpg As the mob moved ever closer to Ka’ grove, all across the city people were waking and emerging from their homes to find the source of the disturbance. A trickle at first in the streets, this outpouring soon swelled, and by the very viscosity of crowds, the mob and Tur found themselves being ground to a halt. Within sight of Ka’s grove, they were at last stopped, and opposed by the leader of Tedaro, who came forward to question their motives. At the same time, a runner was also sent to Ka to warn him of the approaching danger and take him from the city in secret. However, Ka was well aware of the danger, having recognized the same feelings he felt in himself from far away, and as the runner approached, he was already emerging into the open street. In some ways, it’s amazing what a difference even a few seconds might have made to events and history. A few seconds faster or slower in his emergence, and Tur might have never even seen Ka. Tur's passions might have calmed, the arguments of the leader might have had some effect, and the population of the continent might have been spared the nightmare that followed. However, those few seconds didn’t exist, and as Ka stepped out into the nearly empty street near his home, Tur did see him over the heads of the Lasarii blocking his way. In an instant, whatever headway the leader of the city had been making with him was swept away in the rush of emotions surrounding his brother’s killer. With a roar, he let out Ka’s name and surged forward into the crowd before him. Trying to oppose him, they held him back at first, as he only tried to push them away. But as Ka moved farther and farther away, Tur’s movements became more and more desperate - and violent. Until at last, his restraint finally broke. With livid whips of fluid anger he laid into their forms, and like wheat before the scythe they fell back before the force of his mind, completely unprepared for the violence of his assault. In only moments he had carved his way through them, and emerged in pursuit of his prey. But their sacrifice had brought Ka valuable moments, and by the time Tur had even reached his home, Ka had already disappeared into the maze of the city. Not to be denied, Tur pressed onward, and as they dodged and ran through the warren of streets, partly by their physical senses and partly by feel, on several occasions Tur almost captured his quarry. But, in the end, it was not to be, as Ka was a crafty prey, and while Tur was only just beginning to explore the ways of violence and deception, Ka was the first to use them, and had assimilated them, and made them a part of his being. As first light just began cresting the roofs of Tedaro, it found Ka well into the surrounding, snow-covered hills, and on the path towards his life of wandering. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Ka_Fleeing.jpg During the height of this chase, where Tur and Ka had left the two mobs in the street, another, perhaps even more important conflict was also occurring. For while both had fled the scene of violence, the spark they set off had ignited the city. The response to Tur’s attack had been pure chaos, as terrified folk with no experience tried to protect themselves as best they could. Lashing out almost randomly, friend and foe alike were struck down by the minds of those around them, and choked the paths with their forms. The very press and bulk of the throng was itself also a weapon, as many were crushed and trampled in the frenzy of flight. By the time the two groups had separated, and the Togai had begun their flight back to their lands, more of society lay dead than had ever fallen to any other cause before. And this was only the beginning, as dark times were coming for the two societies that would spell the end of their golden age and the time of the younger races. More coming later in the day, as I realized it was a holiday and I didn't have to work. Yay. |
| Araes11-13-07, 12:28 AM | Lasarii and Togai - Part 3 The encounter at Tedaro marked a turning point for both societies, as the conflict free life without cares and wants was finally forgotten for a harshly evolving reality. After the Togai mob fled the town, those Lasarii who had witnessed the carnage, or who had lost loved ones, were livid and demanded retribution for the act. The great majority of Lasarii, both in the city and as a race, who weren’t present and didn’t experience the chaos were unwilling to fight and throw away their peace. They could see the mirror of their situation in the very behavior that Tur himself had shown among the Togai before moving to capture Ka. Like resonant echoes, the violence of one man was being reflected and amplified – threatening to shatter the fragile work of eons of peace. Unfortunately, reasoned words were simply of little use to those who lost blood in the streets. Discourse would never stir theirs or their townfolk’s hearts like the passion of emotion – a truth that their leaders were too long to realize. At first, the conflict among the peoples was light, with only gorilla-like tactics and assaults taking place. The deepness of winter and the small initial groups significantly damped the effect they could have. However, as winter cleared away for the warmth of spring, and more and more people began to fall prey to the fighting, events began to snowball everywhere. Civilian casualties were also starting to mount, as attacks began to target whole towns to eradicate their foes, irregardless of the damage. In addition, as the casualties grew, so too did the people’s skill in making them. Although they had never fought before, they were quick to learn with their lives at stake, and harness the dreamland’s power for death. At first, in the early days of skirmishes and retributions, knowledge was passed from person to person to try and protect and educate those that they cared about, or make their allies more effective alongside them. However, as the fighting intensified and became more organized, schools and arts of warfare, both magical and mundane, were developed with horrible results. Over time, both sides would explore extensively into the fields of energy manipulation, group casting, protective warding, focal or power objects, and storage of magical energy. With the exception of warding, each new advance brought a corresponding rise to the rate of the death toll and yet more avenues for exploration of death. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_War.jpg Being as there wasn’t any formalized practice or experience with the ways of war at that time, its difficult to look back and say definitively when the conflict became a true war. This is only further complicated by the extensive skirmishing that went on for years between cities or towns rather than defined groups. However, many of the surviving Lasarii and Togai would say that a turning point was the Valley of Shadow. Tensions were escalating and becoming much more clearly defined between the two races by this point, rather than just as skirmishes between population groups. From its simple beginnings with Ka against Fel, it had grown like a virulent beast to become race against race. The battle that clashed in the shaded vale in particularly important, as a distinction was also made that numerous cities and towns were organized in conflict against another such set. This represented one of the first of many such large scale conflicts allied along racial lines, and like a prophesy for the clash as a whole, neither side could truly claim victory, but instead just a further hike to the casualties. Oddly enough, during the entirety of the fighting which oscillated across all of Arron, neither of the initiators were ever involved. After his initial flight in the night from Tedaro, Ka was not to return to the city, or more appropriately its site, until long after the fighting had ceased, and its decimated remains had grown over with grass. Fleeing ever across Arron, he was eternally pursued by the specter of Tur, who hounded his steps wherever he might go. Moving ever to the South and South-East, during the middle of the conflict, he finally left the border of even the most distant lands of Arron known to the Lasarii and Togai, with Tur close on his heels. From this point, their travels remain something of a mystery, but it is known that they were not to return to the shores of Arron and the home of his people for nearly one and a half millennia. In this time, only Ka or Tur might describe where they traveled, but it is known that at least on several occasions Tur found Ka, and they did battle across the heights and valleys of the world. Sometimes personally, sometimes from afar, these two progenitors of warfare smote those same peaks and laid waste to the valleys. And like a manifest plague, brought conflict with them to wherever they traveled. Wars caused by the tragedy they sowed sprang like weeds where they stepped. Across continents and seas they brought bloodshed to all who would aid or befriend them. The millennia old curse of the kinslayers. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Ka_and_Tur.jpg In time though, Ka finally brought their chase back to his homeland, but what they found was a continent swept by change. Seemingly from nowhere, lesser races had sprung up in the stead of their kin and come to dominate the face Arron. At first, the hunter and prey were baffled by this change. Where had these people come from and what had happened to their own folk? However, when they investigated further, the truth slowly began to reveal itself. In some form or another, most of the shorter lived races had existed in Arron for far longer than the peoples’ own recorded history could detail. Within this period, they had survived as societies in the gaps; carving out small niches wherever the powerful, and much more numerous, cultures did not tread. Almost beneath notice to the immortals, they conversely had viewed them as something akin to gods. Terrible beings of ancient power and endless life. Yet, as the wars Ka and Tur had ignited had taken hold of their people, ever greater numbers had perished to the flames of their hatred. Long to life, but slow to breed, each casualty was a tragic loss, and over years of hot and cold war, the reduction started to become evident. http://araesmojo.googlepages.com/Lasarii_Graveyard.jpg Into these gaps left by the peoples’ flowed the quickened races. Short to life, fast to breed, and full of fire, they quickly filled the vacuum of power left in Arron, and the immortals found their positions turn, as they themselves became gods in the gaps. However, despite their diminished stature, the peoples were more than willing to use that fire of the lesser races to their own ends. Why should they fight and die when their eternal life was so vastly more precious than that of a finite life creature? Instead, they worked to insinuate themselves into the societies and cultures around them, amassing power through the faith of their followers and the dreamland’s corresponding effect. They also began to mix and breed with the younger races, finding that although their infinite life was not passed onto their young, those that were born possessed lifespans far extended from the norm, and they in turn could dilute this trait through to even further generations. The Lasarii were the first of the peoples to hit upon this plan, and over time it would prove a telling difference. Birthing numerous generations of what would eventually come to be known as Arronian Elves, which in turn spread even further, the Lasarii gradually came to dominate the forces of their ancient foes simply through sheer force of numbers. The Togai having spread into what has come to be known as the orcish race, the two groups of eternals, never satiated with even their own vast blood feud, had passed their curse of hatred onto the children they bred. --- Think that's where I'll leave the story for now. With the entries for Kedara, Bratan, and Shagenna it will probably be picked up again and their particular contributions to it will be expanded on, as well as where they're heading in the future. In a short summary, Kedara has always kept the fire of aggression and racial hatred alive, and are actually in an upswing due to some changing factors in the Empire. Shagenna on the other hand has largely retreated from the conflict as their pressures on all sides by neighboring nations have restricted their power. Bratan is for the most part just the sad remnants of what used to be a majestic peoples who controlled half the continent. As far as the races go, what I'm generally thinking is that both elves and orcs are on greater than 10th generation removal from the immortals. By this point, their lifespans have shrunk down to something vaguely reasonable (IE, 400 or less years) and they exist as self-sustaining races unto themselves now. With their semi-victory over the orcs, the elves have come to regard the breeding as undesirable, as each further split only shortens their lives and takes them farther away from the great cup of immortality. In something akin to the vampires of White Wolf, there are even some movements, cults, and rituals that focus around the purification or stealing of blood so that power or status might be gained. The orcish children of the Togai, however, having nearly been driven from the continent, and now only taking up residence in a miserable section protected on all sides by barriers, have no such compunctions about breeding. Their immortal masters drive them from the shadows with their singular goal of greater numbers that they might reclaim their place in Arron. As such, their number of generations are probably significantly higher, and their corresponding lifespan lower. Nearly a similar number of Lasarii and Togai exist in Arron at this point, although the Togai are much more reclusive due to their weakened position. They can be found holding positions of power in most of the major kingdoms in the region, and even in some places far across the seas, where they have fled for refuge. In general, members of either race which would appear in an actual campaign would probably be well beyond the power level of anything except epic characters, as all but the most newborn of their kind have existed for 1000's of years. However, they would make excellent puppet masters to foil the plots of and to work a larger meta-arc where they might not be the direct final conflict, but just a driving motivation for the players. (Note that they are still an active society as well, with interaction, breeding, and new members, even if their numbers are vastly reduced) I'm also considering the possibility that one of the only drawbacks of being immortal is that although you may live forever, you still possess the limitations of a physical form. Namely, one of the largest is that you have but a single mind and restricted memory. As such, any of the most elder peoples like Ka or Tur, would keep vast collections of objects and spells that would act almost like a mobile library of their lives and experiences. An interesting concept to me is the ioun stone as such a device, since the picture of an ancient surrounded by a vast cloud of his literal thoughts amuses me. Plus, this would give additional plot concepts, as even a single one of these items would be a treasure trove to a shorter lived race, containing knowledge and power for several lifetimes of their kind. |
| dragonoverlord11-13-07, 02:35 PM | In regards to the explosion of magic, how has this effected the number of spellcasters and their power? Have they become rarer? Are they now treated with fear and suspicion? spellcasters are as common now as before the wars, in most places, and the common people do not generally fear them. however, there is a fear of higher level spells and spells that produce large effects. people think that the casting of too many high level, large/ mass effect spells was the primary cause of the explosion. this is partly true, since it was one of the primary causes. thus, spell casters are very careful about how often they cast spells of high level ( 7th - 9th ) spells. the higher the spell level, and the more dramatic/ widespread its effects, the less often it will be cast., there were a significant number of epic level casters before the wars. they have now become very rare, as most were killed in the wars or in the explosion. there are restrictions on spell casting that were caused by the explosion. the explosion severed all inter-planar connections, which has caused almost all spells of the conjuration school and any planar transit spell to be impossible. there are only a few ways of inter-planar travel possible in the present: being transported of one of the 2 avatars that all of the gods possesses, traveling to the afterlife as a spirit of the dead, and having one of the old gods open a portal for you, which they do very rarely. this does not apply to the plane of shadow, which in this area is a plane that was previously impossible to access, but which can now be accessed very easily. portals and teleportation spells for a distance greater than 1 and a half miles now have a 25 % chance to go where they are supposed to, a 50% chance to lead to the plane of shadow, a 20% chance to lead to some point in between the origin and the intended destination and a 5% chance to fail completely. also,healing has now become its own spell school i have a slightly related question at this point, what kinds of other planes are there for the world? my idea at the moment is for a set of planes that only connect to my region, and i would like to know if this is okay, and if there are other planes that others have come up with that may tie into my region. I would have thought that the border areas would have seen the most conflict as they are in the path of armies going from one place to another. the border areas did see a large amount of conflict. that phrase should have been " especially far away from major cities and far away from the borders". sorry, grammatical confusion. Makes sense really, but why did the conspirators want to bring about this state of chaos? True there is the evil entity bit, but what purpose would this serve? they wanted to bring about this state of chaos to make the nations exhaust their resources to the point where they could no longer fight, basically to have them in the condition they are in now. this was the first step in a conquest strategy that had worked very well for the enemy on other worlds. this did not work, because they were found out early, and thus the enemy was forced to attack early to have a chance of conquering the world. he was afraid that the nations would all unite and be much harder to defeat if h did not attack immediately. not attacking at all was not an opinion, since he could not fail to attack a world that he planned on attacking. so, basically, the actions of the conspirators were part of a plan that was forced to be modified by the actions of some people in this region I would strongly encourage the changing of the names of the gods both because you've essentially created new and different entities and because the world doesn't have any connection to the standard cosmos Now, onto the religions themselves. You've said that most of the religions in the region are 'new', how likely are these people to have converted to various foreign religions such as Soviet's Caelean religion or one of the several Ilaroi religious traditions? i will change the names, but the standard names will used till then as placeholders. the poeple are open to conversion to foreign religions, but they will be suspicious of those who try to convert them and of any foreign religious hierarchy, unless they are currently controlled by a foreign power and are personally satisfied with it. the main reason for this is that poeple do have doubts about modern religion. though most people ( about 80%) still worship their region's gods, many ( about 10% ) do not. many of these have developed new philosophys, which mostly regard the gods as merely powerful beings who should be respected the same as powerful individuals in the mortal world. the remainder have various other beliefs. also, it is important to note that people do not believe that their gods are omnipotent or omniscient. they watched gods die, and they know that they did not see the enemy's role much sooner than they did. the exact openness to conversion/amount of faith in current gods also varies from region to region. some religions tie in directly to an old religion that was an established part of a certain culture, old religion new gods. How insular and isolationist are these people? Are there some nations that are more open to trade and foreign involvement than other (possibly out of necessity)? Also, how many states, countries, and so forth are you imagining as existing? In the aftermath of such a war, I would imagine that things would be fairly fragmented with power bases being small as large territories would be harder to control and defend. i am imagining a large number of small nations, a few medium sized nations, and some areas that have no organized government that claims the territory. there are some nations that are more open to trade than others, mostly either as a result of necessity or a felling that they can handle it. most poeple are isolationist and very suspicious of others. anyone not from the nation or its allies is a possible enemy. also, most poeple, except for gnomes, have no sense of racial commonalty. attitudes toward foreigners are not improved if they are of the same race as a person, nationality matters much more. gnomes have a different attitude because there are so few of them left. Sounds like a volatile place where future conflict is all but inevitable. Also, sense the economies seem to be rather important, what sort of economic philosophies prevail? Are they physical economies, backed by some good or commodity such as gold or silver, are they land-based economies, or do they have a more abstract economic system? Granted one could have very diverse economies, I'm just trying to get an overall feel. the economies vary depending on what an individual nation has, but in general the economies are mostly based on the exchange of war material for food. sometimes this involves exchanges of money, sometimes it involves simple barter. Let me know what kind of foreign involvement you might want. I can imagine the existence of proxy states and the like, along with economic control being prevalent, but I'll leave it up to you. i would there to be some nations that are economically controlled by foreigners, some nations that are controlled by foreigners from behind the scenes, and some nations that are direct colonies. It did seem a bit like overkill. What is the current list of races for your region? here is what i curently have for races: races humans -basically normal humans, culture varies by nation. -sub-groups: based on typical apperance mostly, not culture: -islanders, helacrion humans, 3 groups for mainland elves( sub-races: northern, helcarion, and wild) -one of the most populous races in the area, they had a number of powerful nations before the wars, but many were devastated, their remnants combined worth the lands of others races or struggling to survive on their own. each subgroup had a different reaction to this. Sub race 1: northern elves - the elves that inhabit mainland and the islands, before the wars they had a number of nations. they were split into three groups as a result of the war stats: same as standard high elves green elves-these are the average elves, they have decided that the only way to survive is to merge with other races,since the main faults of their old nations, from their point of view, were a combination of not understanding their neighbors and efforts to remain to distinctively elven. they have no nations of their own, but control a few towns and cities in nations,none of which, however, are only inhabited by elves. grey elves- these were the aristocrats of the old elven nations, they suffered tremendous losses during the war. they are now restricted to only a handful of fortresses cities on the mainland and one mixed nation on one of the islands.those are the mainland are arrogant and isolationistic, those on the island are arrogant, but not imperialistic, mercantile, militant, are strongly connected to the rest of the world. stats: same except: favored class= duskblade(PHB II) wood elves- inhabit forests on the mainland and the islands that were part of the old nations, and some live in/near the grey elves' settlements. they suffered as much as anyone, but retained most of their forest through alliances with woodsmen, hunters,fey,and other wilderness inhabitants. their attitudes that the old nations went to far away from their roots, from nature, and thus they try to stay closer to nature. this does not mean that they do not built structures or farm, usually, it means that they impose strict limits on felling of trees and hunting, try to integrate their settlements into the surroundings, honor nature, and always consider the welfare of the environment with the same weight as that of their community. stats: same except: favored class=ranger Sub-race 2:Helcarion elves - they split inot two groups as a result o the wars. their stats are the same, mostly, but their scoetys are very diffewrent. snow elves- before the wars, there was just one large elven nation that ruled most of the area of helcarion and the various races that lived there. the wars caused the empire to break apart. some of the elves were able to hold onto their cities and some of their culture, but others had their cities destroyed and most of their population was destroyed. the remnants of these people became nomads, roaming the areas they formerly ruled in bands of varying size. they only build temporary buildings, and their interactions with outside world, and their inclusion of other species in the bands, varies from band to band. they also have to share their lands with various other creatures, both hostile friendly and indifferent. ice elves- these are the elves of helcarion that retained their cities. they suffered terribly in the wars, were forced to accept some of the races they ruled, humans mainly, as equals. their own nation is now only one of a number in helcarion, but they still think and act like they rule all of the land, especially since some live in almost all of the other nations as well. they are arrogant like the grey elves, but have very strong imperialistic tendencies, and a strict caste -based society.imperialistic,however does not mean that they want one ruler. rather they have a certain group that they define as the ruling class that they want to rule. also, they do not want to rule nay lands out side of the southern continent, except for the part of main land directly across the strait. they are not , for the moment attempting any military conquest, both because of the depletion of their armed forces and the fact that their attempted conquest of land on the other side of the strait was one of the events that began the wars. their nation has,like its predecessor, a parliamentary form of government. the parliament consists of all members of the ruling class, or caste. the other castes of their society are skilled people(soldiers, craftsmen, diplomats ) , merchants, and commoners. the merchants are second to the rulers, then come the skilled people, then the commoners. the castes are further divided into sub-castes that also have ranks of importance. this was the same system as existed in the pre-wars nation,the system has been fully reinstated in their own nation and some of the others, in some , though, it has been modified or discarded. Sub-race 3:wild elves - group of elves who lost a civil war with the mainland grey elves in the distant past,and went underground, not very deeply, just a mile or two into various caves/ openings that they found. they were, before the war, a group that lived in society that bordered on anarchy. there were various families, organizations and power groups, but hey never cooperated, were always attacking each other and/or stealing from each other. there were no rulers, areas were controlled by whatever group occupied that a particular section at that certain moment. their cities had no planning, and most inhabitants died very quickly, even though they could live as long as other elves. the groups had few common beliefs except that this was how things should be, to some degree. some wanted slightly more control and/or less violence, but all thought it was a good system of organization. the war, however caused the groups to split into two broad camps. during the war, the violence in their cities increased tremendously, with many cities destroying themselves completely. they had two reactions to this. some retained their old beliefs , but decided that communities of multiple groups were a bad idea, they should reorganize into bands that would make separate communities that would war with one another. these people went further underground. others decided to change their views. they created new cities, in which different groups each take a section and run it however they want, with a collective government established, consisting of some sort of representative or representatives from the various groups that mediates disputes. they created three of these cities, and now they have even set up trade relations with other groups. (aquatic humaniod race): they have fared the best of the elven ethnicities, but still suffer terribly. many of their cites were destroyed, they now have one medium sized nation near the islands, a few scattered settlements in the straits or near the coasts. dwarves ( iron, frost, and steel [deep]) halfings gnomes -suffered most of any in the wars. their lands have been utterly destroyed, only a handful of them remained alive by the end of the war. they have one town on the grey elf island, where they retain some culture of their own, but refuse to interact with anyone except other islanders, and make extensive use of illusion and abjuration magic, and psionics. gnomes everywhere else have no culture of their own, except that most are paranoid, cold, and willing to do anything to survive. orcs - previous to the war, they were barbarians or near barbarians who liked to destroy things. however, the decimation of their tribes during the war, and the death of their god early on changed them. they are now very civilized, live in cities or towns of other races, usually serving in the army or city guard, and have developed a strict code of honor, since fortress protesting others, and honor, were the things that best kept them alive. they have become the protectors of civilized people goblinoids aboleths(npc race) - 2 types, one the standard variety, the other very different. the other variety, whose name translates as crystal aboleths are a peaceful and philosophical poeple, not as innately individually powerful as the standard variety ( no spell-like/psoinic abilities, no skum). the standard variety were corrupted by the forces of the enemy. they are not very numerous, with the standard variety having only a couple dozen in the region, and the crystals having only about 3, 500. they come from a different world, one of the first worlds that the enemy conquered. dragons(npc race) - all chromatic and metallic vaeritys exist, but they are rare. many died during the wars, survuvirs have eihter become very islatist and withdrawn, or very closely involed with mortal nations -- Ok, we've got maps today. Ready for comment and general deconstruction. Dragonoverlord, I've drawn three versions of your map, the first is a relatively straight forward version of what you sent me, the second is simply a 'naturalized' version of the first (more coastline detail, some fiddling with the shapes and so on) and the third is, admittedly, something of a radical edit. I'll explain the maps as I go. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/1909809066_89c63562cd_b.jpg This is the first map, just a basic drawing based upon what you sent me. -- http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/1909594512_fdbeb25452_b.jpg This is the second map. The edits are mostly to coastline shape, such as the inclusion of numerous fjords in those places where glaciation is likely to have had an effect on the shape of the coast. There are some general purpose edits as well such as the inclusion of some barrier islands, and that sort of thing. -- http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/1909595974_674d51e76d_b.jpg The last map is, as you can see, somewhat different. I've rotated the northern landmass about 90° clockwise and made the channel between the two landmasses narrower (you did call it a strait). The reason for the rotation came from your proposed mountain position (which I stupidly left off the maps, way to go Darth) running along the west coast of the southern landmass and along the (formerly) northern coast of the northern landmass. I've more or less lined these two ranges up, making for a very long mountain chain running north-south as well as opening the large bay (or sea or gulf or whathaveyou) in the northern landmass towards the west which would (theoretically) allow for the prevailing winds to bring rains to the countries around the bay without having to worry too much about a rain shadow. Now, you don't have to take any of these edits into consideration, I was jut having a bit of fun. For some reason your map was really fun to play with. i like the second map most. the third map is too radical of a change, for the moment at least. i do think that it is a good idea to make Helcarion closer to Mainland, the strait should be narrower. also, i have further ideas, involving both physical features and the boundaries of countries, i just have to figure out how exactly to make them -- i have a little new material as well. i have not completely finished it, but i will soon. i have another, very important, old god and a few new ones, a philosophy, a few nations, and the rest of the races. |
| Darth Syntax11-14-07, 04:43 AM | spellcasters are as common now as before the wars, in most places, and the common people do not generally fear them. however, there is a fear of higher level spells and spells that produce large effects. people think that the casting of too many high level, large/ mass effect spells was the primary cause of the explosion. this is partly true, since it was one of the primary causes. thus, spell casters are very careful about how often they cast spells of high level ( 7th - 9th ) spells. the higher the spell level, and the more dramatic/ widespread its effects, the less often it will be cast., there were a significant number of epic level casters before the wars. they have now become very rare, as most were killed in the wars or in the explosion. I've no idea what the overall consensus is on the presence of epic magic and things of that nature. For myself I tend to avoid it but that is a matter of personal preference. Moving on though, how common would casters that are able to cast higher than fifth level spells in your region (now or in the recent past) and if they were commonish, then why haven't they conquered the world? A few hundred casters here and there shouldn't be a problem, but the ability to field large numbers of high level casters could be somewhat problematic. Also, you said that the people are afraid that 'expansive' magic could lead to further problems with the rift and all of that. Might that actually be true? In short, if Wizard FitzWizard (a tenth level wizard) casts some area of effect spell, might there not be actual consequences (such as increased nastiness from the rift and so on)? there are restrictions on spell casting that were caused by the explosion. the explosion severed all inter-planar connections, which has caused almost all spells of the conjuration school and any planar transit spell to be impossible. there are only a few ways of inter-planar travel possible in the present: being transported of one of the 2 avatars that all of the gods possesses, traveling to the afterlife as a spirit of the dead, and having one of the old gods open a portal for you, which they do very rarely. this does not apply to the plane of shadow, which in this area is a plane that was previously impossible to access, but which can now be accessed very easily. What was the reason that the plane of shadow was previously unaccessible? i have a slightly related question at this point, what kinds of other planes are there for the world? my idea at the moment is for a set of planes that only connect to my region, and i would like to know if this is okay, and if there are other planes that others have come up with that may tie into my region. The planar setup is rather loosely defined and is largely left up to the individual author. At some later date we might hammer it out a bit more. For the moment I generally assume an infinite number of planes which interact with the world (or can be accessed in some way) but only a limited number that any culture or group of cultures are familiar with. Then again, this is simply my own interpretation. the border areas did see a large amount of conflict. that phrase should have been " especially far away from major cities and far away from the borders". sorry, grammatical confusion. No worries, we've all made out unclear statements. they wanted to bring about this state of chaos to make the nations exhaust their resources to the point where they could no longer fight, basically to have them in the condition they are in now. this was the first step in a conquest strategy that had worked very well for the enemy on other worlds. this did not work, because they were found out early, and thus the enemy was forced to attack early to have a chance of conquering the world. he was afraid that the nations would all unite and be much harder to defeat if h did not attack immediately. not attacking at all was not an opinion, since he could not fail to attack a world that he planned on attacking. so, basically, the actions of the conspirators were part of a plan that was forced to be modified by the actions of some people in this region Why did this ominous power select your particular region as opposed to some other (other than the obvious world-external answer of 'It was my idea')? Is there some resource in your region that is either rare or non-existent elsewhere? i am imagining a large number of small nations, a few medium sized nations, and some areas that have no organized government that claims the territory. I would imagine then that the region might have fairly rugged terrain so as to create all of the natural borders that cause small nations to remain viable. there are some nations that are more open to trade than others, mostly either as a result of necessity or a felling that they can handle it. most poeple are isolationist and very suspicious of others. anyone not from the nation or its allies is a possible enemy. also, most poeple, except for gnomes, have no sense of racial commonalty. attitudes toward foreigners are not improved if they are of the same race as a person, nationality matters much more. gnomes have a different attitude because there are so few of them left. How strong is the nationalism and are there any movements to united nations that supposedly are of the same (or similar) 'nationality'. I'm seeing some vague parallels to the situation within the German lands during the 15th through the early 19th century with all the little principalities and the like. the economies vary depending on what an individual nation has, but in general the economies are mostly based on the exchange of war material for food. sometimes this involves exchanges of money, sometimes it involves simple barter. So the economies remain primarily physical. What sort of resources are found in your region, and what are they likely to need? I know my people can offer the finest glasswork, time keeping devices, alchemical goods, inks, paper, and all manner of finished goods, and are always interesting in new and interesting resources. [QUOTE] i would there to be some nations that are economically controlled by foreigners, some nations that are controlled by foreigners from behind the scenes, and some nations that are direct colonies. Let me know what I can do to help with this. Once you get some of your countries worked out, we can work on setting up relations. -- I'll comment on the races later on i like the second map most. the third map is too radical of a change, for the moment at least. i do think that it is a good idea to make Helcarion closer to Mainland, the strait should be narrower. also, i have further ideas, involving both physical features and the boundaries of countries, i just have to figure out how exactly to make them Ok, I'll keep that draft for general reference. Speaking of maps, I've done a very loose terrain and climate map of your region and I would like your input on it. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/2014097895_c1a680b46c_b.jpg If there is anything I can do to help with mapping, please let me know. |
| Araes11-14-07, 07:47 PM | The planar setup is rather loosely defined and is largely left up to the individual author. At some later date we might hammer it out a bit more. For the moment I generally assume an infinite number of planes which interact with the world (or can be accessed in some way) but only a limited number that any culture or group of cultures are familiar with. Then again, this is simply my own interpretation. I generally tend to be a proponent of the morphic universe idea. Basically, the more people believe in something, the stronger and more defined it will be. However, this actually plays rather nicely with the infinite planes concept, as in practice they would work out to the same thing. In a morphic universe where planes, objects, beings, reality, ect... were created based on collective belief, then there would be an infinite number of planes, and they'd be constantly changing. Why did this ominous power select your particular region as opposed to some other (other than the obvious world-external answer of 'It was my idea')? Is there some resource in your region that is either rare or non-existent elsewhere? Could it be that there was something in the region perhaps that was of interest to the ominous power, but after the rift formed and the land went all beserk...not so much? |
| Darth Syntax11-14-07, 09:24 PM | I generally tend to be a proponent of the morphic universe idea. Basically, the more people believe in something, the stronger and more defined it will be. However, this actually plays rather nicely with the infinite planes concept, as in practice they would work out to the same thing. In a morphic universe where planes, objects, beings, reality, ect... were created based on collective belief, then there would be an infinite number of planes, and they'd be constantly changing. I would say that the influence of belief might be a two way thing. Some initial belief might bring plane X enter the view of the people of some place and then influence the formation of the belief system. If the relation is only one way then I fear that it would make the world itself far too cosmically important which, I think, would be unfortunate (and to my view rather uncomfortable) thing. Could it be that there was something in the region perhaps that was of interest to the ominous power, but after the rift formed and the land went all beserk...not so much? I think that is an interesting idea, and it would explain why the explosion occurred where it did as well as the seeming current lack of interference from the dark plot. |
| Darth Syntax11-15-07, 12:30 AM | Soviet, I have a couple of question for you regarding your recently edited nations. Common Name: Rimegaard, The Guard Government Type: Constitutional monarchy Ruling Body: The Storþinget and the Throne Current Ruler: Charles Rostenheim III, King and Tsar of Rimegaard, Marxheim, Normard, Stromald and Bardrim (Human male Noble 2/Fighter9);President Kael Raed (Human male Rogue 3) Economic Type: Mercantilism with Limited Piracy Currency: Mark (512 skilling=32 öre=4 marks=1 Rimesdalar) Area: 452,652 sq. miles Population: 45,265,200 Demographics: 54% Human, 28% Dwarf, 8% Elf, 5% Maenad, 4% Half-Elf 0.6% Gnome, 0.3 Kith, 0.1% other (Raptorian, Illumian, Halfling) Capitol/Largest City: Rimeholme (743,000) Secondary Center: Hamarstand (698,000) Religion: Majority follow the Caelen Church (Kristen Reform), with minorities following The Chalice, Imperial Church, the Ice Gods, and the Traveler Major Languages: Rimegaardir is the official language, while both Marx and Intuk'mik have large numbers of native speakers Symbol: A longboat sailing over blue and white waves, on a golden feild Nominal Alignment: NG The population of this nation seems a fair bit too high to me, given the lattitute of the country and the general population. Rimegaard is rather far to the north, being an almost wholly sub-arctic nation, which would greatly effect their ability to effectively farm for such a population. The long winters and the possibility of permafrost, combined with the probably rocky soil (given the mountains and the like) would make crop yields small and highly unpredictable. Further since 99% of the population is medium sized, food consumption is going to be a problem. As an example, the whole of Finno-Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, and Finland) has a population of about 19,211,062 in about the same area of land and they have all the advantages of being part of a modern post-industrial society. How do the Rimegaardir support such a massive population? The Maritime Republics of Ilaros can support their large and highly urbanized populations due to a variety of factors, not the least of which being that fully half of the adult population is of small size and thus requires less food. Other reasons include the following: Massive trade for raw materials and food stuffs Robust colonial holdings to produce food A reliance upon aquaculture and fishing for much of the diet The fortuitous fact that dromites (20-30% of the population) are xylophagous and can eat wood, bamboo, and the parts of crops that the rest of the population cannot digest (granted this is of my own invention, but it does help explain things) A more moderate climate that allows for favorable growing seasons for such crops as wheat, rice, and numerous tubers and roots. I'm not saying that the Rimesgaardir cannot have a large population, I am simply at a loss to explain it given their population demographics and location. |
| SovietCanuck11-15-07, 01:06 AM | It's simple really...your resident commie clunked in a 4 instead of a 2...:rolleyes: And in explaining why population is so large, I bumped population across the board up by about a third, factoring in magic, longevity on non-human races, and as you mentioned earlier, the nutritional requirements of smaller humanoids. Now, considering Caelean humans can expect to live to 100...assuming they don't die due to politics, war, accidents, et al...I felt that a larger population was valid in the region...there's no way an early-industrial revolution nation on earth could have 100 million souls, but the Holy Caelen Empire does, so...eh. |
| Darth Syntax11-15-07, 01:15 AM | Well, that certainly does help explain things,. The curse of the typo gods is always upon us. However, wouldn't the longer lived species also have a proportionately lower birth rate, thus reducing their overall population? -- Also, speaking of industrialization, I had thought that we were not pushing the world into the late 18th to early 19th century in regards to overall technology. Now I've got some fairly advanced clockwork things in my region and all that, but military tech still remains about on par with the English civil war period or the 30 years war. I was resisting leaving the early modern period for reasons of regional balance and the like, but if industrialization with its mass production and corresponding developments are going on, then I may have to greatly re-think things. |
| SovietCanuck11-15-07, 01:21 AM | It's my region's "thing"...the tech level. Caelea really lacks the high-powered spellcasters and deeply integrated magical cultures of other regions, so to counterbalance that, we've got good ol' explosives...big, unweildy stuff, but good enough for fun on the high seas, and castles to begin becoming obsolete...the tech level I'm looking at is about late 1700s, but if you want me to scale that back, I can do that...though that would put a kink in the Deraille-Flansburg railway:rolleyes: Also, as to lower races having proportionally lower birthrates...I don't really see that as the case. Maybe longer pregnancies and a longer period of time for them to become sexually mature, but seeing as how the longest lived race in my region (not counting the immortal Imperial Elves) are gnomes at 450 years, their birthrates are maybe half humans, if not two thirds |
| Darth Syntax11-15-07, 01:41 AM | I also lack high level casters (and indeed anyone over level 8) in any large number, although I've tried to mentally make up for it by making mid and low level casters and manifestors far more common (they certainly outnumber fighters and the like as far as pc classes go). I'm not really overly (I think I killed myself with adverbs) concerned with the tech issue myself. If it goes up I can legitimate difference engines and some of the other clockwork marvels I've been either dreaming up or reading about. That and all the newspapers that seem to figure so prominently in every nation from the Empire to the somewhat backwards three kingdoms. However, some of the other authors (I know Thel being one of them), might shiver at the idea of fully modern industrial powers mucking about. I suppose as long as we keep things before the early-mid 18th century in most things might be alright. Especially if no one has got around to rifling their long guns. |
| SovietCanuck11-15-07, 01:45 AM | Actually, my main concern with my tech level is Thel's region, as he's specifically indicated that he doesn't want his region to become a mass slaughter of the indigenous folk like the Colonization of the Americas...however, I severely doubt a company of musketeers from Deraille could stand up very well against a couple of Don's dino-riders:D So as I've become more confident my region won't steamroll over any other, the technology's been creeping up Also Darth, if you're interested in some of the more "outlandish" clockwork technologies, I have a pdf of D20 Warcraft: More Magic and Mayhem that you might be interested in reading...just PM me your e-mail address and I'll see if I can zip it over to you. |
| Darth Syntax11-15-07, 02:02 AM | He does have the whole "god-beast of doom" theme worked out rather well. That and the whole brain-boring beetle thing. I also am rather sure that a group of his beast-riders would be fairly matched with most of the soldiers of my region. Now, a war between two (or more) of our powers could prove rather unfortunate. -- As to the book, I'll consider it, but I've got some resource to look into here first. That and I have to figure out the implications of applying arcane science to clockwork beyond the making of self-repairing mechanisms, frictionless parts, and the use of extradimensional spaces to allow for constant descent of weights to keep things going for a really long time. |
| DonThelonious11-17-07, 08:47 AM | Wow:eek:, I leave for a day or two and now I have to catch up! OK, where to begin.... Araes: Great part 2. I just have a few questions: You say the Tur and Ka traveled extensively, when exactly did this occur? If it was semi recent then the conflict could have spilled over into my region and that is why the Elves of my region fell to war and could be a potential source of the plague, as one side that chose to follow either Tur or Ka developed a super weapon to eradicate the other side. Is war something that Tur and Ka wanted? Of the two, which is the more inherently evil? Which one could be defined as the more violent? As I suggested earlier, what types of monsters popped up because of the violence and cruel intent present on the dream material? -- i have a slightly related question at this point, what kinds of other planes are there for the world? my idea at the moment is for a set of planes that only connect to my region, and i would like to know if this is okay, and if there are other planes that others have come up with that may tie into my region. The planar setup is rather loosely defined and is largely left up to the individual author. At some later date we might hammer it out a bit more. For the moment I generally assume an infinite number of planes which interact with the world (or can be accessed in some way) but only a limited number that any culture or group of cultures are familiar with. Then again, this is simply my own interpretation. I must insist we keep the Para-Elemental Plane of Nachos:D. Or something equivalent that I can throw at my players from WAY out of left field. It doesn't necessarily have to be Nachos, but just something that make them say "Wait... Where are we? What? The? :censored:?" -- dragonoverlord: As to your dark entity, I am trying to come up with some reason for the elves demise in my region, and this rings well along the same lines as Araes' Ka and Tur. I think a combination of the two would be perfect for the demise. -- Actually, my main concern with my tech level is Thel's region, as he's specifically indicated that he doesn't want his region to become a mass slaughter of the indigenous folk like the Colonization of the Americas...however, I severely doubt a company of musketeers from Deraille could stand up very well against a couple of Don's dino-riders So as I've become more confident my region won't steamroll over any other, the technology's been creeping up He does have the whole "god-beast of doom" theme worked out rather well. That and the whole brain-boring beetle thing. I also am rather sure that a group of his beast-riders would be fairly matched with most of the soldiers of my region. Now, a war between two (or more) of our powers could prove rather unfortunate. :rofl: :heehee :rofl: Have you taken a good look at the PotShot Sniper PrC (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=932883) I made? Send your riflemen, they have to sleep sometime:evillaugh. -- SovietCanuck: Your Kith got me interested in race making and I think I have come up with whats left of the elves in my region. The disease was wiping them out, a pandemic of biblical proportions right? Right, so some of the elves opted to move underground and willingly be subjected to magical experimentation. The results are the Skitskiirin Beetlefolk (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14303160&postcount=1). Tell me what you all think |
| SovietCanuck11-18-07, 12:38 AM | I must insist we keep the Para-Elemental Plane of Nachos:D. Or something equivalent that I can throw at my players from WAY out of left field. It doesn't necessarily have to be Nachos, but just something that make them say "Wait... Where are we? What? The? :censored:?" I'll say it again...Elemental Plane of Dairy! (http://www.sigilprep.com/DairyPlane.htm) Just think it over...:D dragonoverlord: As to your dark entity, I am trying to come up with some reason for the elves demise in my region, and this rings well along the same lines as Araes' Ka and Tur. I think a combination of the two would be perfect for the demise. Don...been thinking about that. Trying to figure out what relationship exists between the Imperial elves and the demise of the elves in your region. Maybe your region was the home of the Imperial Elves...or one of their first settlements. As the Imperial elves are essentially über-aelfs (fey, immortal, +3 or so LA)...they could end up being the "progenitor" elves, or something along those lines...I'm open to any suggestions. Have you taken a good look at the PotShot Sniper PrC (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=932883) I made? Send your riflemen, they have to sleep sometime:evillaugh. Aye, that I have. They would put most of the crusaders to shame...which would frustrate the commanders to no end "They can kill one of our men with a single arrow, and we can't seem to hit a single one with an entire platoon. They're only archers! We have guns! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!!" However, I shall see your PotShot Sniper, and raise your a Caelean Inquisitor. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=14362703) The things of nightmares, they be :schemes: SovietCanuck: Your Kith got me interested in race making and I think I have come up with whats left of the elves in my region. The disease was wiping them out, a pandemic of biblical proportions right? Right, so some of the elves opted to move underground and willingly be subjected to magical experimentation. The results are the Skitskiirin Beetlefolk (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14303160&postcount=1). Brilliant idea once again, Don. Can't say I'm the best at balancing races (particularly monstrous races), but the fluff looks cool. And it seems you've gotten quite a bit of help already:D Right-o. Back to Qalitz! |
| Darth Syntax11-18-07, 04:41 AM | Just popping in to let you all know I've not fallen off the end of the world, and that I've not been entirely idle. The cartographic bug has bitten me once again, and I've embarked upon the mad quest to map Trokoilon, the capitol of the Most Serene and Beneficent Republic of Orothos. The map is by no means done, but I thought I might put it up for comment. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2061/2045881035_8847855af1_b.jpg Currently, the canals are mostly done, and I am working on the laborious process of putting in the buildings by hand (all other methods just looked horrid). I'll be putting in further fortifications along the perimeter canals which will (hopefully) be of a similar style to the pair of star forts (and these are also going to be edited). Any comments would be most welcome. and now back to work. |
| DonThelonious11-18-07, 05:04 AM | I'll say it again...Elemental Plane of Dairy! (http://www.sigilprep.com/DairyPlane.htm) Just think it over...:D I like it. Master the Sharp Side of the Fetta:emp:. Don...been thinking about that. Trying to figure out what relationship exists between the Imperial elves and the demise of the elves in your region. Maybe your region was the home of the Imperial Elves...or one of their first settlements. As the Imperial elves are essentially über-aelfs (fey, immortal, +3 or so LA)...they could end up being the "progenitor" elves, or something along those lines...I'm open to any suggestions. I don't mind that in the slightest. We should have a specific source for all the elves in the world, and I don't mind it being your uber-aelfs. They would potentially be the same elves as Araeas has. Aye, that I have. They would put most of the crusaders to shame...which would frustrate the commanders to no end "They can kill one of our men with a single arrow, and we can't seem to hit a single one with an entire platoon. They're only archers! We have guns! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!!" That was my intent:D. However, I shall see your PotShot Sniper, and raise your a Caelean Inquisitor. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=14362703) The things of nightmares, they be :schemes: A KITH!!!! You used a KITH?!!? I thought they were anathema type creatures. But still... A Kith? |
| SovietCanuck11-18-07, 05:59 AM | A KITH!!!! You used a KITH?!!? I thought they were anathema type creatures. But still... A Kith? One must plug where one can :D But besides advertising, I do have a perfectly logical, in-game reason for that. The Inquisition actively recruits kith converts, as having an Inquisitor among the kith not only allows the Inquisition to keep tabs on the caravans, but on the various towns and villages they visit over their travels. And as nobody expects a kith to be an inquisitor, they have a far easier time prying into some cults and whatnot then humans or dwarves. However, as less than 1% of kith are Caeleans, and even less than that are willing to join the church, the number of kith inquisitors is maybe two dozen. There are likely about as many inquisitors from your region, Don, as there are kith inquisitors (*imagines Theralosian orc inquisitor*:D ) As to kith being an anathema, they haven't been widely persecuted since the 600s. A few individuals may twist the words of Cael (need to think up the name for his holy text! Biblos is too obvious!) to suit their xenophobic desires, to validate the lynchings of kith(/elfs/Alstanics/foreigners) but most tolerate and/or accept the kith as a part of Caelean culture. And finally, I wanted for my examples something people would use in their campaigns, so I decided to cook up two...Liberius is more your 'standard' inquisitor, while Shal is a more 'out there' example...I could have easily gone for a Theralosian inquisitor :P) --- And Darth...far too much time on your hands mate. :D Nonetheless, it looks amazing, and it will put to shame any maps I decide to do of the major cities of the Caelean region (I've done up Alstan, but I need to work on Cittia Sulla Collina, Vendenburg, Portoro and Firensdamm) |
| Darth Syntax11-18-07, 06:18 AM | As to kith being an anathema, they haven't been widely persecuted since the 600s. A few individuals may twist the words of Cael (need to think up the name for his holy text! Biblos is too obvious!) to suit their xenophobic desires, to validate the lynchings of kith(/elfs/Alstanics/foreigners) but most tolerate and/or accept the kith as a part of Caelean culture. Hmm. Given what you've written, Latin seems like a good source of names. Some possible ideas Lex Divini or Lex Divinus (I can't remember which declension paradigm divinus uses at the moment): Law of the Divine, usually called the Lex Dictum Divini or Dictum Divinus: Word of the Divine, usually called The Dictum Veridicus: The "Truth-Telling" Via Veritas: "The Way of Truth" or "The True Way" Doctrina Veritas: "The True Teachings" |
| Alexeduardo11-18-07, 02:56 PM | The City of Slaves The first leader of the city of slaves was a human warlord from the west coasts. The human warlord had traveled east to fight the Titans. When the war ended ans the land was divided, he ended up the king of the city of slaves. The people of the city felt betrayed. Many years they fought for their freedom, and when they had finally won it, they give them a foreign king who has never been a slave. Needless to say, the king didn't last long. And a new, troll, ruler was chosen. Desgarrada is very dangerous place, and it was even more unforgiving back then. Knowing this, the new troll leader designed the city so it would withstand (?) an outer attack. Using the ruins of the city of steel, the people of the city of slaves created a new city of narrow streets, tall buildings, underground tunnels, unfortiffiable holes on the streets and many other warialities. The soldiers of the city of slaves are trained in urban combat. Rather than focusing on stopping the enemy from entering, the warriors seek to trap their foes inside the city, and then employ what foreigners call "guerrilla tactics" to finish them. Back to the troll leader (whose name was Alleato, by the way), when elected leader, he knew that he could very well proclaim himself supreme emperor of the land within the city walls, but he could also very well end like thehuman before him (burned, cutted and with digested food all overhis body). So that was not a viable option. He spent to weeks on the field outside the city, and when he came back, he proclaimed the new parliament system. in the parliament system, every man can vote for someone to represent their district. There are ten districts on the city. When the representatives are chosen, they select someone among themselves to be the prime minister, and that prime minister serves as some sort of underpoewered king who needs parliamentary aproval forevery action. Sucks, I know. From Laringheart Glorysong's description of Desgarrada |
| Araes11-18-07, 04:27 PM | You say the Tur and Ka traveled extensively, when exactly did this occur? If it was semi recent then the conflict could have spilled over into my region and that is why the Elves of my region fell to war and could be a potential source of the plague, as one side that chose to follow either Tur or Ka developed a super weapon to eradicate the other side. Is war something that Tur and Ka wanted? Of the two, which is the more inherently evil? Which one could be defined as the more violent? As I suggested earlier, what types of monsters popped up because of the violence and cruel intent present on the dream material? Sorry I didn't get back to answering you Thel. Semi-recent is a little hard to define as I haven't strictly mapped out the timeline for my area yet. What I'm generally thinking is that they left Arron maybe 4000-5000 years ago and began their travels. This is pretty malleable, and could stretch or shrink quite a bit, but it would give the Lasarii and Togai of the continent enough time to reduce their numbers significantly, and would also allow for the rise of the more short lived races in Arron from near tribal to whatever tech level we finally decide on. They probably finally returned to Arron within the last millennia and have been chasing each other here ever since, although that has had some complications as they've stumbled back into the careful structure the surviving Lasarii / elves and Togai / orcs have built up, where both of them draw a lot of still surviving hatred for what they started. If you would like to have them be involved in some way in your conflict, that's perfectly fine with me. I didn't want to explicitly say "They went here at this time" because I didn't want to step on anybodies toes or screw up their timelines. As such, I left it pretty much in the air how they wandered during their period abroad, and people can work them in if they want or not. On the question of war, the answer would definitely be no for Ka. Although its hard to say which is more "evil" per say, I'd probably lean towards Tur simply because he has been the one continuing hostilities for the past millenia. Ka basically is at this point trying to atone for his mistake, but wherever he goes, the spectre of Tur follows him and brings destruction. Tur also tends to view the lives of pretty much any non-immortal race as being near worthless, and doesn't care if they're thrown away. As such, Tur is perfectly willing to start wars if it will serve his purpose and if he thinks it will help him end Ka. Unfortunately, this also means that sometimes Ka seeks out allies or promises them gifts / information / power if they will help him oppose the forces Tur has found. With regard to the monsters, I'm still working on that, but I haven't forgotten about it and will have it figured out shortly ( hopefully - ended up having to work the weekend so been a bit swamped ). |
| SovietCanuck11-19-07, 04:08 AM | Alright...I got sidetracked once again, so instead of finishing up Qalitz, I have some colonies Don might want to look over for Fallenstar. I've just done a general overview of what I want the geography to be like, so Don you can fit these in wherever you can! (yeah, I know I suck at finding images compared to Darth and Araes...next time I'll try drawing. It'll prolly take less time...and be less painful:rolleyes: ) Ste. Rosaline de Vanners Colonial Power: Deraille Republic Population: 25,200 Primary Settlement: Port Libre (6,212) Government: Electoral Republic with Appointed Director Leadership: Directeur de la Colonie Ste. Rosaline de Vanners, le Très Honorable Antoine Lapointe (LN human male expert 3/aristocrat 1), Maire du Port Libre, les Honorable Magane Hébert (LG gnome female expert 3), Le Président de l’Assemblée Coloniale, les Honorable Robert Caron (TN human male aristocrat 4) Location: Northeastern Coast of the Northern Isle. Primary Exports: Grains, medicinal herbs, narcotics, tobacco, sugar, coco, lumber, fish Primary Imports: Work animals and livestock, weapons, ore, textiles, paper, glass, finished goods http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Acadiens_Nantes.JPG/800px-Acadiens_Nantes.JPG%5C Originally established as a trading fort by the Kingdom of Gallia, after that nations destruction at the hands of the Elves it was passed to the Deraille Republic, who transformed the trading post of Fort Ste. Rosaline into the busting colony it is today. The primary city, Port Libre, sits just off the coast on a small island with a well protected harbor. The city finds itself as a regular starting point for voyages to the wider world, thanks to it's proximity to the Caelen Peninsulas. On any given day, one can find ships from Deraille, Hotland, Vestria, Caelea, and even Portoro or Bardrim moored along the city's extensive docks. Port Libre is a walled city, and well armed members of the Garde Coloniale patrol the surrounding land and sea, rooting out threats such as monsters, hostile tribes, or pirates. The government of the colony is headed by a Director appointed by the Assemblée Nationale of Deraille, though most day to day business is under the purview of the Assemblée Coloniale, an elected legislature that meets in Fort Ste. Rosaline, the colony's de facto capitol. Nieuw Draeland Colonial Power: Holtland Federation Population: 18,800 Primary Settlement: Graddensfort (3,145) Government: Electoral Republic Leadership: Gouverneur Bram Haas (NG dwarf male fighter 2/expert 4), Burgemeester van Graddensfort, Kael van der Flans (TN human male expert 5/adept 1) Location: ? Primary Exports: Ores, livestock, tobacco, sugar, alcohol, coffee, textiles, lumber, glass, coal Primary Imports: Work animals, grains and fruits, weapons, paper, finished goods, medicines http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Lima-Peru-1928-02.jpg/800px-Lima-Peru-1928-02.jpg Not to be outdone by their southern rivals, the Holtland Federation set out to establish their own colony. However, unlike the Derellians, who were looking for more arable land to offset the poor soils of the Plaines Centrales, the Holtlanders were looking for metals and ore to fuel their booming factories of Flansburg and Firensdamm. Graddensfort was established on one of the more arid coasts of Fallenstar, but it is a necessary sacrifice, as the mountains close to the port city are rich in ores and coal. Along the river that runs through the colony, numerous plantations have been set up, growing all manner of plants from tobacco to sugarcane to coffee. The surrounding land, however, is perfect for grazing, and large herds of cattle provide for the colony's primary agricultural export. Nieuw Draeland is ruled by an elected council that meats in Graddensfort, and is lead by a Governor, the leader of the largest party in the Niew Draeland House of Assembly. Tavonia Colonial Power: Holy Caelean Empire Population: 12,900 Primary Settlement: Nuovo Palina (2,212) Government: Aristocracy Leadership: Duca Antonello Biadachi (LN human male aritstocrat 5), Exarch di Nuovo Palina Emilia Rizanno (LG halfling female cleric 6) Location: ? Primary Exports: Grain, alcohol, tobacco, cocoa, sugar, coffee, lumber, fruits, narcotics, shellfish Primary Imports: Work animals and livestock, ores, weapons, paper, finished goods, textiles http://www.library.yale.edu/~mpowell/iln-7-52-1a.jpg The final power to establish a long term colony on Fallenstar (not for the lack of trying on the parts of the Chalacites and the Vestrians) is the Holy Caelean empire. Founded little over two decades ago, it was established as a missionary outpost for the Imperial Church that boomed under Caelean jurisdiction into a full fledged duchy. Ruled from the Castello Verde, an imposing edifice that runs along the cliffs above Nuovo Palina, the Biadachi family have risen in power an influence from a minor noble family from Palina to a major player in the courts of Cittia Sulla Collina thanks to their successful rule of Caelea's first major colony. The verdant seas surrounding the colony are the source of most of the colony's food supply, as the foodstuffs produced on the bountiful farmlands surrounding the city are more often then not shipped off to Caelea, where they will fetch better prices among the bustling metropolis then they would ever among the well fed colonists. --- Other thoughts...Great suggestions for names Darth. Is there any language you don't know? :p . I particularly like Lex Divini and Dictum Divini...the divine/imperial teachings/words work a lot better than the "truth-sayings" for the Caelean religion...though those could all be parts of the greater work. And Araes...just based on your story here...I'm thinking that maybe Tur was the foundation for the myths that eventually became attributed to Bethan, the member of the pentacle responsible for natural disasters and whatnot, as the Caelean religion steals heavily from other religions and faiths to form their mythology (The stories of St. Aven are actually just retellings of the d'Tohm d'Avhan-ifdehn, one of the major parts of the Sytenvand, except the main character's a human, not The Traveler, while those of St. Roens the Great originally started out as the pagan Epic of King Roens, with references to the old Roenic gods replaced by references to Cael...yeah, the Caeleans are like that...) |
| Darth Syntax11-19-07, 04:54 AM | Other thoughts...Great suggestions for names Darth. Is there any language you don't know? :p . I particularly like Lex Divini and Dictum Divini...the divine/imperial teachings/words work a lot better than the "truth-sayings" for the Caelean religion...though those could all be parts of the greater work. I actually don't speak Latin (I only speak English and passable French) but I've studied linguistics extensivly and I can work my way through a descriptive grammar of just about any human language and get something out of it. So there I sat, with a just such a grammar of Latin and my lexicon and pulled out some names. As for the names themselves, I wanted to offer up a few possible names with different 'feels' about them. I assume that the Caelean religion (at least the Imperial branch) is rather legalistic in character, but I have no real idea about the tone or beliefs of the other sects. Perhaps they have different books? If you want I can come up with names for more holy books, just give me the titles in English, or some approximation of the title you want, and I'll see what I can do. the Caelean religion steals heavily from other religions and faiths to form their mythology (The stories of St. Aven are actually just retellings of the d'Tohm d'Avhan-ifdehn, one of the major parts of the Sytenvand, except the main character's a human, not The Traveler, while those of St. Roens the Great originally started out as the pagan Epic of King Roens, with references to the old Roenic gods replaced by references to Cael...yeah, the Caeleans are like that...) Rather like the whole St. Jehoshaphat story being a rather circuitous and greatly modified telling of the life of Siddhartha Gautama eh? |
| Darth Syntax11-19-07, 06:07 AM | Eue, I see you've put up your map on the wiki along with some information on your region. Good good. However, there is a bit of a cartographic issue with your map. Your original map draft was entirely contained within region 5 and it was with that in mind that taski drew the map of her region which is largely open water so as to provide her peoples with their thematic isolation. The trickiness of the situation comes from the fact that although you have been a member of the project longer, her final map was done before yours. I have no idea how to properly cope with this new development as the usual method of 'first map rules' is not quite applicable. So, my fellow members of this auspicious Project, I ask what should be done about this. |
| eue11-19-07, 08:19 AM | To begin with, sorry for the delay. I thought my mind would be "free to roam" for a while, but I was once more caught in an avalanche of essays... I hope this huge amount of content will make up for my absence. I've put everything into those nifty spoiler boxes to make the post look smaller. (I had to delete the double dashes I was using to separate them... You murderous spoiler boxes!) These are just some random ideas I jotted down as they came to mind. I'm also sorry for using a code block for Queen Illyss' writing in the previous post. It was simply unreadable. I've changed it to a spoiler block now. As for the maps, I've uploaded them on the wiki a few moments ago. I've been thinking... Araes, your gnomes of Gabon ("Gabonians", "Gaboni", ...?) and the relays that bind their minds together... Can you tell more about those... Because I have a similar thing in my "illithid Alcatraz" (Pareh Mak). Are your relays illithid "technology"? Or did your gnomes come up with them themselves? Oh, and I've been asking myself these for a long time now: - What's a plutocratic republic? - What's a femtotheocracy? - What's a plutocracy? - What's a stratocracy? The hand in the sky, is seen as something terrible in Izxhe, like an omen for the end of the world, or something like that. Some claim it was the main reason for Karhiz to leave Dwenty. Supposedly, he left in search for a way to stop that monstrous and dreaded thing. I've been working out the religion of my lands. In Izxhe, the sole religion you can find, if you can call it that, is the "worship" of Karhiz. It's not the same as worshipping a god, with rituals and stuff. They see Karhiz as their father and creator, which is true, and therefore everyone respects him and wishes for his good, and above all else, for his return. There are no temples or the like, nor any sort of holy city. The thing closest to that you can find is the palace of the Great Mother Illyss. There is no persecution of alien religious beliefs, but there are no other beliefs anyway, since only elans are allowed to live in the island, and all elans (well, at least ideally) revere the Great Father. In the old Alma Krafh, there was but one religion. A monotheistic one. It was the state religion and temples of different faiths were strictly forbidden. The "god" of this religion was called what can be read as Nee-eh-ah (Niea is the written form, in Jar). Writing down that name was strictly forbidden. And it is the sole exception to the Jar rule that no two vowels appear in sequence. The name can only be said. In the holy texts, Niea (yeah, I know I'm sining by writing this down) was referred to as "tah" (in Jar, god). Here's an excerpt of "The Holy Book of Niea", a translation to Izxa from the original Udalm'tera (Sacred Writings), by Adur, a huz made elan. The faithful is the one who worships Niea. Is the one who worships the only true god. Is the one who keeps the unfaithful away from the sacred land. Is the one who brings justice to the land. Is the one who keeps his possessions to himself, and the possessions of the others to themselves. Is the one who dedicates a part of his life to Niea. Is the one who dedicates a part of his life to the protection of the land. (...) He who is faithful will be saved from the Hand. He who is not faithful will be taken by the Hand and suffer eternal torture. This should give an idea of what the worship of Niea is like. Fight for Niea, against the unfaithful, and for justice. Don't share, don't steal. Everyone who wishes to be called faithful must spend at least one year in temple service and two years in military service. By not being a faithful, one loses his place in society, and after being marked (on the forehead, magically), others will not interact peacefully with you (usually ignoring, but sometimes things can escalade) and despise you. The translation, written seventy cycles ago, was the kickstarter of an "holy crusade" by the Udalm'krafh on Izxhe, since it blasphemously writes the name of the tah, and also his holy sayings in a foreign language. Details on that crusade coming soon, as told in The History of the Great Race. The version of Udalm'krafh bards is extremely partial, to say the least. The elans are more true to things. Nowadays, since the fall of the old krafh, things are different. The Udalm'krafh retains the same approach to religion as the old krafh. The old ways, they call it. Ahz'Alm is almost the opposite. There any sort of religion is authorized, except for the worship of Niea or any other "bloodshed-ish" religions. Temples to Niea are completely forbidden. The current parliament states this is due to the warlike tendencies the worship of Niea inevitably carries and that it must be avoided at all costs. Here between DMs, they are actually spreading popular hate against the Udalm'krafh, which they see as a retarded, decadent, and unworthy nation. In the Alma Trid there are actual laws for or against religion. Anyone worships whatever he or she wants, and any sort of temple is permitted. Recently, a cult which involves sacrifices has been building temples and gaining worshipers quickly, which has created some sort of atrition among the people, since many see this cult as evil that must be fought, while others claim the government should not mess with religion. Adding the current state of war against both the Udalm'krafh and Ahz'Alm, a civil war in the Alma Trid seems about to start. The nations of Jari have many different religions, and lately these have been spreading to the new, religiously liberal, nations of Alm, creating some of the conflicts mentioned above. My peoples refer to days as revolutions (as in one revolution of the sun around the globe...) and to years as cycles (as in one cycle of two seasons). I am coming up with calendars and timelines of the history soon enough. I see that taski is south of me. My mistake... I won't mind pushing my map North a little... Sorry for the inconvenience... Izxa is not the birth language of Karhiz. It was Illyss' when Karhiz met her. It was (and still is) spoken in Iz, one of the kingdoms of Jari, Illyss' homeland. Illyss and Karhiz moved to Izxhe, an almost desert island, due to <something I'm still coming up with> that makes growing most crops nearly impossible. The island's name means New Iz in Karhiz's birth language Since I'm a neighbor to chimpman and some of his underwater nations, I might as well create some underwater nations, for consistency's sake. Why would there be underwater people and nations only in a 1/20th of the world? In all the nations of Alm, men and women are seen without social distinction. The only differenciation is between huz and luti. In Izxhe there are no differences either. Some of the nations of Jari, however, have different views. In the Balqiza Empire, women are seen as objects and possessions. The Holy Kingdom of Aruna, although ruled by men, sees women as the children of the gods. Iz, the Oljar League, the Karim Empire and the Union of Itah are indifferent. The Utran Federation used to treat women as inferior, but in the past years things have been changing. In the Protectorate of the Twin Rivers, men are not allowed to take ruling positions among other prohibitions. Women have the power, but they do not treat men as slaves or the like. I hope I'm not hurting any one with these. Elans quickly mastered the ways of the sea. In order to explore the world and learn about its cultures, they have learned how to create seaworthy ships, as well as how to navigate them. I've been wondering which nations and cities would allow for elan embassies and trade rights. What my elans have to trade is mostly knowledge and "technology". Scholarly knowledge, mainly, but from some less ethical individuals and for the less ethical nations, you can get intelligence gathered on other embassies as well. As for technology, most of it is what you foreigners call psionic items. There are also services that can be rendered, mainly psionic-based ones, like telepathy, travel, foresight... I see that the dromites of D_S will be in no need of these, but I trust other peoples from across Dwenty will find them useful. Just let me known where can I set my embassies. Izxhe is the land of psions. Almost every elan in Izxhe is a psion of sorts. Maybe I should create an NPC psionic class, by comparison with the adept... Neither arcane nor divine magic have many friends here. However, since elans wish to learn as much as possible, some have even converted to the use of these foreign forms of magic. They are not many, however. On Alm, things are different. Divine magic is very common, since there are many priests of Niea (here I am, sinning once more...). On Jari... well, I will come back to this later, when I have the Jari nations more detailed. Government Type: Meritocratic Parliamentary Republic (the presidency is permanently held by Supreme Culler Illyss) Ruling Body: The Council of Cullers Current Leader: Supreme Culler Illyss, The Lady Out of Time (TN female elan, currently nomad 7) Area: 34,318 sq miles Population: 4,348,849 (with about another million living in embassies across the world) Economic Type: ??? Species Demographics: 100% elan Capitol: Miahrez Religion: Free with social preferences towards the reverence of the Great Father Karhiz. Major Languages: Izxa Nominal Alignment: LN leaning towards TN Although it is named as a kingdom and Illyss sometimes refered to as a Queen, these are just titles. The Undying Kingdom is not a monarchy. It is a republic in which the parliament (known as the Council of Cullers) members are chosen by their actions towards the elan community. One of the most important tasks of the Council of Cullers is the culling. The culling is the picking of candidates to become elans. Only those the Council votes upon are subject to the transformation that will allow them to live for more than one thousand years. The Council is formed by a variable number of Cullers, the members of which are chosen every cycle by the Supreme Culler, Queen Illyss herself. Another task of the Council is the overview of the embassies, being responsible for electing the ambassators and for choosing their locations and assigning tasks. I need help figuring out the economies of my nations... For instance, what are the differences between capitalism and mercantilism? -- I said it was coming soon, and that's real soon... Here it is, chapter 19 of The History of the Great Race, written by the late Uliz Matal, member of the Council of Cullers from 3510 GF to his death in 4061 GF. And by the four-thousandth cycle after the Great Father's arrival, Adur, a huz running from the persecuting forces of the Udalm'krafh, was culled. And he became a great scholar of his people's history. Among his most works one can find The Holy Book of Niea, a translation of the Udalm'tera, which means, in the Jar language, Sacred Writings. The Holy Book of Niea became famous because it was the source of much despair and much suffering. Once it became public, the book became a source of disagreement. The Udalm'krafh, a very strict religious nation, saw the book as insulting to their religious beliefs. According to the Udalm'tera, the name of tah, which, in the Jar language, means god, is not to be written. That name is Niea. And Adur used "Niea" over and over across his translation, instead of using the more polite "god". The Udalm'krafh demanded the burning of all copies of The Holy Book of Niea, as well as Adur himself, to be punished by them. Their punishment for Adur's supposed crime would be his own death in a public square. Since it is against our beliefs to leave a son or daughter of Karhiz to such a fate, the Immortal Lady promptly refused such demands. The Udalm'krafh responded by resorting to military force. They sent their armies in ships, across the Ural'Ima and attacked by surprise. So, by the four-thousand-eleventh cycle after the Great Father's arrival, war was waged upon by the Great Race for the first time. The Udalm'krafh began their attack on our coastal cities of Liareh, Pawiz, and Jowa. Of the three, none was able to withstand such a cowardly act. The Council of Cullers was immediately called upon to plan a counter-offensive and drive away the Udalm'krafh troops. The Great Race, although peaceful, had already much research on war tactics and technologies. And that research proved quite effective against the enemy. The first offensive action of the Great Race was the search and destruction of the Udalm'krafh ships. Thanks to the benevolent creatures from the ocean surrounding our land, known as the aventi, their ships were tracked down and brought to the oceanic bottom. But, contrary to expected, this was not enough to get the Udalm'krafh troops to surrender. Their belief in the god Niea is amazing. The troops kept razing our cities and killing our brothers, even when stripped from their only way to return to their homeland. It became clear that their ultimate goal was to completely eradicate the Great Race. The Council of Cullers took action and gathered and organized the Army of the Great Race within three days, in an amazing feat of logistics. Our army was vastly superior in power and strategy, and victories were counted one after another. And so, one month after the igniting strike by the Udalm'krafh, the Great Race expelled the last of the invaders from Izxhe. The prisoners were given an Izxhan ship so they could sail back to their homeland. Later, the proud Udalm'krafh claimed that their troops managed to obtain our surrender, and, since the Hand will eventually claim the lifes of all of the Great Race they let us live. They also claimed our Undying Queen was killed in the war and that we managed to maintain this farse so far after her death. It is not in our ideals to initiate belic confrontations, so we made no approach to have the insidious Udalm'krafh rethink their claims. And this is the tale of the First War. GF stands for Great Father. -- That's all for now. Feel free to aplaude, or dance the tarantella, or whatever... Next time, I think I will be posting some more demographics, as well as trade goods charts, following the steps of many of you. -- Some of this information is already on the wiki. I am sorting out everything I've been jotting down and I'll put it up there ASAP. -- I'm sorry if your mailboxes are flooding with reports of the wiki being changed and all that, but if any of you good sirs could explain to me how to preview a page before saving it, I wouldn't have to do all that save & edit & save & edit & save stuff... |
| SovietCanuck11-19-07, 12:31 PM | Oh, and I've been asking myself these for a long time now: - What's a plutocratic republic? - What's a femtotheocracy? - What's a plutocracy? - What's a stratocracy? -Plutocratic republic: Rule by the rich, where the wealthy elect a leader (think Venice) -Femtotheocracy: Government by the priesthood (an advancement of a theocracy, where not only is the head of state a theocratic figure, but local governors and mayors are also religious individuals.) -Plutocracy: Any type of rule by the rich -Stratocracy: Any form of rule by the millitary, also known as a junta or military dictatorship I'm sorry if your mailboxes are flooding with reports of the wiki being changed and all that, but if any of you good sirs could explain to me how to preview a page before saving it, I wouldn't have to do all that save & edit & save & edit & save stuff... As far as I know, there is no way to preview...very unfortunate, I know. |
| taski11-19-07, 07:52 PM | I see that taski is south of me. My mistake... I won't mind pushing my map North a little... Sorry for the inconvenience... Oh, it's fine. Thanks for moving your map a little. :) Since I'm a neighbor to chimpman and some of his underwater nations, I might as well create some underwater nations, for consistency's sake. Why would there be underwater people and nations only in a 1/20th of the world? That's a good point. It would be possible for your or chimpman's underwater nations to have tried colonizing the sea in the northern parts of my region. I'm considering having some nasty sea monsters near the middle and southern parts of my region, but the northern parts could be safer. In all the nations of Alm, men and women are seen without social distinction. The only differenciation is between huz and luti. In Izxhe there are no differences either. Some of the nations of Jari, however, have different views. In the Balqiza Empire, women are seen as objects and possessions. The Holy Kingdom of Aruna, although ruled by men, sees women as the children of the gods. Iz, the Oljar League, the Karim Empire and the Union of Itah are indifferent. The Utran Federation used to treat women as inferior, but in the past years things have been changing. In the Protectorate of the Twin Rivers, men are not allowed to take ruling positions among other prohibitions. Women have the power, but they do not treat men as slaves or the like. I hope I'm not hurting any one with these. I like the variety. I think its perfectly fine to use gender roles as a way to distinguish cultures, so long as there's a variety. Elans quickly mastered the ways of the sea. In order to explore the world and learn about its cultures, they have learned how to create seaworthy ships, as well as how to navigate them. I've been wondering which nations and cities would allow for elan embassies and trade rights. ... Just let me known where can I set my embassies. I'm thinking that the storms and sea monsters in my region would make it difficult to reach my little islands. They are there to be discovered by PCs, after all. If/when that happens, they'd probably have to deal with each island or clan on an individual basis. |
| DonThelonious11-20-07, 02:07 AM | The contest is over, I didn't make the cut:weep:. So here is the savage paladin as promised. Soviet: Any chance you could help me divise a more fitting Cael type prayer? Heivân~Barâdar the Savage Paladin http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/1910195536_4ea61b8402.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/1910195496_b47e8514c0_o.jpg "And a Shepherd I shall be For thee, my Lord, for thee. Righteous wrath hath descended forth from Thy hand My feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands. So I shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti." Prayer of the Heivân~Barâdar Prestige Class By Don Thelonious History has taught us that the gods work in mysterious ways. Occasionally there arises a godly warrior possessed of great divine magic and a terrible rage. Whether this rage comes from the persons heart or is the will of their god nobody knows What they do know is that these holy berserkers are the wrath of god personified, and woe be unto those who incur that wrath. Adventures: Heivân~Barâdar adventure for many reasons: to spread the word of their god, to guard the faithful, or to seek vengeance for their deity. Commonly though, these holy warriors take it upon themselves to act as the instrument of their gods wrath, and to bring destruction down upon those that have earned it. Characteristics: The defining characteristics shared by all Heivân~Barâdar is their unyielding faith in their gods. They have been confused with True Paladins on more than one occasion, but where a paladin must hold to a strict code of conduct the Heivân~Barâdar follow only the precepts of their deity and a strong code of honor. Alignment: Most Heivân~Barâdar started out as Paladins, but through extenuating circumstances they gave into their chaotic nature. Therefore all Heivân~Barâdar are chaotic, and should their alignments change for any reason they lose all benefits of this class. Religion: The Heivân~Barâdar need not devote themselves to a single deity, though most do. Those that do align themselves to a single deity are scrupulous in religious duties and are welcome (though not wholly trusted) in every associated temple. Background: Most Heivân~Barâdar do not choose this path from the beginning. In fact most of them were true Paladins to begin with, but fell from grace and chose to become Heivân~Barâdar to continue doing things in the name of their faith. Other times potential Heivân~Barâdar were originally clerics, but at some point realized that preaching to the masses was not enough, nor did they have the strength to battle every enemy of their faith. This feeling of helplessness fueled the burning embers of rage in their souls, feeding the fires of their faith until they found themselves on the path of the Heivân~Barâdar. Races: Half-races, with their mixed heritage and often bigoted upbringing are the most common Heivân~Barâdar, due to their desire to prove they are equal to, if not better, than their parent races. Humans are the next most common race that takes this prestige class, to better serve their respective gods, as well as gnomes. Halfling Heivân~Barâdar are rare, since it is harder for them to find the fiery pious rage within themselves, but those that do though are truly terrible in the grip of that rage. Dwarves, with their strong lawful nature, have been known to make some of the most powerful Heivân~Barâdar in history after they have fallen from grace. Other Classes: Heivân~Barâdar get along wonderfully well with barbarians, who share similar abilities. Heivân~Barâdar have no real problems with bards, fighters, druids, rogues, or rangers. Heivân~Barâdar are also fond of clerics, though those that worship an opposed god often find themselves at odds with the Heivân~Barâdar. Paladins are viewed as too stuffy and hindered, but since most Heivân~Barâdar come from the ranks of paladins there is no real animosity. Role: The Heivân~Barâdar is primarily a front line warrior with some nifty spell casting. They make fine secondary healers and superb heavy melee fighters. Game Rule Information: Heivân~Barâdar has the following game stats. Abilities: Charisma is one of the most important abilities for the Heivân~Barâdar. It enhances their, self-protective capabilities, and turn/rebuke undead ability. Strength is also very important for its role in combat. A wisdom of 14 or higher is needed to cast the most powerful of Heivân~Barâdar spells, and a score of 11 higher is required to cast any spells at all. Hit Die:d10 Requirements To qualify to become a Heivân~Barâdar, a character must fulfill all the following criteria: Alignment:Any Chaotic Base Attack Bonus: +6 Skills:Knowledge (Religion) 8 Ranks Feats: Alertness, Power Attack, and Cleave Spells: Character must be able to cast, or had and lost the ability to cast, Detect Good/Evil as either a divine spell or spell like ability. Special: Potential Heivân~Barâdar must go through a terrible alignment changing experience if they were paladins. This experience is what drives them over the edge, into the realms of chaos and forcing them to lose their paladin abilities. Class skills The Heivân~Barâdar ‘s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Local) (int), Knowledge (Religion) (int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Heivân~Barâdar Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura of Chaos, Rage 1/Day 2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Chaos Blessing, Turn/Rebuke Undead 3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Aura of Unpredictability 4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Raging Smite 1/Day 5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Fast Movement, Rage 2/Day 6 +6 +5 +2 +2 7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Raging Smite 2/Day 8 +8 +6 +2 +2 9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Greater Rage 10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Raging Smite 3/Day, Rage 3/Day Heivân~Barâdar Spell Progression ------Spells Per Day------- Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1 - - - - 2 - - - - 3 0 - - - 4 0 - - - 5 1 - - - 6 1 0 - - 7 1 0 - - 8 2 1 0 - 9 2 1 0 - 10 2 1 1 0 Class features All of the following are class features of Heivân~Barâdar prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Heivân~Barâdar are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient with light and medium armors, and with all shields. Aura of Chaos(Ex): The power of a Heivân~Barâdars aura of chaos (see Detect Chaos spell) is equal to his/her Heivân~Barâdar level. Rage (Ex): A Heivân~Barâdar can fly into a rage, just as a barbarian, a certain number of times per day. In a rage, a Heivân~Barâdar temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he/she takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the Heivân~Barâdar’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his/her Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are). While raging, a Heivân~Barâdar cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he/she cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He/She can use any feat he/she has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A Heivân~Barâdar may prematurely end his or hers rage. At the end of the rage, the Heivân~Barâdar loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter. A Heivân~Barâdar can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he or she can use the rage ability once per day. At 2nd level and finally again at 10th level, to a mximum of 3 times per day at 10th level. Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a Heivân~Barâdar can do it only during his or hers action, not in response to someone else’s action. Chaos Blessing (Su): A Heivân~Barâdar of 2nd level and higher has the ability to roll a 1d6 and add the results as a divine bonus to all saving throw rolls. Turn/Rebuke Undead (Su): Beginning at 2nd level a Heivân~Barâdar gains the supernatural ability to turn or rebuke undead. Neutral aligned Heivân~Barâdar must decide when they gain this ability whether they will turn or rebuke undead, and once made that choice can never be changed. They may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + Charisma modifier. They turn/rebuke undead as a cleric of 2 levels lower. Spells: A Heivân~Barâdar has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a Heivân~Barâdar spell, a Heivân~Barâdar must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a Heivân~Barâdar with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Heivân~Barâdar bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the Heivân~Barâdar’s Wisdom modifier. When the Heivân~Barâdar gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. The Heivân~Barâdar’s spell list appears below. A Heivân~Barâdar has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare, just as a cleric. A Heivân~Barâdar prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though a Heivân~Barâdar cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells). Aura of Unpredictability (Su): A Heivân~Barâdar of 3rd level and higher gains Spell Resistance equal to 8 + Heivân~Barâdar level + Wisdon modifier. Raging Smite (Su): At 4th level, a Heivân~Barâdar gains the devastatin smite attack 1/day while raging. Unlike the smite attack of other class’, a Heivân~Barâdar can use it against any enemy. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. At 7th level, and again at 10th level, a Heivân~Barâdar may smite one additional time per day. Fast Movement: A Heivân~Barâdar of 5th level gets a base speed increase of 10 feet while raging. This bonus goes up to 20 feet at 10th level. Greater Rage (Ex): At 9th level, a Heivân~Barâdar’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at -2. Heivân~Barâdar Spells 1st: Cure Minor Wounds, Divine Favor, Magic Weapon, Protection from Law, Read Magic. 2nd: Bears Endurance, Blur, Cure Light Wounds, Magic Vestment, Mount, Resist Energy, Spiritual Weapon. 3rd: Cure Moderate Wounds, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Law, Greater Magic Weapon, Protection From Energy. 4th: Cure Serious Wounds, Displacement, Freedom Of Movement. Fallen Paladins Heivân~Barâdars who have levels in the paladin class (that is to say, are now ex-paladins) gain extra abilities the more levels of paladin they have. A fallen paladin who becomes a Heivân~Barâdar gains all of the following abilities that apply, according to the number of paladin levels the character has. These abilities do not stack with any fallen paladin abilities gained from another class (IE: Black Guard). 1-2 Raging Smite 1/Day (This is in addition to the ability granted to all Heivân~Barâdars at 4th level). 3-4 Lay on hands, Once per day, the Heivân~Barâdar can use this supernatural ability to cure himself or his allies of damage equal to his Charisma bonus × his level. Rage 1/Day, this is in addition to his regular rage uses. 5-6 Rage 1 additional time per day, Raging Smite 2/day. 7-8 Repulsion as a spell-like ability usable 1/Day, CL equal to Character Level. 9-10 Tireless Rage, Smite good 3/day, Rage 2/Day. 11 or more A fallen paladin of this stature immediately gains a Heivân~Barâdar level for each level of paladin he trades in. The character level of the character does not change. With the loss of paladin levels, the character no longer gains as many extra abilities for being a fallen paladin. |
| dragonoverlord11-20-07, 04:40 PM | Moving on though, how common would casters that are able to cast higher than fifth level spells in your region (now or in the recent past) and if they were commonish, then why haven't they conquered the world? A few hundred casters here and there shouldn't be a problem, but the ability to field large numbers of high level casters could be somewhat problematic. casters that are able to cast higher than fifth level spells are currently uncommon in the region as a whole , but not rare. however, they generally come in small concentrations. thus, at the level of individual settlements/ areas, they are are, with only a small number in a given area. most of these casters are in the employ of a goverment or are the goverment , for a particular nation. they were very common in the recent past, during the times of the wars,but were mostly not before the wars began a that point in the past, they were rare, and only in a few areas could large concentrations of them be found. their main area of concentration was in the most powerful countries' armies, but even in them they were not common, making up the elite units of the military. during the war, necessity and experience caused many casters to become more powerful, even epic-level in some cases. most of the higher level casters died in various battles, and the main effect of their former prevalence is a variety of martial oriented magic items of great power. also, those that are cautious,mostly training others, leading and keeping watch over other powerful casters I've no idea what the overall consensus is on the presence of epic magic and things of that nature. For myself I tend to avoid it but that is a matter of personal preference. my ideas about epic magic mostly involve the presence of a few powerful items and a very small number of powerful individuals, who are in overt or covert leadership positions, and very rarely use their full power. Also, you said that the people are afraid that 'expansive' magic could lead to further problems with the rift and all of that. Might that actually be true? In short, if Wizard FitzWizard (a tenth level wizard) casts some area of effect spell, might there not be actual consequences (such as increased nastiness from the rift and so on)? yes, this does have some basis in reality. there can be bad consequences of doing this, but they vary depending on location, and i have not figured out exactly what they all are yet. near the hole it can cause cracks to form, with the same properties as the hole, that lead from the current location to the hole. and in certain areas that experienced a lot of magic use in battle, especially epic magic use, they can cause the creation of miniature , temporary versions of the hole What was the reason that the plane of shadow was previously unaccessible? the connection to this region was sealed in the distant past to cut of the power of the Shadow Stones. Why did this ominous power select your particular region as opposed to some other (other than the obvious world-external answer of 'It was my idea')? Is there some resource in your region that is either rare or non-existent elsewhere? it selected my region because the only gateway to its original home existed inside the earth in the area. this gateway is a permanent door connecting to his home plane that was sealed a very long time ago. it is located in the area destroyed in the creation of the hole, and the Enemy, and most everyone else, thought that it was destroyed at that time. however, in reality the nature of the gateway prevented its destruction, only the seal was destroyed. the place a being goes after falling far enough into the hole is the "lock" of the Enemy's home. if a being in it overcome their fears completely, they are faced with a choice of two doors, one that leads to wherever they think of as home, and the other which leads into the enemy's home. they are not labeled. if the Enemy ever realized that truth about this, he would return to enter his original home. this would be very bad because in it there are his original armies, which he would then unleash on all existence. lastly, no who enters the Enemy's home can leave until the Enemy returns. How strong is the nationalism and are there any movements to united nations that supposedly are of the same (or similar) 'nationality'. I'm seeing some vague parallels to the situation within the German lands during the 15th through the early 19th century with all the little principalities and the like. there are some situations like this. a good example is in helcarion. some of the smaller states still identify themselves with the old nation, and wish to join up with the main remnant, but are unable to do this because of other nations between them and it and similar factors. the main remnant of the old nation veiws all other nations in helcarion as either rebellious citizens, or vassals waiting for incorporation. there are similar movements in various other places, which can all be grouped the broad categories of nations that consider themselves to share enough commonalties to be consider one nationalty, or one nation believing that other are rightfully possessions of their and want to incorporate them. So the economies remain primarily physical. What sort of resources are found in your region, and what are they likely to need? I know my people can offer the finest glasswork, time keeping devices, alchemical goods, inks, paper, and all manner of finished goods, and are always interesting in new and interesting resources. the resources found in my region are many metals, many of them unique with specific martial applications, manufacture of military goods, a few other unique things for certian nations. an example special metal is stollordium, which, if forge in a specific way, can create Armour that is very light weight, gives more protection than average heavy Armour, and which even protects against touch attacks. this is very valuable, common as Armour for special units of various local armies, and uncommon as a trading item. the products, other than food that are most commonly traded for are non-military finished goods, artwork / sculptures, and inks/paper. these are all things that are very rarely produced locally. Speaking of maps, I've done a very loose terrain and climate map of your region and I would like your input on it. i like the locations of the land masses and islands, and the mountains. could you provide a key so i know what the various different colors mean? -- hear are my first nation write-ups: Helcaronii Remnant official name: grand republic of helcarion goverment type:oligarchy main goverment body: grand council of rulers area: population:1,975,000 demographics: helcarion elves 48%, humans 20%,frost dwarves 12%, orcs 5%, other 5% capital: Primi Helcaras (479,800) religion: New Helacaronii pantheon is the state religon, worship of the Old gods is tolerated, but not encouraged, any other religon is discouraged the remains of the nation that once controlled almost all of Helcarion, they now control only a fraction of their former territories, and much of that because the people of the area want to stay in the old system, and maintain connections to the capital,but are still the largest country in the land. they have maintained as much of the old society as possible, with minor changes like the admittance of humans into the ruling class. they have the most of the good farmland in helcarion , but is still in bad shape. thus , they have to import food, but this is relatively easy since they also control 1/2 of the good mines in helcarion, including 3/4 of the stollordium mines. thus, they have created a relatively stable econmoy, one of the few nations with a functioning monetary system, and have made significant repairs to infrastructure, like roads. also,while their regular miltary is unable to exert any meaningful force, they have found other ways of exerting influence, mainly invovling economic pressures and special military forces. major organizations: -grand council of rulers: main goverment body of the nation. it consists of one representative of each family that makes up the ruling class and one representative for each department of the church. it makes all laws, and enforces them. all members have an equal vote, there is no head. the council supervises the departmental councils, which are the bodies that run each department, or section of the nation. the departmental councils supervise various other governmental agencies. the grand council also supervises the national police force and the miltary, and works hand in hand with the church. -order of the black ice the organization that controls all special military forces. they are now the main means by which the nation strikes against enemies, internal and external. they conduct spying, assassination, secret police, commando/special forces type missions. some of their missions are secret, some are public.they report directly to the grand council, who are the only poeple who know about the details of all their operations and the identity of their commander. the commander is know as felnir's hand, felnir being the order's patron demi-god. she is the former patron god of the order, who escaped complete destruction by making a mortal form for herself, a contingency plan she had created a long time ago. she has kept her indentity secret from all except the grand council, the leaders of the order, and felnir. also, when she was a god , she was thoguht of as being male, she made her mortal form a female to help conceal her indentity. she is one the most powerful beings in the region, but is very cautious about reveling her power. she is very loyal to the nation, and will do whatever she thinks is best for them. she follows the grand council orders except when they contradict her belief of the welfare of the nation. she can be cold, calculating, and ruthless, but also honorable, fair, and concerned about the welfare of the poeple of helcarion. she , however, is very ruthless and merciless when dealing with rebel forces, or foreigners. stats: ( LE female helcarion elf rogue 15/sorcerer 5/ assassin 10/ unseen seer 5) -- that is all for now, i will have more nations and religions, information on the helcaronii church, and on their society and culture soon. |
| DonThelonious11-21-07, 01:48 AM | D_S: Would it be possible to get an updated version of the world map to post on the front page of the wiki? Eue has his/her/its(:P) regional information up now but is not present on the front page or represented on the big map. If you are working on this and I am blowing smoke at you please disregard this message. |
| Darth Syntax11-21-07, 02:28 AM | Working on an updated world map even as we speak. I'm not sure when it will be done as I've a banquet meal to prepare (which has been eating up my time) but we shall see what can be done. -- Speaking of maps, I've a slightly updated version of dragonoverlord's map for comment and correction. This time I have included a rudimentary key. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2179/2051365615_e780dcec1d_b.jpg -- Eue, as I was looking over your map so that it could be incorporated into the overall world map, I ran across a bit of a climatological puzzler. On your more northerly landmass you have a large area of what I assume (due to the color) is Mediterranean climate, however, this island is rather equatorial and Mediterranean climate zones only occur in more poleward zones. Sorry I didn't spot this earlier, I guess the fact that you have it on the western coast (where such climates do occur) made me overlook the latitude. |
| eue11-21-07, 04:36 AM | Eue, as I was looking over your map so that it could be incorporated into the overall world map, I ran across a bit of a climatological puzzler. On your more northerly landmass you have a large area of what I assume (due to the color) is Mediterranean climate, however, this island is rather equatorial and Mediterranean climate zones only occur in more poleward zones. Well, I don't know much (I should have said anything at all...) about climates, so I tried to figure some things out of the maps you had made. If you say I am wrong, then I probably am. I can't fix that as of right now, because I'm not using my computer and there's no Photoshop, by as soon as I get home I'll fix that. I'll change it to tropical... No problem with that -- SC, you mentioned you were short on quotes for the Inquisition? Take whatever you wish from this letter from one of the elan ambassators in the Caelen region (pick a location yourself...) to the Council of Cullers, giving his own personal opinion on the Inquisition. The letter was sent together with a formal and devoid of personal feelings report on the Inquisition, numbered Cael-142. In my personal opinion, the Inquisition is a megalomaniacal, power-hungry institution, seeking dominion over the world's ideals. I would not be surprised if the higher ranks of this Inquisition were revealed to be actually filled by false faithful, basking in the power the seat gives them. They are much feared around these parts, and trust in the others has become a relative thing. One never knows when an Inquisitor is around, so people tend to avoid interacting with strangers and foreigners. This has difficulted my task much, as you can deduce from accompanying Official Report Cael-142. From what I've learned, I would gladly see the Inquisition and the Caelen Church erradicated from this world. As a final note, I would ask my relocation, since I am not at all comfortable with this Inquisition and I fear for my own life. From your Brother, Huer Neiq Hope that helps... I think this Huer Neiq is a very unusual (to say the least) elan specimen, specially when he says "see the Inquisition and the Caelen Church erradicated". He is being very, very partial and emotive, even on a personal opinion. That's not usual on elans. Not that they don't have personal opinions, just that they tend to be less partial or emotive on those. And I honestly believe he will be burned in the stake for those words if the letter falls in the wrong hands (I never said the letter ever reached by the Council of Cullers...:evillaugh) I've been thinking... Would the Ordo Barbarus easily allow the official establishment of such an embassy? The elans are quite "selfish" on this aspect. They like to establish themselves into other territories and cultures, but Izxhe is totally closed to other races (no spies from the Ordo Barbarus :D...). This helps keep the already strong racial cohesion that is native to elans due to their method of "reproduction". -- D_S, you've mentioned neogi before... Are your neogi straight from the book, those furry-world-travelling-spiderlike-dudes, or are they something else? If they travel between worlds in their ships, like the ones in Lords of Madness they might get a lot of "attention" from my elans seeking to follow the steps of the Great Father. And by the way, how thick are planar boundaries? How easy is planar travel, I mean? Since the Great Race is so hardly seeking to follow Karhiz, I was hoping it would be a fairly difficult task, but then I can always adapt that idea to thinner planar boundaries by making it so that Karhiz's destination is not known and they're trying to discover that instead of planar travel. Or maybe he left for an alternate material plane and that is really hard to achieve, contrary to regular planar travel. I think something like the Eberron cosmology, with planes moving closer or farther, "opening" and "closing" planar paths... One might need to step through the Para-elemetal Plane of Nachos to arrive at the Elemental Plane of Dairy which is currently (or at all times) unreachable from Dwenty but close enough to Nachos that you can reach it from there. I am leaning towards the alternate material planes idea. I think it fits best. -- I've been carving out a timeline of my region, based on what can be read on The History of the Great Race, but it is still unfinished (specially what concerns the nations of Jari)... Here's what I've got so far: Aproximately -1250 GF Karhiz arrives at Dwenty from his homeworld. Aproximately -130 GF Karhiz meets Illyss. 1 GF Karhiz leaves Dwenty. 724 GF The Great Race meets the aventi that live in the seas around Izxhe. Peaceful relations are established. 847 GF The Great Race establishes the first embassy on the aventi capital, Imea. 903 GF Several embassies are established on the various nations of Jari and the Chain. 984 GF A deadly plague strikes the aventi. The elans study and find a cure to this plague, saving the aventi from extinction. 1387 GF The Great Race establishes an embassy at Pzira, a coastal city in the Alma Krafh. 1388 GF The elan embassy at Pzira is destroyed by Niea worshipers. The unfaithful are not allowed in the homeland. 1401 GF After years of negotiation with the kra, the elans establish a second embassy on the Alma Krafh, in exchange for the mind relay technology. The Alma Krafh strikes a bargain with the mind flayers and creates the Pareh Mak, the island-prison. 1404 GF The kra dies and his son razes the new elan embassy on the Alma Krafh. The elans give up establishing official embassies on the krafh, but they continue to study their culture unofficially. <blank> 2145 GF First edition of The History of the Great Race. <blank> 3725 GF Civil war breaks out in the Alma Krafh. 3731 GF The Pareh Tuz is signed, breaking the Alma Krafh into three sovereign nations: the Udalm'krafh, the Alma Trid, and Ahz'Alm. 3742 GF The elans establish embassies in the Alma Trid and the Ahz'Alm. The Udalm'krafh refuses to abandon "the old ways", and thus the elans deter themselves from negotiating an embassy there. 4010 GF Adur translates the Udalm'tera. 4011 GF The Udalm'krafh begins the Great Crusade Against the Soulless. The aventi help out the Great Race by sinking the krafh ships. The First War of the Great Race lasts for a single month. 4079 GF The Udalm'krafh invades the Alma Trid and begins the Second Wars of Alm. 4080 GF The Udalm'krafh stage several attacks on Ahz'Alm territory, posing as soldiers of the Alma Trid, bringing the Free Alm into the conflict. 4081 GF (present day) The Alma Trid military superiority begins to falter under the stress of maintaining two separate battle fronts. 4081 GF (future) Civil war breaks out on the Alma Trid. The nation is torn apart. The Udalm'krafh and Ahz'Alm support opposing factions in the Alma Trid civil wars, eventually leading to all-out war between the Sacred Krafh and the Free Alm. I'll "fill in the blanks" later, but for now... -- ...something about religion on the Holy Kingdom of Aruna. In the beginning there was nothing but Order. The world was the same thing all over. But then, Chaos surged. And the world was changed. It stopped being made of the same thing. I was made of many things. It was made of water, earth, and air. And among that maelstrom of water, earth, and air, there was life. There was a living entity, Order. But Chaos surged through Order as well, and the result was many new lives. There were all sorts of living entities. But these were not like Order, or Chaos. These had a physical presence in the world. They were made of the same things the world was: water, earth, and air. But they were also made of life. These lives were spread across the world, and they are known as animals and plants. But there were other lives among these. There were some lives more lively than the animals and plants. There were lives with sentience. There were huzet, there were lutit. There were many more kinds of these. But these lives were infused with Chaos, and they were fragile. They were not eternal, they were not all-knowing, they were not all-powerful. And some of these lives ceased to exist. Their bodies of water, earth, and air continued to exist, merging with the world, but the life in them was gone. But, as Order and Chaos battled, new lives came to be. And these lives were not like the first. These lives could create more lives. These were women. Eventually as Order and Chaos continued to battle, other lives came to be. Some of these new lives were not as orderly as the other. Some of these new lives were wretched and wicked. And, as the battle went on, new and different lives came to be. Until it finally came to an end. And it was not only the end of the battle, but the end of both Order and Chaos. As they battled and created life, they wore each other out, until nothing was left of both. I admit I was quite tempted to write nachos after "water, earth, and air"... "Water, Earth, Air, and Nachos". Definitely, a good approach to quantum physics... So, moving on to the serious business. On Aruna, religion is [EDIT: NOT!!!] officially associated with the state, but most of the Arunai believe in the story of Order and Chaos, and how life came to be. To them, women are all that remains of the original Order and Chaos. They have the power to create new lives, so they must be given at least some reverence. -- I've been thinking, why the elans do not use their mind relays they've given to the Alma Krafh on their own island? Well, they want to have their privacy, you know, without the fear that someone might skimming through your mind. Each elan wants to be an individual and autonomous mind, not a single hive mind. -- Some examples of elan technology A "recording" device that writes what you speak: These can be used in multiples to create multiple copies. I think it is highly useful, specially for scholars and the like. I think I will call these voicepens. And spies can also make good use of these...:plotting The mind relays of Pareh Mak: Maybe the elans copied them from Gabon or Gabon copied them from the elans, or both developed a similar technology separately. A truth device: Not entirey reliable. Various minor telepathic devices I will come up with some more in the future. -- That's all for now... |
| DonThelonious11-21-07, 04:41 AM | Gotta love the Para-Elemental Plane of Nachoes:D. Eue, I was reading through your religious text and it occured to me that you didn't have fire. Yet when you referance to the mix of the elements you clearly state that Order was an element, as was Chaos. Is it safe to assume then that for your region Order and Chaos are both composed of fire? -- Is it just me, or does dragonoverlords map look like a giant snake head spitting something? I like it, but I imagine the cartographers of various other regions will have some pretty interesting names for that:P. -- I still can't come up with anything I really like for the other Welkin Tribes of my region, so I have decided to throw a little wildlife on one of the moons:D. I just got my hands on a copy of Lords Of Madness: The Book Of Abberations, and I would like to get everyones opinions about placing Tsochar on one of the moons? Without breaking the CoC (I have already been warned twice:() the best I can say is that they areparasite type aliens that dominate and use pepole for hosts so that they can gather any and all arcane magics. They seem like a nice "Freaky Martian" creature. As for how they get to the surface of the planet, I figured the elves of my region built gates to their world millenia ago and since then the Tsochar have built their own gates in various places. This may also work for dragonoverlods evil entity, since his region incorporates so much high calibre arcane magics, and his entity wants to "go home" to gather his troops. -- Also I think that I will be using Aboleths as well as Chimpman, only they are going to be the great enemy that the Kapoacinth of my region have run away from... Or escaped... Ex-Slaves maybe... hmmm... |
| SovietCanuck11-21-07, 06:39 AM | So here is the savage paladin as promised. Soviet: Any chance you could help me divise a more fitting Cael type prayer? Well...I don't know what those judges are on, because the Heivân~Barâdar are made of win and face smashings (or would that be face smitings? Prolly both:P ) The prayer is good...I wouldn't use it because I hate rhyming prayers, but it works:D And since "Theros"'s teaching are interpreted a little more benevolently than in Caelea, you won't get "It is better to die for the Emperor than to live for yourself", and all that jazz. However, you want a good start for some Caelean Prayer? Try here...and Hallowed are the Ori (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ori_%28Stargate%29#Religion_.28.22Origin .22.29):devil: SC, you mentioned you were short on quotes for the Inquisition? Take whatever you wish from this letter from one of the elan ambassators in the Caelen region (pick a location yourself...) to the Council of Cullers, giving his own personal opinion on the Inquisition. The letter was sent together with a formal and devoid of personal feelings report on the Inquisition, numbered Cael-142. In my personal opinion, the Inquisition is a megalomaniacal, power-hungry institution, seeking dominion over the world's ideals. I would not be surprised if the higher ranks of this Inquisition were revealed to be actually filled by false faithful, basking in the power the seat gives them. They are much feared around these parts, and trust in the others has become a relative thing. One never knows when an Inquisitor is around, so people tend to avoid interacting with strangers and foreigners. This has difficulted my task much, as you can deduce from accompanying Official Report Cael-142. From what I've learned, I would gladly see the Inquisition and the Caelen Church erradicated from this world. As a final note, I would ask my relocation, since I am not at all comfortable with this Inquisition and I fear for my own life. From your Brother, Huer Neiq Hope that helps... I think this Huer Neiq is a very unusual (to say the least) elan specimen, specially when he says "see the Inquisition and the Caelen Church erradicated". He is being very, very partial and emotive, even on a personal opinion. That's not usual on elans. Not that they don't have personal opinions, just that they tend to be less partial or emotive on those. And I honestly believe he will be burned in the stake for those words if the letter falls in the wrong hands (I never said the letter ever reached by the Council of Cullers...:evillaugh) Nice! Thankee. And for the last part, I was thinking just that as I read through the letter. "Las missive from Abasador Huer Neiq before passing away in a tragic boating accident on the Toren river.":plotting: I've been thinking... Would the Ordo Barbarus easily allow the official establishment of such an embassy? Ordo Barbarus might not like it, but they are only one part of the equation. The Missionaries would fully support an embassy, as would the merchant lords, whose power as a collective whole rivals the church, and the various scientists, researchers, academics et al. So embassies are present, even common, in Caelea. The elans are quite "selfish" on this aspect. They like to establish themselves into other territories and cultures, but Izxhe is totally closed to other races (no spies from the Ordo Barbarus :D...). This helps keep the already strong racial cohesion that is native to elans due to their method of "reproduction". Ahh yes, but you see that sailer over there from Orothos? The one on the ship that's pulled in for brisk trading before heading to the colonies? The one who speaks Lókoiros perfectly, without even the hint of an accent? The one who if you ask anybody on the ship, they'll tell you he's a swell guy, born in Gaena? Been on the ship for four yeas now? Yeah...he's Portoran. And an Inquisitor. :D I admit I was quite tempted to write nachos after "water, earth, and air"... "Water, Earth, Air, and Nachos". Definitely, a good approach to quantum physics... And lo, he did cast his gaze upon the sparkling waters, and on the teaming earth, and on the graceful winds, and on the zesty nachos, and he did see that it was good. Without breaking the CoC (I have already been warned twice:() the best I can say is that they areparasite type aliens that dominate and use pepole for hosts so that they can gather any and all arcane magics. They seem like a nice "Freaky Martian" creature. As for how they get to the surface of the planet, I figured the elves of my region built gates to their world millenia ago and since then the Tsochar have built their own gates in various places. This may also work for dragonoverlods evil entity, since his region incorporates so much high calibre arcane magics, and his entity wants to "go home" to gather his troops. ... :twitch: ... I fully support this idea ... KNEEL BEFORE YOUR GOD!!! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophis_%28Stargate%29) ... That is all |
| Alexeduardo11-21-07, 02:41 PM | If you do not maintain your region by regularly checking in (at least once every 30 days) or you post very little and then leave for an extended period time (over 30 days as well) your region will be considered forfeit and will go back into the open region pool. so that means my region is no longer official? |
| Darth Syntax11-22-07, 02:04 AM | Well, I don't know much (I should have said anything at all...) about climates, so I tried to figure some things out of the maps you had made. If you say I am wrong, then I probably am. I can't fix that as of right now, because I'm not using my computer and there's no Photoshop, by as soon as I get home I'll fix that. I'll change it to tropical... No problem with that If you want to have a mediterranian climate, the far southwest of the island of Jari might be possible spot. If there is anything else I can help out with on the cartographic front, let me know. D_S, you've mentioned neogi before... Are your neogi straight from the book, those furry-world-travelling-spiderlike-dudes, or are they something else? If they travel between worlds in their ships, like the ones in Lords of Madness they might get a lot of "attention" from my elans seeking to follow the steps of the Great Father. The neogi of Ilaros are somewhat different than the standard although they remain a bunch of greedy deceitful schemers. Their mode of travel is mainly planar in character and they are often in competition with the mercane and other planar merchants. However, most of the neogi upon Ilaros are far more 'sedentary', having gone native and insinuated themselves into the local cultures like some invasive, but not fatal, fungus. Originally, the Ilaroi negoi were a colony of the larger neogi trading empire (empire is used loosely here as it is more of an informal and vicious consortium of pirates, merchants, and the like) set up to act as points of contact with the lucrative markets of the major powers of the region. After several centuries, these neogi have become a kind of resident black market as well as playing an increasingly important role in the financial and mercantile business of the Merchant Consortia and Colonial Companies (such as The Society of the Indefatigable Ibis). They are decidedly less violent than neogi are traditionally depicted as, preferring to dominate through blackmail, bribes, and various forms of mind control (including setting up situations similar to the causes of the Opium Wars). They still keep slaves, even in societies which theoretically no longer make use of slaves. Usually this involves either buying up people's debt (debt slavery being generally legal) or through other, more devious methods. I've not worked them out completely yet, but information will eventually be forthcoming. -- For the next few days I'm going to be less able to work on the project as I have company from out of town, but I shall post when I can. |
| DonThelonious11-22-07, 10:40 AM | :turkey: Happy Thanksgiving guys!!!:turkey: Thank you for joining in here and helping me to create a fascinating and fun piece of a larger whole. You guys are some of the best I have met, and I am thankful I met you all and have had this wonderful opportunity to create something truly special and unique with you. :turkey: :dragon: :turkey: |
| DonThelonious11-22-07, 04:43 PM | This is the newest incarnation of the Theralosian tribe. I have edited in some new information and filled out their legal and political systems a bit. Theralosian TribeLesser Theronian Tribe Government Type: Direct Intervention and Sacred Triad Ruling Welkin: Theralos (aka: Cael) Current Leaders: Bobak al~Asef (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)8/Fighter2) Darab al~Faraj (LG Male Orc Diviner (Sorcerer)10) Farbod Ebi Daryush (LN Male Kobold Cleric of Theros10) Population: 19,500 Economic Type: Trade/Barter Currency: Shisheh(Turquoise coated in yellow glass) Species Demographics: 60% Orc, 30% Kobold, 8% Human, and 2% Other Capitol: Theralos Vale Beast Totem: Pachyrhinosaurus War Beasts: Pachyrinosaurus, Gasosaurus Nominal Alignment: Lawful Good The Theralosian Tribe is an offshoot of the Theronian Tribe located on the southwest Island of the Fallenstar region. It consists mainly of orcs, though a small population of kobolds also hails from this tribe. Originally the orcs were nothing more than squabbling clans of violent savages, until Theralos (actually Cael posing as the orcish son of the greater Welkin Theron) came to the lands around 500 AF and took them into his care. He brought order to the chaotic clans and organized them into one united tribe under the Khoob Qânoon Barâye~Solh, better known as the Great Law of Peace. Cael, in the form of Theralos brought the two great prophet chiefs of the originally warring orcish clans, Bobak al~Asef and Darab al~Faraj, together and made them join together in a ritual blood-oath. The two chiefs were originally reluctant but after using their divination magics saw the truth in Theralos’ call for brotherhood. Since then two of the Sacred Triads positions have been filled by orc Diviners, who serve for life and are chosen by Theralos himself. Upon being chosen these orcs give up their given names and previous clan affiliations, taking on the names of the two original Diviners who made the oath and claiming all clans yet none. According to the legends, the evil kobolds that also lived in the area of Theralos Vale were eventually won over to the side of good by Theralos when he approached their chieftan, Farbod Ebi Daryush, who lay dying from an arrow wound that had become badly infected with Demon Fever. When asked by Theralos if he would convert to the side of good if one good act could save his life, the proud chieftain gasped with his final breath that he would. Theralos then summoned his power and restored the dead kobold to life. Not all the kobold liked this new system and though most followed their leader and converted; a few rebelled and attempted to over throw the followers of Farbod Ebi Daryush. There was a very short, very bloody civil war but with the help of his new larger and more powerful allies Farbod Ebi Daryush was able to squash the rebellion quickly. After the last dissident was brought to heel from that day forward the kobolds gave up their treacherous and evil ways, embracing Theralos and his teachings whole heartedly. The final seat of the Sacred Triad was then filled by Farbod Ebi Daryush, who had converted and become the first Cleric of Theralos, and the name and seat have been held by his devout kobold followers ever since. For the last several centuries the Theralosian tribe has prospered, with small farming villages dotting the plains and forests of their realm within greater Theron. They grow crops of grain and squash, and raise herds of Bestalimnos they received when the Theronian tribe and the Paisanguen joined in the Great Alliance against the vile Dragon Welkin. They supplement their diet with Brachiosaurs that are hunted once a year in a great ceremony, the meat of which is dried. One brachiosaur can easily feed and entire village for the better part of a year. Theralosians villages are set up very defensively, with high wooden stockades backed by earthen ramps. The villages are set up in a circular layout, with the main eating and meeting hall the center of the village. The huts of the various tribe members and their extended families are spread out around this central hall. All trade is conducted in the central meeting hall, usually over food and mead, as it is considered rude to do business anywhere else. The trade system of the Theralosians is quite unique, for they employ the use of the Shisheh a piece of small, coin sized turquoise that is then coated in dark yellow glass so that the turquoise takes on a greenish color. Each clan within the tribe has its own unique cut for the turquoise: Sang Mardom shisheh have the appearance of a Pachyrhinosaurus foot print imbedded into it, the Mardom et~Derkaht use highly polished spheres that also make excellent sling bullets, and finally the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom use the three point tree of life, holy symbol of Theralos, for their mark. The easiest way to figure the value of a shisheh is to compare it to the price of a bestalimnos, which can only be bought from the Theralosians by use of the shisheh, at an average rate of 5 shisheh=1 bestalimnos. Theralosians are master glass makers. They are able create many types of specialized glass that rivals even the great glassworks of Ilaros. Not long after the arrival of Theralos and the banding together of the three clans, a clever kobold began combining his ability to make glass with the new magic brought by Cael/Theralos, and shortly after struck upon the super hardened green glass now known as Quirin. This glass had amazing properties, not the least of which was its amazing strength and resilience. Weapons and armor crafted from quirin glass were much stronger than the bone or even stonbe weapons of the other tribes, and after the arrival of colonists it was learned that quirin glass was as strong as the steel the foreigners brought with them. Not only was its durability amazing, quirin glass was also much lighter than most other substances (with bone being the lightest known), so armors made from it are treated as one size category smaller and all weapons and armor weigh just 1/3 of that of their metal counterparts. Quirin glass is a special material used in the construction of weapons and armors, and takes the place of all the metal normally used. It has amazing strength and durability, and is usable by druids. All weapons and armors made of quirin glass weigh 1/3 normal and are always masterwork. One of the most useful properties of quirin glass comes out when it is used to make bladed weapons. These weapons have their threat range increases by 1 point. So if it was originally a 20/x2 it is now a 19-20/x2, if the weapon was an 18-20/x2 it is now a 17-20/x2. Ethics and Beliefs: For the Theralosian people life is a constant struggle between the noble forces of good and the dire forces of evil. “No rest for the wicked!” is an often heard battle cry from the orcish Heivân~Barâdar atop their Pachyrhinosaurus mounts. “For Theralos the Lifegiver!” is the oft heard call of the dedicated kobolds from atop their ferocious Gasosaurus steeds. Thanks to the teachings of Cael, through his alter ego Theralos, a new type of dedicated holy warrior was developed to help combat chaotic forces of evil, the Heivân~Barâdar or Savage Paladin. Combining traits from both the raging barbarian and the steadfast paladin, these holy warriors are unfaltering in their duty of protecting the innocent from the ravages of evil. Theralos has also taught his people to appreciate the spirits of nature, since these spirits could be their ancestors reincarnated due to some sin. Theralos has taught his people that every spirit is the reincarnation of a previous spirit, and that every time you come back you are given the body that best suits your actions in your previous life. The only way to improve your spiritual station is to live life as you are meant to such as a tree growing to get to the sun, or the bestalimnos grazing, mating, and providing meat for the villages, or the stone that must be worked from the ground so that it may be ground up and used to make quirin glass. The highest spiritual station one could hope to achieve is that of the mountain, since mountains life and die over periods of time inconceivable for the average Theralosian. Cael/Theralos has taught his people that these spirits are always surrounding them, and to disrespect them is to ask to be reincarnated as something lower on the ladder.. According to Theralos’ teachings the Earth Mother and all her children, even those that are evil, must be shown the greatest of respect. Every creature that is killed, every tree that is felled and every stone that is used or mined must be given thanks for being a part of the great cycle of life. Failure to do so is a sin of the highest caliber, and is punishable by banishment from the tribe. The Theralosian mindset when it comes to evil is that intent is equivalent to having done the deed. The ends never justify the means. They have a very strict view on what is accepted good behavior such as being courteous to ones neighbors and allies, never taking more than you need, never breaking a promise, placing the life of an innocent before your own, and above all to not lie. Those that do these kinds of things are regarded as something less than Theralosian, something akin to the bestalimnos, making you fair game to become a slave to the person you commited the offense against. Those that fail to pay their debt to those they have offended are often ostracized and never allowed to set foot within the Theralosian territory on pain of death. Theralosians take a very dim view of people who abuse and take advantage of others, and quickly punish those that commit these kinds of evil in thought and deed. This is where divinations come in particularly handy. The holy symbol of Theralos is the three pointed tree of life, which is most often done with the hand by holding it up palm outward and extending the thumb, index finger, and pinky at the same time. Clerics of Theralos may choose any two of the following for their domains: Animal, Good, Healing, Plant, Protection, Strength, Sun, Travel, and War. Clans of the Theralosian: The Theralosian tribe is composed of three distinct clans. Though these clans makie up the tribe, each one has its own distinct and individual traditions and customs. Sang Mardom: This was the first clan to be approached by Theralos, and so considers itself the first of his children, and is comprised entirely of orcs. The internal workings of the clan are controlled by women by virtue of their holding sway over all things domestic. Sang Mardom women hold sole ownership over land and households. These women are also responsible for the wellbeing of the clan, and each household within the clan is run by a Clan Mother. In this tribe only women can hold the title of healer, and for a man to practice healing would be outrageous. The Sang Mardom men are charged with finding and developing new sites for villages, as well as maintaining their Bestalimnos herds, protection from dangerous predators, and maintaining hunting and fishing grounds so they do not become overrun and wild. Sang Mardom men are also the only members of the clan that are able to hold the title of Sachem, a position of power that decides when and how things are to be handled, as well as making the monthly journey to Theralos Vale for council with the Sacred Triad. Mardom et~Derkaht: The second clan to be approached, the Mardom et~Derkaht were a brutal clan of thieves and deceivers. Orcs, humans and half-orcs make up this clan, making them the most diverse in the tribe. This lawful good clan is also a near perfect anarchy. There is no set leader, nor is there any actual set of rules governing the clan, everyone simply does what they perceive is best for the Mardom et~Derkaht. Odd as it sounds this clan controls the largest Bestalimnos herds as well as some of the best breeding stock in the region. The Mardom et~Derkaht were never much for the agrarian lifestyle of their Sang Modom brothers and sisters, preferring to roam and follow the their herds across the expanses of prairie under their control. The Mardom et~Derkaht have very close ties to the villages of the Sang Mardom, usually stopping at these every chance they get to exchange news, trade, and to restock on things they can’t make themselves while moving from place to place. They also act as a sort of police force, and groups of young warriors seeking honor and prestige will often be found patrolling the lands around the herds. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom: The once evil kobolds of the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are now the spiritual leaders of the Theralosian tribe. They are the only known true clerics in all of Fallenstar. The Koochik et~alMâr Mardom are also the most outspoken in their devotion to Theralos. Members of this tribe act mostly as teachers and clergy, bringing the word of Theralos to the more distant villages and healing anyone in need. Every Koochik et~alMâr Mardom village has a small temple that also serves a secondary roll as clinic and hospital. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom healers are highly sought after and will heal anyone in need, no matter their alignment, background, or position in any tribe. This is due in large part to the way the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom clan joined with the greater Theralosian tribe, for had Theralos not had the willingness to forgive their once despotic leader they would have never learned the joys of a life with his guidance. Koochik et~alMâr Mardom society is split into four castes, with the clerics, or rather Dânesh-joo et~Theralos, first; then the Atash Jang who make up their warrior sect; the Bâstân~Ab who care for the fields and farms; and finally the Sarbâz et~Bâd who are the community hunters and herd masters. Each of these castes represents one of the four elements that make up all life in the world, and so each is viewed as an equal. This allows every member of the clan the freedom to speak his views with out fear of being ignored. A Koochik et~alMâr Mardom chooses his or her caste when they reach maturity, which is generally around the age of 15. Occasionally young members of the clan that show a particular aptitude for the skills of a specific caste will be courted by that class with offerings of gifts and special treatment. This is highly uncommon though, and many of the older members of the clan frown down on this behavior, seeing it as coercion rather than letting the young man or woman choose for themselves. Once chosen though a caste cannot be changed unless Theralos himself says for it to happen. Dress: Theralosian dress is comprised mostly of long flowing robes of bestalimnos fur that is woven into a very soft cloth. Men wear long pants of the same fabric, called Fereshteh Moo. Most often these men favor bright greens and yellows. Women of the tribe generally wear long skirts of fereshteh Moo fabric embroidered in brightly colored and complex geometric designs, usually colored in dark browns, greens and black. In times of war the Theralosians warriors will wear dark red veils called Dâhâinch. These veils cover their faces from the bottoms of their eyes to their chests. The veils are used to protect the face of the wearer from the eyes of of his enemy, so that when the enemy is killed he cannot go into the afterlife and bring harm to the Theralosians departed relatives, nor can that enemy be reborn to seek vengeance against his killer. It has been noted that no Theralosian will kill without their Dâhâinch in place. The Political Structure of the Theralosian Tribe: The Theralosian tribe is headed by a Sacred Triad composed of representatives from each of the clans that make up the tribe. They meet every month to discuss grievances and to administer to the affairs of the tribe. Theralosians have a complex legal system based on the Uṣul~fiqh. Every decision they make is based off these tenets. There is a wide variety of interpretation among the individual clans, but overall they follow these precepts without fail. Uṣul~fiqh is a term which literally translates to the roots of the law and refers to the set of commandments brought to Fallenstar by Cael in the form of Theralos. In the narrowest sense, it simply refers to strict codes of behavior that all tribe members are expected to follow. In an expanded sense it refers to a list of behaviors and is a code of conduct by which all tribal law should be based. Abu et~Abdal-Shafi'i of the Koochik et~alMâr Mardom, systematized the Uṣul~fiqh, developing a cohesive, systematic procedure for legal reasoning. According to Abdal-Shafi'i, only practices directly passed down from Theralos were valid, eliminating the legitimacy of practices of the previous clans’ followers. Prior to Abdal-Shafi'i, previous legal reasoning was based on personal reasoning and thus suffered inconsistency. Abdal-Shafi'i is probably best known for writing Al-Risala, a prime example of applying logic and order to Theralosian Ideals. Some Examples of Uṣul~fiqh rules: Excerpt from the original texts of Farbod Ebi Daryush in the Kitab al Ahkam Volume 13 p. 23: "If anyone does or says something before Theralos and Theralos does not stop or rebuke the act/words then this serves a proof as to the permissibility of this act, since Theralos is infallible. Mortals cannot rely on this, as they are not infallible. As Darab al~Faraj has said, other than Theralos, the silence of someone cannot be advanced as proof". The Commandments of Theralos: 1. Acts are judged by the intention behind them 2. Certainty is not overruled by doubt 3. Hardship begets facility - a. Necessity makes the unlawful lawful - b. Necessity is measured in accordance with its true proportions 4. Harm must be eliminated - a. Prevention of evil takes priority over the attraction of benefit - b. A specific harm is tolerated in order to prevent a more general one - c. Harm is eliminated to the extent that is possible 5. Custom is the basis of judgment: - a. Question and answer proceed on that which is widespread & not on what is unfamiliar. 6. To make lawful and to prohibit is the right of Theralos alone. 7. The prohibition of things will be because they are not lawful or they are harmful. - a. What is good is sufficient, while what is evil is superfluous. 8. Good intentions do not make the act acceptable - a. The ends does not justify the means 9. Doubtful Things Are To Be Avoided Further examples of Uṣul~fiqh: Profit/Benefit follows responsibility. Private authority is stronger than public authority. No speech is attributed to one who has remained silent. The Sacred Triad will govern in the interests of their subjects. When there is no room for Uṣul~fiqh you use the nearest evidence possible. Analogy cannot be made on exception. |
| taski11-22-07, 11:41 PM | :turkey: Happy Thanksgiving guys!!!:turkey: Thank you for joining in here and helping me to create a fascinating and fun piece of a larger whole. You guys are some of the best I have met, and I am thankful I met you all and have had this wonderful opportunity to create something truly special and unique with you. :turkey: :dragon: :turkey: Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! And for you non-U.S. folks, Happy Thursday! Oorg, I'm too full. :embarrass But soon I'll have DS' pumpkin custard! :pumpkin: |
| eue11-23-07, 06:50 AM | Gotta love the Para-Elemental Plane of Nachoes:D. Eue, I was reading through your religious text and it occured to me that you didn't have fire. Yet when you referance to the mix of the elements you clearly state that Order was an element, as was Chaos. Is it safe to assume then that for your region Order and Chaos are both composed of fire? Well, I left fire out of the equation because I do not like the idea of mixing the other three with fire. They seems to me a little... different. It's like the other ones are solid and can be stored and transported and all that. But fire? You can make fire, but you can't keep a fire under your pillow (don't try this at home!;) ). Originally I left fire completely out, but now that you suggested it... I've decided to bring it back in... Fires are the remnants of the original entities of Order and Chaos. That whole "until nothing was left of both" is now more like almost nothing... Since fire needs fuel to be kept running (remnants, wear out, that kinda thing...), warms, gives and takes life... It makes a lotta sense... Thanks. I still can't come up with anything I really like for the other Welkin Tribes of my region, so I have decided to throw a little wildlife on one of the moons. I just got my hands on a copy of Lords Of Madness: The Book Of Abberations, and I would like to get everyones opinions about placing Tsochar on one of the moons? I have never thought of placing life on the moons... But now, it just seems so natural my mind goes "How come I never thought of it?". As for the tsochari, GO AHEAD! I really love aberrations. Lords of Madness is my "pet book", with that Lovecraft feel all around... Also I think that I will be using AbolethsAberrations you said? Sure, no doubt... as well as Chimpman, only they are going to be the great enemy that the Kapoacinth of my region have run away from Sorry for interrupting your Train of Thought... I will be using aboleths myself too. Around Pareh Mak, I guess... Some sort of "alliance" of sorts with the mind flayers of the surface... Try here...and Hallowed are the Ori (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ori_%28Stargate%29#Religion_.28.22Origin .22.29):devil: KNEEL BEFORE YOUR GOD!!! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophis_%28Stargate%29) No comments. My favorite TV show... Sad it's over now... Las missive from Abasador Huer Neiq before passing away in a tragic boating accident on the Toren river. I've edited the previous post now... Nice line... Ahh yes, but you see that sailer over there from Orothos? The one on the ship that's pulled in for brisk trading before heading to the colonies? The one who speaks Lókoiros perfectly, without even the hint of an accent? The one who if you ask anybody on the ship, they'll tell you he's a swell guy, born in Gaena? Been on the ship for four yeas now? Yeah...he's Portoran. And an Inquisitor. :D You've made a good point there... Quirin glass is a special material used in the construction of weapons and armors, and takes the place of all the metal normally used. It has amazing strength and durability, and is usable by druids. All weapons and armors made of quirin glass weigh 1/3 normal and are always masterwork. One of the most useful properties of quirin glass comes out when it is used to make bladed weapons. These weapons have their threat range increases by 1 point. So if it was originally a 20/x2 it is now a 19-20/x2, if the weapon was an 18-20/x2 it is now a 17-20/x2. Those flashy glass weapons would be very appreciated by the elans of Izxhe indeed. Since they love luxurious items and all that, it just seems natural that they began trading for the cool-looking transparent weapons right now... -- I've updated the map on the wiki to reflect the latest climate changes... |
| Darth Syntax11-24-07, 12:56 AM | And we have maps (or rather map), ladies and gentlemen. Here, at long last is an updated world map. I've left dragonoverlord's map off for the moment as I have yet to receive his input on the latest revision of his map and thus I don't know how accurate my rendering is. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/2058555245_77f2730fcb_b.jpg |
| DonThelonious11-26-07, 07:47 PM | As for maps, I am happy to announce that I have gotten proficient enough with Corel to have marked out the territories of the various tribes of my region:D. I will be posting a map key later, for now I am very happy. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2043/2066671873_df52d59680.jpg Key: Yellow- Paisanguen Magenta/Pink- Pown-Dajji Green- Theronian Purple-ish- Adjeort Red- Ordiani Orange- Hatirothian Light Blue- Unclaimed/Wild/Very Dangerous |
| DonThelonious11-28-07, 04:18 AM | :allalone: Where the hell is everybody?:bigeyes: Its so spooky and quiet...:hides: |
| Darth Syntax11-28-07, 04:54 AM | Sorry I've not been around. I had company that just left yesterday and I am a bit frazzed. Hopefully I'll be back in better form soon. I've been having some trouble putting the Bifurcating Path into a cogent shape for reading but I shall press on. -- Thel, I like the map and I look forward to a key so that I know what it is I am looking at. |
| DonThelonious11-28-07, 07:40 AM | D_S: :dancin: :w00t: :dancin: I is not alone. As requested I have added in a map key so things on the map will be a bit clearer. Now I just have to figure out a way to make close ups of the individual islands. Any way you could help me with that D_S? Then I can begin marking out individual village locations, as well as colonial territories and towns, roads, random encounter tables and the whole sh'bang. |
| eue11-28-07, 01:03 PM | I'm here, I'm here!!! Is it just with me, or does the main map picture on the wiki front page take forever to load? I've checked and it is way over 3 megs!!!! That's a HUGE picture! Darth, maybe you should resize it to something like 1000 pixels wide and whatever the proportional height would be. As it stands now, it's a 8400x4000 picture. That's way too much... |
| Darth Syntax11-28-07, 02:27 PM | On the World Map: You know, it helps when one selects the right file to upload to the wiki. I have no idea why I uploaded the one I did. Hopefully, the new one will not be so bothersome. -- Thel, as regards more detailed maps of your region, I might be able to work something up but I will need to know what sort of divisions you are looking for. Do you just want an island by island map or something more detailed than that? |
| eue11-28-07, 02:36 PM | I made it! I'm on the world map! Yupee! -- The year was the 724th after the departure of the Great Father. The Great Race had already established itself on the island the Great Mother named Izxhe. We were ready to explore the world around us. The Great Mother Illyss brought all of us into this island after the Father left, in an amazing feat of her own mental prowess. And seven hundred years later, we began building some small ships. And we would set out to know the world. To unlock its secrets, to follow Karhiz. By the time, we were still taking the first steps in the art of seamanship. And I was one of those taking the first steps. I was one of the first to learn how a storm at the open sea can be dangerous. I was the first to ever shipwreck in the open sea. But I did not drown. I was rescued by the aventi. The aventi are another race of the human family (together with the huz, the luti, and what we call true humans) that lives underwater, around our dear island. They look a lot like humans but they have some small differences. When I woke up, I was in a small room, floating. Underwater. And I was breathing. Magic was at work for sure. I knew I was dealing with some evolved culture. By my side, I saw an aventi for the first time. She was there, looking over me and saying something that sounded like 'you're finally awake', but I couldn't be sure through all the distortion of the water. It took me some time to elaborate a reply, but I finally did and I quickly understood what was going on. I slipped into unconsciousness shortly after the boat was smashed to pieces in a reef or something. And the nearby aventi took me and cast upon me a spell that allowed me to breathe water as I can breathe air. My leg was broken and I had several other injuries. They cared for me and healed me. And there I was now, awake, and completely healed. But I decided to stay for a while and learn about these neighbors of ours. I so I spent a whole year on that small aventi settlement that goes by the name of Whitepearl. I told them about the surface and they told me about below the surface. They told me that aeons ago they were a great people of humans that lived on what we now know as Izxhe. They worshiped the god of the seas, Aventernus, and they were prosperous. But one day, a terrible cataclism fell upon them. They were not able to elaborate on this and I believe they do not know, since they don't keep recorded history as we do. But Aventernus gave them his blessing and they have been living on the seas around their island ever since. They never returned, because according to them, the island had disappeared in the cataclism and reappeared some time later, and a prophecy states that when one of them steps on the island again, sometime terrible is bound to happen. When I came back home, I was granted an audience with the Supreme Culler, to tell her about my discoveries. She found these much interesting and decided to establish friendly diplomatic relationships with these new neighbors. As recognition for my work, I became a Culler. -- Another piece of elan technology is known as the diving aid, a small, round-shaped device that covers your mouth and nose and allows you to breath water. -- Here are some more demographics... Government Type: Plutocratic Republic Ruling Body: The Five-Pointed Star Current Leaders: Lorg Iwa (CN luti aristocrat 5, from the Western One), Mila Tari (CE huz aristocrat 3/rogue 3, from the Small One), Kalos Murad (TN huz expert 7, from the Middle One), Yad Pawur (CN luti fighter 6, from the Fourth One), and Tera Jun (CN luti psion 5, from the Eastern One). Area: 4,172 sq miles Population: 248,849 Economic Type: ??? Species Demographics: 51% huz, 42% luti, 2% elan, 5% others Capitol: Wexa Religion: No religion. The state forbids religion altogether. Major Languages: Jar Nominal Alignment: CN leaning towards CE The Alma Uxiv was created by a group of wealthy individuals immediately after the wars broke out on Alm. They received the five largest island of the chain know has the Arm of Alm (Alma Uxiv) in exchange for financing the old krafh's war effort. They splitted the islands among them and took the rule as independent states. A few years later, they created the Five-Pointed Star, which is a parliament with five seats of equal power. Each island has the right to one seat. After the wars and the division of the old krafh, they became neighbors to the Ahz'Alm, which tolerated their presence and recognized their sovereignity. I know this is not much, but I workin' on the bigger things... |
| DonThelonious11-28-07, 05:34 PM | Woohoooo:D D_S: If you could make the mini maps along the lines shown below: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/2072464196_911aa4dae5_o.jpg The lines look like crap, I will see if I can get you a better one to go off of. Thanks. |
| Darth Syntax11-28-07, 10:44 PM | Thel, here is a rough map of the eastern island. Please let me know what I need to do to fix it so that it accords with what you want. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/2072614753_f96a3d5e89_o.jpg |
| DonThelonious11-29-07, 01:44 AM | Sweet, thanks D_S. It looks really good, I especially like the colors and texture styles you chose. They give it a very old map feel. Its so pretty though that I am afriad to make any additions to:rolleyes:. Now if I could get you to toss in a smallish lake somewhere on the southern plains, as well as a few more tiny islands into that large half-moon-ish bay about 2/3 the way down on the western shore that would be awesome. |
| Darth Syntax11-29-07, 02:25 AM | I've put an updated draft of the map in my above post Thel, let me know how that looks to you. |
| SovietCanuck11-29-07, 04:33 AM | Yello! Still here...just busy as heck, and encountering many road bumps in finishing of Qalitz...as the history of the Qalitz empire is the history of the early Caelean church, and seeing as how it was the most powerful nation in Caelea for 800 years...well, I'm ending up having to write up a whole load of other things along the way. And so one thing leads to another, and I now have this to show you...a new, improved version of the Pentacle! Hiho Demon Lords, away! “After creation, while the Creator rested, his children wandered among the brilliant new reality. One of the Creator's first creations, however, was too curious, and traveled where his Creator forbade him to. There, he was touched by the primal evil that the Creator separated out from reality, and for the first time, the being felt a pang of jealousy. Why should his Creator be the sole decider of the way the universe was run...he wanted his own say in his destiny! His thoughts growing darker by the moment, he went off to find his siblings, and whispered to them his revelation. Many were horrified, but four others were intrigued, and the primal evil entered their spirits as well. So, as their Creator rested, the Five struck out against him, attacking him again and again with weapons forged by their eldest brother. The Creator cried out once, in sorrow and despair, before falling silent. For a brief moment, the enormity of their act, the first murder, struck them...but it lasted only a second, as the evil in their hearts fully claimed them. They cast down their Creator, forced him to live as a tiny spider on a tiny island, and they cursed his spirit, so that it would reincarnate a thousand times slower than any other soul. They then turned among their fellows, and in a great war, they conquered heaven, and declared themselves gods. The spirits still loyal to the Creator were banished, to wander Creation, while the Five did as they pleased in heaven...” -Caelean Children's Fable Opposed to the shining beacon of the God Emperor stands the Pentacle, five primal spirits, greater than even the archangels and demon lords, who rebelled against Cael during the first days of creation and seized it from him: the dark lords of madness, destruction, gluttony, tyranny and unnaturalness. These five united form the opposition to the Immortal Emperor, and their armies of fallen angels clash endlessly with the Angels of High Heaven. Worshiped by criminals, outcasts, and the scum of society, they represent everything the Caelean church despises: chaos, corruption, and a blatant disregard for the laws of the Emperor. The Pentacle are the enemies of the Creator, and plot endless to take their thrones back from the God-Emperor, and escape the Hells he has bound them and their most powerful servants in. The members of the Pentacle are all corrupt, evil, and hostile...to Cael, to His faithful, to their own followers, and even to each other. They fight among themselves endlessly, seeking to gain the power needed to confront Cael directly. This internal bickering is often portrayed in Caelen fables, where faithful protagonists trick the evil Pentacle into squabbling amongst each other, and thus divided is the protagonist able to drive them off. Of course, the faithful of the Forsaken Five tell different stories... ones not suited for the ears of little children. Just like the Caelean Church assumes local gods and heroes into it's mythology as Saints, so to do they associate the darker deities or demons with the Pentacle. Local faiths may very well find themselves as battlegrounds between the faithful of the God Emperor and the those of the Dark Lords of the Damned. Aeran Lady of Madness, the Lady of the Mists, the Blood Moon Symbol: A blood-red moon, a bloodied claw Alignment: Chaotic Evil Portfolio: Madness, lust, insanity, lycanthropy, spring Worshipers: Lycanthropes, savage humanoids, evil rangers and druids, hedonists, madmen, addicts Domains: Animal, Chaos, Evil, Strength, Trickery (Liberation, Madness) Favored Weapon: A bestial claw (a dagger) The Lady of Madness, Aeran is the member of the Pentacle responsible for the primal emotions: anger, lust and fear. It was said that she created the first of the lycanthropes, and she is worshiped by many of them as their queen and mother. Aeran is also revered by those who let madness or passion conume them, and her cults are common among the hedonistic upper classes of many nations. Among Cael's faithful, any incident of extreme violence or depravity is said to be a sign of her influence. Aeran is usually appears as a stunningly beautiful female with burning eyes, caught fluctuating between species, unable to settle on one before a fancy hits her and she shifts to assume another. Dogma: Fear, madness, and anger offer release from the unnaturalness of humanoid society. Do what you want when you feel like it, do not let others tell you what you feel or what you want. Be an individual, and indulge your personal desires. Tear down society and free yourself from it's restrictions and bindings. Kill, love, hate, fear with all your heart. Do everything in full, or it is not worth doing at all. Revel in every action, enjoy every moment to it's fullest. Protect the wilderness, and the ideals it represents. Fight the followers of the Usurper at every turn, and the repression they bring. Cleric Training: Clerics of Aeran are normally self-trained, realizing her desires solely through self-experimentation and indulgence. Her followers believe that she will grant them power so long as they continue to spread liberation and revelry. They are mostly wanderers, traveling where their whims take them, and spreading chaos in their wake. Quests: The destruction of civilized institutions is the primary goal of any of Aeran's followers, and anything that helps weaken society is a worthy quest in the eyes of their Lady. However, anything that helps preserve wilderness, and the vitality of the land are also seen as worthy causes. Prayers: Prayers to Lady of Madness are often vividly descriptive, yet disjointed at the same time. Typical supplications sound like mad ramblings, and tend to overuse both blood and the moon as imagery. Blood sacrifices, whether one's own, or that of another, are common. Clerics of Aeran pray for spells under the light of the moon and stars. Shrines: Few temples of Aeran exist, however they make extensive use of impromptu shrines. These are little more complex then a series of bonfire, and a sacrificial altar. In lycanthrope-infested areas, more permanent shrines may be established in the wilderness, however to untrained observes these would appear to be little more than a blood-stained rock in a natural clearing, surrounded with an abundance of bones. Rites: There are very few rights for followers of Aeran, as most of her worship is spontaneous and impromptu. However, full moons are times of revelry, where the most blessed of her followers dance in the moonlight, free from all restraints. However, the harvest moon is a time of sorrow and fear, for then the moon has been stolen by the mistress by the Wandering One, and her power is diminished as she chases after him across the stars. Every year, she steals it back, but the crafty deity of trade always escapes unharmed. Herald and Allies: Aeran's herald is a 20th-level human werewolf fighter. Her allies include succubi, lamias, and mariliths. Bethan Lord of the Storm, the Wild Fury, the Destroyer Symbol: A black or purple bolt of lightning, a flame in the shape of a skull Alignment: Chaotic Evil Portfolio: Rage, destruction, primal forces of nature, revenge, late summer Worshipers: Savage humanoids, evil warriors and wizards, warlords, some druids, rebels Domains: Air, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire (Scalykind, Weather) Favored Weapon: A bolt of black lighting (a spear) While Aeran desires destruction for liberation's sake, Bethan, Lord of the Storm, sees destruction as it's own end. Consumed with hate and obsessed with revenge, Bethan desires to destroy the universe and remake it simply out of spite, and many of his followers are similarly motivated. He is depicted in stories as short tempered and arrogant, wiping out entire towns for a minor offense, and striking down even faithful followers for perceived slights. Acts of horrifying natural destruction, such as volcanoes, hurricanes, forest fires, floods, and earthquakes are seen as signs of his influence, particularly ones that occur under suspicious circumstances, or seem to target civilized areas exclusively. Bethan typically appears as an blinded and scared, yet still handsome, human, dressed all in black. The winds of the storm constantly circle him, whipping about his long hair, robes and beard. Dogma: Kill, burn, main. Bring destruction and sow chaos. Cast down the powerful, the vain, the proud. Strike without remorse, kill without mercy. Preach the might of the Destroyer with every breast, and put the fear of your Lord into the hearts of even the bravest of men. Let no slight go unpunished. Ensure no man who mocks you or your Lord lives to do so a second time. Let no man lord over you unless they have proven their right to do so first. Protect new life, and venerate growth, for without growth there is nothing to destroy, and without destruction there is no opportunity for growth. Undermine the efforts of the Usurper's followers at every turn, for he considers himself your Lord's equal, and seeks to end his glorious work. Cleric Training: Prospective priests of the Lord of the Storm must seek out one of his heralds, and if they survive the initial encounter, may submit themselves to being the senior cleric's acolyte, both student and servant. Priests of Bethan are wanderers, bullying and extorting their way through life. However, his followers cannot be afraid to call down their Lord's wrath at any time, for even a moment of hesitation could put one on the wrong end of a pitchfork, or an inquisitorial sword. Quests: Bethan very rarely sends his followers on quests. He expects them to wreak havoc wherever they travel, and spread the fear of the Destroyer to all they cross paths with. Faithful may also find themselves rebuilding dams or bridges, to help promote the cycle or destruction and renewal. Prayers: As Bethan demands constant adoration, his faithful weave prayers to their Lord into their daily speech, praising the Destroyer for everyday occurrences. Prayers to Bethan often blend adoration with calls for mercy and for revenge on those that wronged them. Burnt offerings are common, as is imagery involving fire, floods, lightning, and other such natural disasters. Prayers for spells most commonly happen under the burning skies of sunset. Shrines: The temples of Bethan are few and far between. Most commonly, his followers pray at shrines to their Lord located in the corners of temples dedicated to the more lawful Lords of the Pentacle, bronze or iron braziers where offerings are made to their fickle Lord, and the destructive fury of nature is contemplated. As sights of devastation are sacred to the Lord of the Storm, his faithful may make holy pilgrimages to worship at the sites of great cataclysms. Rites: Just like followers of Aeran base their revelries around the moon, so to do followers of Bethan base theirs around the sun. The solstices and equinoxes are the high holy day's for Bethan's faithful, where they celebrate the cycle of destruction and renewal. On these days, his followers spend the day in fervent prayer, and fanatical displays of their Lord's powers Herald and Allies: Bethan's herald is a 20th-level half-red dragon tifling socerer. His allies include medium fire elementals, hezrou, and juvenile red dragons. Matrius Lord of the Undead, the Dead King, the Frozen One Symbol: A skeletal hand, a crystallized drop of blood Alignment: Lawful Evil Portfolio: Knowledge, death, the undead, murder, winter Worshipers: Evil wizards and rogues, people desiring immortality or forbidden knowledge, assassins Domains: Death, Evil, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Water (Darkness, Rune) Favored Weapon: A blade of black ice (bastard sword) Cold and calculating, Matrius, Lord of the Living Dead, is the most 'civilized' of the Lords of the Pentacle. He seeks not to destroy, corrupt, or rule over society. Instead, he seeks to works within the established system, and draw his power legitimately, though he not above more questionable actions when the current situation calls for it. Matrius' worship flourishes in societies where disillusionment with the divine exists, and it spreads, promoting the values of eternal life in death, forbidden knowledge, and personal enhancement. Matrius' worshipers often form cults around intelligent undead, and mysterious deaths are seen to be works of the Frozen One or his followers. Matrius typically appears as an ancient lich, his skeletal body wrapped in deep red robes, and cloaked in a field of deadly cold. His footsteps freeze the earth beneath his feet, and his rattling breaths wreath his head in freezing mists. Dogma: Seek information wherever it may lie...let nothing stop you on your path to knowledge. Knowledge is the most powerful weapon in existence, it can fell armies and level cities. Knowledge is a commodity to be bought and traded...keep secrets only if it would prove more advantageous in the end. Manipulation is better than force, subtly better than bravado. Respect death, use it as a weapon and a tool but do not abuse it's power. Obey and respect your superiors, but slay the weak, the merciful, and the arrogant. Life need not end at death, as life eternal await those ready to embrace undeath. Suffer not the foolish followers of the Usurper, for they deny themselves life eternal in their denial of your Lord's wisdom. Cleric Training: Matrius' clergy is fairly hierarchical, elder priests teaching the younger, and information shared freely among members of the same cell. Intelligent undead, necromancers, assassins and the occasional upper class noble direct their prayers towards the Lord of the Undead, though many do so quietly as to not arouse suspicion. Most of Matrius' clergy are sedentary, and spend their days searching through aged scrolls, or preforming unholy rituals in great covens located under the sewers of the great cities. Quests: Matrius expects his followers to constantly search for new knowledge, wherever it may lie. He may also send his faithful out to create new cults, aid one of his undead minions, or to slay an enemy of the church. Prayers: Matrius' followers are not a pious lot, placing more emphasis on arcane knowledge and secrets rather than the divine prowess of their patron. Still, many of them still find time to whisper a small prayer to their Lord when they feel the need, and Matrius seems content with just that, preferring his cultists worship him in action rather than thought. Prayers to Matrius tend to be short, but potent, making extensive reference to death, new life, and the cold winds of the north. Matrius' clerics pray for spells at dusk, when the night has claimed the sun, but it's light still persists. Shrines: Shrines to Matrius are surprising varied, ranging from vast underground cathedrals under many of the larger cities, to small pedestals crafted to resemble a crouching skeleton in basements of the faithful, to bowls of frozen blood hidden in graveyards and libraries. Whatever form they take, shrines dedicated to the frozen one have a tendency to radiate an unnatural cold, and the uncomfortable sense that one is being watched. Rites: The only major right practiced by Matrius' faithful is the Ascension of one from life to unlife. Raising undead, discovering new knowledge, or finishing a particularly dangerous mission are all times for celebration, as are eclipses. Particularly holy are those days when an eclipse falls in the cold of winter, as undead raised on those days are said to be especially blessed by their Lord. Herald and Allies: Matrius' herald is a 20th-level human lich necromancer/archmage. His allies include specters, bone devils, and ice devils. The Thousand Lord of Pestilence, the Rotting Ones, the Worms Symbol: A sickly green cloud in the shape of a skull, a rotting pig's head Alignment: Neutral Evil Portfolio: Rot, corruption, gluttony, greed, decay, poison, fall Worshipers: Evil merchants and rogues, individuals desiring great power or wealth, corrupt officials Domains: Death, Earth, Evil, Plant, Water (Charm, Darkness) Favored Weapon: A rusted, mold-covered chain (spiked chain) Legend states that it was the being once known as Thaeden was the one who convinced the other members of the Pentacle to rebel against their creator, who as a punishment was consumed by a horde or worms. Each worm inherited a portion of Thaeden's intelligence and power, forming the abomination now known as the Thousand. As power-mad and grasping as before its transformation, if not more so, the Thousand desires complete control over everything, and supports its followers desires to gain power and influence. Cael's followers see the Thousand's mechanizations behind every incidence of corruption or scandal, and most of the time they are quite right. The Thousand appears as a tall, robed and cowled humanoid composed entirely of writhing, squirming worms. It's face is little more than an orb of nightcrawlers, and it speaks with a hundred discordant voices. Dogma: Gain power through any means necessary. Never let your successes make you confident, assume the worst. Do not put your trust in anyone or anything save yourself and your your Lord. Hesitation leads to failure, act when the opportunity presents itself. Never refuse a bribe. Strive to better your self and your lot in life with every waking breath. The bold find success, the cautious keep it, the weak have it stolen from them. Hope is no match for sound planing and action. Disease is holy, learn to use it as a weapon. Rot destroys without alerting, so should you. Seek always to undermine the church of the Usurper, for without it the false god shall tumble, allowing your Lord to reclaim its rightful place. Cleric Training: The Thousand's priests are usually drawn into the worship of the Rotting Ones by a fellow priest, though extortion or gradual corruption, it doesn't matter to the faithful. Once one accepts a position as a priest of the Thousand, turning one's back is no longer an option. The Thousand's faithful prefer to remain in one place for an extended period of time, building extensive connections in the underworld as well as the upper class, to better carry out their schemes and plans. Quests: The Thousand's followers are often engaged in spreading rot and corruption throughout society, speeding it's decay while lining their own pockets. On occasion, a cleric of the Thousand may be sent off to research a new poison or disease, and determine how useful it may be to their Lord's grand scheme, but generally priests are left alone to conduct business as they will. Prayers: The Thousand's followers often pray for guidance and advice, seeking their Lord's wisdom on how to proceed. These prayers tend to rather verbose, detailing complex plans in explicit detail, so that the priest may work on the problem with their Lord as they pray. It normally makes extensive references to the glories of rot, pestilence, disease and corruption. Prayers to the Thousand happen in shadows during the dark of the night, where the beings of light fear to tread. Shrines: Shrines to the Thousand are small, inconspicuous affairs. Most of the time, they just seem like roadkill left near the side of the road or in a gutter, however the faithful carefully cultivate the rot in ways that are both sacred and useful to their plans. In homes, rot is often replaced with rust, and a rusty chain or rusted nails on a pedestal serve as a sufficient shrine to the Worms. Rites: The Thousand's rights are all invocations of luck and wisdom, prayers for the intervention of the Lord of Pestilence. Typically small celebrations are held during the outset of a complex plan, seeking to draw the blessings of the Thousand upon the priest's endeavors. The high holy day of for followers of the Thousand is the Day of Rot, in late fall, were the faithful gather in sewers and swamps, plan for the next year, inundate new followers, and worship the glories of their Lord. Herald and Allies: The Thousands herald is a 20th-level human sorcerer worm that walks. Its allies include babaus, night hags, and nalfeshnee. Zertal Lord of Tyranny, the Iron Lord, the Black Heart Symbol: An iron gauntlet, an iron chain Alignment: Lawful Evil Portfolio: Tyranny, oppression, war, strife, early summer Worshipers: Evil warriors and rulers, warlords, tyrants and monarchs, conquerers, corrupt officials Domains: Destruction, Evil, Fire, Law, Strength, War (Artifice, Nobility) Favored Weapon: A dark iron sword (longsword) Though the Thousand was the one who initiated the rebellion against their creator, it was Zertal who carried it out. Like The Thousand, he too was punished, though in Zertal's case his spirit was sealed into a suit of living iron armor. Zertal wishes to control all of civilization under his iron fist, and seeks to wrest control through intimidation and military might. Throughly evil, and without any hint of mercy, the Lord of Tyranny will stop at nothing to achieve his goals of domination and exaltation. He is the one Caeleans blame for hostile military actions against their nations, as well as for the murderous despots who come to power about once a century. Zertal appears as a powerful human covered head to toe in a suit of elaborate black iron armor, complete with a towering shield and a wicked sword. Hateful red eyes glower out from between the slits of his visor, and a deep, hollow voice echoes out from within. Dogma: Might makes right. Fear your Lord, and make others fear you. Strike down those who defy your rule. Serve those who have earned your respect, but seek always to usurp their position. Rule through strength and brutal cunning, sparing no man from your wrath. Spread fear and terror, for they are the best means of keeping the rabble reigned in. Respect those who rise to challenge them, for only a fool underestimates their foes. Spread order and law, for chaos breeds weakness and complacency. Do not let power slip through your grasp, for you will never get a second chance. True power can only be gained through faith in your Lord, do not let your devotion wane. Heed your advisors, but ware their ambitions. Crush the forces of the Usurper, for though they are worthy foes, they deny the might of the Iron Lord. Cleric Training: Zertal's clergy is highly regimented, not unlike a military force. Local cults are ran by a Chaplain Tyrant, and lower ranks answer to their superiors in all things. Advancement is through merit and prowess, as bribery and scheming are seen as underhanded and distasteful. When not serving in a mercenary army, followers of Zertal spend their hours in their Chapel-Barracks, practicing their martial skills or poring over tomes of military and political strategy. Quests: The followers of Zertal go on a wide variety of quests, whether it is a crusade against the followers of Cael, or a quest for a weapon of great power, there is always a mission available for those who desire it. Individual quests are frowned upon, though if the cleric can convince their superiors of the benefits of the mission, there is little stopping them from engaging in such activities. Prayers: Prayers to Zertal are usually blunt and to the point, more oaths than proper prayers. Prayers are usually uttered in battle, so they don't tend to be anything fancy, a simple request for strength or protection is what usually amounts for a prayer among followers of the Iron Lord. These prayers tend to make use of military jargon, and involve common battlefield imagery. Followers of Zertal pray for their spells at dawn, so the first thing the sun sees are the faithful of the Lord of Tyranny reaffirming their devotion. Shrines: A shrine to Zertal typically doubles as a military barracks, where the faithful spend their days in a combination or prayer and training. They make heavy use of iron in their construction, including an impressive iron altar where blood sacrifices are made. More private shrines involve smaller stands of iron, typically embellished with weapon imagery, kept as clear of rust as possible. Rites: Any victory is time to celebrate in the eyes of the Lord of Tyrany's followers. Rituals typically involve displays of strength, stamina and prowess, somber chants, self-flagellation, and the sacrifice of captured prisoners or apostates. There are no calender-based events, and it is up to the Chaplain Tyrant to choose when these festivals will take place. Herald and Allies: The Thousands herald is a 20th-level half-fiend human fighter. Its allies include bearded devils, barbed devils, and horned devils. The Pentacle United The Lords of the Damned, The Forsaken Five Symbol: A severed hand, a ten-pointed sunburst, a circle broken into five parts Alignment: Neutral Evil Portfolio: Evil, hate, greed, sin Worshipers: Evil warriors and rulers, warlords, tyrants and monarchs, conquerers, corrupt officials Domains: Air, Animal, Chaos, Death, Destruction, Earth, Evil, Fire, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Strength, Trickery, War, Water (Artifice, Charm, Darkness, Liberation, Madness, Nobility, Rune, Scalykind, Weather) Favored Weapon: Heavy Flail Though each member of the pentacle has divergent goals and beleifs, they are often worshiped as one, a pantheon opposed to the beliefs of Cael. Indeed, the Pentacle could be considered an extension of the Church of Cael, focusing on the ideals rejected by the greater church. The Pentacle were the first and greatest of the creator's children, and they rebelled against him, catching him in his sleep and banishing him to the Prime Material for countless millenia. They were the source of the evil that exists in creation, and, as Caeleans believe, the countless pagan faiths that still thrive outside of the light of Cael's faithful. The Lords of the Pentacle are patrons of criminals, outcasts and savages the world over, and Caeleans depict them as an insidious force of corruption, eternally plotting to reclaim their thrones from Cael, and curse his followers to eternal damnation. Right-o! Hope this gives you some nice crunch to chew on!:D |
| DonThelonious11-30-07, 12:25 AM | Soviet: I see your pentacle taking the place of the demonlords in his world. Need 4 more to round out all the layers of hell... The Taker from my region will work for another. So our 9 layers would look something like this: 1. Matrius 2. The Thousand 3. The Taker 4. ??? 5. Aeran 6. Zertal 7. ??? 8. Bethan 9. ??? That would make things interesting if we felt like changing things around further in the cosmology... |
| DonThelonious11-30-07, 12:26 AM | I've put an updated draft of the map in my above post Thel, let me know how that looks to you. Sweet. Thanks D_S, I will begin work on it asap:D. |
| Darth Syntax11-30-07, 01:13 AM | Ok Thel, here is a map of the north western island for comment. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/2075592546_b7f11e203b_o.jpg let me know what I need to fix. -- The map is updated above. I hope this is better |
| DonThelonious11-30-07, 01:27 AM | Ok Thel, here is a map of the north western island for comment. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2148/2074757469_57d214a2eb_o.jpg let me know what I need to fix. Looks good, if I could get you to take out some of the islands towards the middle of the swamp that would be great, since I plan on having the Hatirothian tribe there and their Welkin is a black dragon. I want to build something like the Aztec city on the water. Should make for an awesome adventure site:) |
| SovietCanuck11-30-07, 04:05 AM | Soviet: I see your pentacle taking the place of the demonlords in his world. Need 4 more to round out all the layers of hell... The Taker from my region will work for another. So our 9 layers would look something like this: 1. Matrius 2. The Thousand 3. The Taker 4. ??? 5. Aeran 6. Zertal 7. ??? 8. Bethan 9. ??? That would make things interesting if we felt like changing things around further in the cosmology... Eh, that could be one thing to think about...but I'd prefer the Pentacle to remain pretty much undefined, like Cael is...we know what they encourage their followers to believe, but we honestly don't know what they are. Are they demon lords? Archfeinds? Primal Powers? Gods? I want that to remain vague...even their existence should be questionable. I don't like my religions to have solid bases unless I feel it necessary. The Horselanders and Ithu'Kut worship vague spirits, Caeleans worship an immortal emperor, the Chalacites venerate the personification of nature, the elves focus on aspects of their own nature, and the like... So I don't really want members of the pentacle to serve as BBEGs for a party of epic level adventures...they should be more like the Lady of Pain...deus ex machina personified:D |
| DonThelonious11-30-07, 02:03 PM | D_S: I like the map a lot. And I just discovered some cool new things on the Corel programs, which are making my life easier. -- Soviet: Understood. I kind of want the same thing for The Taker of my region, it was just a random thought:P. |
| Darth Syntax12-02-07, 11:20 PM | Well, seeing as it has been a while sense I posted real content, I thought I should get something up. And I was surpized that the nation of Lagarnos just sort of appeared on the page as I wrote: so here are some preliminary thoughts on said nations Lagarnos Government Type: Aristocratic Plutocratic Oligarchy Ruling Bodies: The Dole (body of ruling aristocrats) Current Leaders: Lord Varöjeg Blos (LN male human aristocrat 7) Lord Sorgu Glüchalan (NE male human rogue 4/aristocrat 3) Lady Asawa Ölchil (TN female human rogue 5/expert 3) Lord Anvo Sawhe Nesh Halu, Tyrant of Chelchanjir (LN male hobgoblin rogue 7) Economic Type: proto-capitalist Colonial Type: none of note Currency: Notes of credit, the Lem Population: 14,243,779 Species Demographics: 50% human (Lagar, Dodjai, Esh, and Adir), 20% Dromite, 10% Gnome, 10% Hobgoblin, 10% Other Capitol: Lel (population 786,442) Largest City: Chelchanjir (population 1,356,227) Religion: The Bifurcating Path, Tlónist, Lengchaga Symbols: A stylized antelope upon a sage-green field Major Languages: Ulcyo, Lókoiros, Tolzesu, Orga Nominal Alignment: TN The southern Sea of Grass, where the Lagar plateau abuts the Anthele Mountains is a strange and beautiful country of rugged hills, deep valleys, and broad fertile plains. Here, amid the long grass and wide rivers, the Lagar peoples have flourished for centuries, raising their crops, their herds, and (one several occasions) building empires. The current state of Lagarnos is all that remains of the Second Lagar Empire (102 PR – 675 CR) and although it is vastly reduced in size and power, it is still a formidable power and one that may well rise again. Lagarnos is a nation at odds with itself, both in terms of political power, and cultural practice. Factions and aristocratic clans vie for power and prestige, often violently, and a rising merchant class has brought both wealth and a breakdown in the old social order, causing considerable discomfort and apprehension. The old traditions of the warrior aristocracy still hold sway but they are no longer as absolute as they were three centuries ago. In the towns and cities of the nation, the merchants, the traders, and the scribes have created a new culture, one that has covered over the bellicose and aggressive temperament of the Lagar with the veneer of cultured sophistication, adopting foreign religions (mostly the Bifurcating Path), foreign ideals, and merging them with parts of the old culture. Some of the Aristocracy have embraced this new syncretic culture while others rail against it, claiming it to be a sign of moral and cultural decay. Despite the tensions, Lagarnos is a formidable player in Ilaroi politics and has acted as a mediator between the peoples of the Dodjai Protectorate, Adós, and the Maritime Republics; a position that makes the nation indispensable and thus safer than it might otherwise be. Nations that have little or no formal relation often act through Lagar intermediaries, and the nation itself is a hotbed of political intrigue adding to the already volatile nature of the place. Political Structure Lagarnos is rules by a collection of aristocratic clans who constantly vie for power and influence. Although somewhat similar to the feudal systems found in other parts of the world, the Lagar clans do not have a well defined system of titles, rank, and associated privilege; instead, relative power and status are determined through more practical means (such as maintaining control over a particular region or segment of the economy) which has led to some rather vicious periods of internal conflict and civil war among the Lagar clans. On very rare occasions, the clans have put aside their vendettas and appointed a ruler (usually styled as an Emperor) who directly controls the state and arbitrates between the rival clans. The last emperor of the Lagar was deposed some three hundred years ago and there has been no serious attempt by any of the clans to raise another one. Anymore, the raising of a new Emperor is seen as being a threat to the overall stability of the country as it would upset the delicate balance of power and mutual animosity that currently keeps the nation from descending into civil war once again. The Dole Despite the precarious nature of political power in Lagarnos the day to day business of the government remains relatively undisturbed. The Dole, a kind of bicameral assembly of aristocrats and wealthy citizens, functions as the de facto ruling body of the nation, and it is here that the aristocrats and their appointed representatives (called alma “mouths”) debate the political direction of the nation. The Dole has some elements in common with the Council of Primes in Nacáil in that its members serve for life as well as functioning as a combined court of law and deliberative body; however, members of the Dole are not elected but either inherent their positions or are appointed by one of the many hereditary lords of the nation. The High House of the Dole The High House of the Dole is the smaller of the two chambers of the assembly and is made up of the heads of the various family lines within the aristocratic clans. Due to the hereditary nature membership, the High House of the Dole is almost entirely made up of Lagar (the dominant human ethnic group of the nation) although there are a few exceptions. Despite the fact that the High House has a loose sovereignty over the nation as well as being the final arbiter of laws, it meets comparatively rarely and seldom with all its members. Its members are generally more concerned with managing their personal holdings and interests and thus spend much of their time away from the capitol. These long periods of absentia led to the creation of a separate House to deal with the day to day realities of governance The Broad House of the Dole, The Alma Dole The Alma Dole is the lower house of the assembly and is composed of the various alma of the aristocrats. These alma are appointed for life by their patrons, and are often themselves members of the aristocracy. Until comparatively recently the alma were almost always the younger siblings of clan leaders and major aristocrats but this practice is becoming less and less common in the modern age and the Alma Dole is now a much of cosmopolitan body containing members of nearly every race that calls Lagarnos home. The Alma Dole itself attends to the day to day running of the state, drafting new laws, overseeing taxation, and maintaining the infrastructure that keeps the economy working. They have relatively little formal power to negotiate with foreign powers but the habitual absence of the High House means that such duties generally are taken up by the alma. As in all aspects of Lagar politics, the climate within the Alma Dole is tense and often volatile. It is not uncommon for debates to devolve into violence and several alma have been killed by the fellows in these scuffles. This boisterous and bellicose form of political debate has earned the Lagar the scorn of their neighbors in Orothos and the other Maritime Republics who find such overt displays of temper and wrath to be signs of an uncivilized and unsophisticated nature. The Aristocratic Clans Power in Lagarnos lays in the hands of the Aristocratic Clans (The Örma), most of whom trace their roots to the old warrior clans of the ancient nomadic Lagar peoples. Although the internal structure of the clans varies to some degree, they are generally organized along similar lines, being headed by wealthy and power Lord or Lady who has private control over the whole of the clan. Members of an örma are subject to the laws of their clans rather than to the civil law of the nation and thus are permitted to behave in a rather different manner from the ordinary Lagar citizen. While these private legal codes do confer substantial freedom and protection upon the örma they also contain numerous restrictions upon conduct that are not applicable to the society at large. An aristocrat may kill a social inferior without fear of legal action is the inferior can be shown to have not shown proper deference, gross rudeness, or to have been insubordinate whereas a commoner or merchant may only act in self-defense. Similarly, the aristocracy can only be tried by their peers whereas the commoners are subject to trial without jury, usually before an aristocratic magistrate. However, the aristocracy is quite restricted in terms of occupation and other mundane aspects of life. They are generally prevented from being either farmers or merchants, and indeed land-owning is considered to be the province only of the lower classes, a carryover from the ancient nomadic culture. Notable Clans The Clan Blos: One of the older of the clans, Blos is a large and powerful clan commanding considerable resources which it uses to further its antelope breeding and mining concerns. Currently, the Lord of the clan, Varöjeg, is looking for a means of allying his clan with the Dodjai people of the Protectorate in the hopes that by remaining in their good graces he might either spare his nation conquest, or rise to a position of power when the northerners eventually do swallow up Lagarnos. The Clan Glüchalan: The Glüchalan were originally a rather unimportant clan from the lowlands, ruling over farmers and selling grain and squash, until last century. The fortunes changes dramatically when it was discovered that a plant extract over which they has control was an excellent catalyst for certain alchemical reactions. A lucrative trade in the extract began with partners in Nacáil, Orothos, Genato, Adós, and the Ejantuli Empire which greatly improved the fortunes of the Glüchalan. This new wealthy has propelled them into positions of power throughout the nation, and bolstered the ranks of their armed retainers, making them one of the more powerful clans of the modern age. The Clan Halu: The Halu are an interesting example of the changing political and cultural thinking within Lagarnos. Unlike most of the other aristocratic clans, the Halu are not ethnic Lagar, they are not even human, they are Tlailavo (Ilaroi hobgoblins). Unlike most Tlailavo, the Halu are not wanderers, but they do maintain cordial relations with their itinerate kin, offering them shelter, seclusion from the hardships of the world, and other such services. They also make use of their kins’ propensity to gather secrets and information, using it to control their rivals and increase their own power. Firmly entrenched in the emerging civic culture, the Halu are great proponents of trade and commerce, and they operate the largest trade concerns within the nation. Climate and Geography Lagarnos is located upon the Lagar plateau, the great highland that makes up much of the interior of southern Ilaros between the Anthele Mountains in the south and the high desert of the Aktójaa in the north. The relatively high elevation contributes to the overall cool and somewhat dry climate which is most pronounced in the north-east of the country. The south of the nation is dominated by rugged hill country, riddled with deep valleys, many of glacial origin. The northern portion of the country is much flatter and is composed mostly of grasslands crisscrossed by wide, meandering rivers. The soil on these plains is rich and fertile allowing for abundant food production. Cuisine Traditional Lagar cuisine relies heavily upon meat (usually yak, buffalo, and alpaca) and dairy products as well as staples such as bread, potatoes, and other starchy roots. With the expansion of trade, more foreign spices and ingredients are available, but these are not very well integrated into the cuisine. Stews, roasted meats, steamed bread, and other similarly heavy foods feature prominently as do a number of alcoholic drinks made from grains, fruit, honey, and spices. Some Example Lagar Foods • A stew of slowly braised buffalo and or yak meat in a thick sauce made from dried ground peppers, ale, onions, and ground nuts. Usually served atop steamed bread • Pürlö: a thick, steamed flat bread made of wheat flower • Buffalo milk yoghurt • Mashed, boiled potatoes and parsnips with fermented yak or buffalo milk • Roast of yak stuffed with stale pürlö, dried fruit, and spices • Savory bread puddings both steamed and baked • A fried paste bone marrow, fat, meat, and spices • Numerous sausages • Pürlö dough stuffed with braised meats • Spiced Mead • Blood puddings • Seasoned alpaca jerky • Boiled leaf vegetables • A soup or stew of beans, blood sausage, greens, and pungent spices • Grilled ostrich • A large selection of pâté-like foods • Poached duck eggs with grain vinegar As always, comments, critiques and the like are welcome. |
| LefferDP12-03-07, 01:39 AM | I suppose asking a Lagarnite if he's "on the Dole" means something completely different than we might imagine. |
| Darth Syntax12-03-07, 01:51 AM | That and the fact that in Ulcyo, Dole is pronounced something like "DOLE-eh" [ˈdolɛ] :D. -- On the issue of the Pentacle and cosmology in general, I find myself in general agreement with Soviet about the whole "keep things mysterious" angle. I think keeping such things in mind will allow for a more interesting variety of belief. -- Thel, I've got another map for you. Let me know what you think. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/2082651771_e000deca61_o.jpg |
| dragonoverlord12-03-07, 08:50 AM | sorry about not posting anything for a while, my life has been kinda hectic lately. i like the latest map for my region, there are no major revisions i want on ti for the moment, except that i need there to be a bay that forms a good natural harbor by the small mountain range on the northeastern area of the northern peninsula of helcarion. that is where Primi Helcaras is located. -- another note, one of the things that sets my "old gods" apart from the "new" ones is the fact that they have become beings of unlimited power, do not depend on mortlas for their power in any way, and can only be harmed by each other, the Enemy, and graskulanotoraph, the champion/liuetnat of the enemy. the "new" gods are dependent on mortla belif for a large amount of their power. also, few of the gods of this area ever claimed to have taken part in the creation of the area, or the world in general. it is believed that they merely took guardianship/stewardship of the area in the abscene of the creator. no one knows the truth about his except the "old gods" themselves, and they refuse to discuss it, as they always have. |
| DonThelonious12-03-07, 02:12 PM | Hey all. Sorry for the absence, it is the holidays so I will be going hit or miss on the boards here. It likely won't be until after the New Year that I am able to get anything more than random posts up. On that note: Happy Holidays Everybody!!!! |
| Darth Syntax12-03-07, 08:50 PM | sorry about not posting anything for a while, my life has been kinda hectic lately. i like the latest map for my region, there are no major revisions i want on ti for the moment, except that i need there to be a bay that forms a good natural harbor by the small mountain range on the northeastern area of the northern peninsula of helcarion. that is where Primi Helcaras is located. Done and done. I've a new draft of your map here for comment. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of adding rivers in possible locations. If you want any of them changed in any way, let me know. And now, a map. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2084790345_fc81e3a25f_o.jpg |
| taski12-07-07, 02:53 AM | I've been a bit busy myself, lately. I've got some time to jot down a few things about Ungku'u religion. The Molu, the Cosmic Order: Not a god, the Molu is a non-sentient force of goodness, prosperity, and safety. It is the orderly force which makes the sun rise, the seasons progress, and the tides flow. The Molu is vaguely like the concept of the Universe being a great machine, with its parts connected by cause-and-effect and lacking any personality. However, unlike the Universe-as-machine theory, the Molu can get broken. If people act incorrectly or unexpectedly, they risk putting the Molu out of whack. When the Molu isn't humming along smoothly, the winter is too long, the summer is too dry, the sun disappears briefly (a solar eclipse), and other similar problems arise. However, when the Molu is working properly, everything goes well for the Ungku'u: their seals have many pups, the farms provide many tubers, and so on. As such, the Ungku'u feel a strong pressure to preserve their social order, to help their luck and to avoid harsher times. The Úhúnás (wu jen) keep track of the Molu as their sacred duty. Through their eccentric rituals, they attempt to ensure the good luck of the village that sponsors them. The Úhúnás live outside the village, in the solitude of their sacred huts. No one except Úhúnás are allowed to enter these huts. However, villagers may consult Úhúnás at particular times, and an Úhúná usually comes into their village weekly to pick up supplies and news. Only Village Queens are allowed to consult Úhúnás unannounced. Rarely, an Úhúná will come into their village unexpectedly, when they've discovered that something is terribly wrong with the Molu and the Village Queen needs to be notified immediately. Because of their esoteric knowledge of the Molu, Úhúnás hold a unique advisory position, and are usually taken at their word. The Gods: The gods act as a counter-force to the Molu. They have the greatest power to disrupt it, and to cause harm to the Ungku'u. As such, the Ungku'u do not love or worship their gods -- they fear them and attempt to appease them. Hulú and Namak: The two sea gods, Hulú and Namak are an old married couple, constantly bickering. Hulú, the northern sea, is the Queen of the Gods, and mother of several other gods. She's a controlling tyrant, giving demands while remaining unconcerned with others' needs and wishes. She sends harsh winds and rains on the Ungku'u, especially if they try to sail too far north. Namak, the southern sea, is Hulú's husband, and father of most (but not all) of her children. He's a raging, emotional fool, storming up at the slightest petty offense and whining until he gets his way. He sends torrential blizzards and hailstorms on the Ungku'u, especially if they haven't sacrificed enough meat to him lately. The World-Whale: Once an enormous creature, the world-whale was killed by Namak under the order of Hulú. The Queen of the Gods then fashioned islands from the bones of the dead whale. These islands would become home to their children. The Triplet Volcanoes: The children of Hulú and Namak, the triplet volcanoes are spiteful and dangerous like their parents. They don't cause trouble nearly as often, but when they do, they can engulf entire clans in lava. Noisy festivals are held to liven the Volcanoes' spirits, and to let them know they haven't been forgotten. On the islands of Yáma, Ngo'o and Ikak Ikak (where the volcanoes are), these festivals are particularly long and loud, for they have the most to lose should a volcano become angry. Creation of the Ungku'u: When they were little, the triplet volcanoes begged for toys, and, after many tantrums and fits, their parents finally gave in. Hulú needed toys that could walk on land and swim in the sea, and that could entertain her children with song. She took some orcas, who could already sing, and magically transformed them to give them arms and legs. These would be the first Ungku'u. The Spirits: The spirits are invisible, incorporeal creatures that roam the islands. Not made by the gods, the spirits are part of the Molu. On their own, they can slightly affect small aspects of an Ungku'u's life, such as whether a die rolls in the person's favor, or how well their tubers grow. The spirits are most powerful when possessing an Ungku'u. Usually, a spirit does not take complete control over the person, but they can still bring good or bad fortune to them. A good spirit will help an Ungku'u be in touch with the Molu and punish those who act badly. A bad spirit (one that is out of touch with the Molu) will harm an Ungku'u, by making him sick or by convincing him to do something wrong. The priests (binders) are trained in calling on spirits. They know how to allow a spirit to enter them while keeping control of their own actions. They call on good spirits to bring them and their village good luck, and to punish people and villages that have acted wrongly. When a bad spirit has made its host ill, a priest can "suck" the spirit out of the patient and into herself. Because she can prevent the spirits from affecting her, she remains fine and her patient gets cured. Rarely, when an inexperienced priest tries to suck out a powerful bad spirit, she can't control it and the spirit takes over. Nearly every village has a story of a young priest becoming deathly ill or going crazy after healing a patient. Weaker bad spirits, such as the ones that cause the common cold, can be expelled with simple herbs and rest. Weaker good spirits, like the ones that make a die fall favorably, can be called on with simple rhymes. Priests do not need to be present for either, and most Ungku'u know a few tricks to manipulating the weaker spirits. Okay, that's all I can think of at the moment. I'll be busy this weekend (attending my own birthday party), but I'm sure I'll be able to reply to any questions or comments. |
| eue12-07-07, 04:32 AM | Hey all. Sorry for the absence, it is the holidays so I will be going hit or miss on the boards here. It likely won't be until after the New Year that I am able to get anything more than random posts up. On that note: Happy Holidays Everybody!!!! I guess I'm going to be on the exact same situation. Happy holidays to you too. |
| Darth Syntax12-16-07, 05:39 PM | I too am going to be a bit hit or miss for some time, but I've been working on a new map of my region(s) with a substantially modified style which I think is much better than the old one. So, without much further ado, here is a new map of Ilaros. Because these maps are rather large (both in physical size and in file size) I'll just provide links to them so that it hopefully will not gum up the system too much. Map (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2115524407_bbfd764637_b.jpg) This version of the map currently lacks forests, jungles, and the like so that the hills can be more readily seen. Now, here is the version with the forests Map (http://forum.cartographersguild.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1995&d=1197874593) |
| DonThelonious12-21-07, 08:38 AM | Just a little bump to keep the thread alive until after the new year. |
| Darth Syntax12-21-07, 08:35 PM | My experiments with cartography continue, and I've come up with what I think is a rather nice style for political maps. Here (http://forum.cartographersguild.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2033&d=1198284916) is the current draft of the politics of Ilaros, made to resemble both old maps and board games. I will be getting back to actual content at some point in the near future, but the mapping bug has hit me once again. |
| SovietCanuck12-22-07, 12:58 AM | Aye, sorry I haven't posted here in a while...moving and all that jazz. However, I have brewed up some ideas which I hope to work on in the new years, such as organizations, classes (still working on resonance magic...so many ideas to choose from), monsters, races, (what? Half-elf is a template? Madness!), and of course politics. But just to give you an idea of what I'm working on now, I've entered some of my work on Hala into a contest at GiantInThePlayground.com (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66893)(yes, it has been genericified a bit, but once complete it'll be alot easier to transition to Caelea/Dwenty) Aside from that, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Eid, and all that jazz!:D |
| Delazar7812-26-07, 11:59 AM | good day first of all, i'd like to congratulate all of you for the AWESOMENESS of this thread... i've been reading bit and pieces, and all this is just AMAZING! apart from the fluff and the crunch, one thing that really caught my eye are the wonderful maps... i really believe you people should be working for WotC, they really need people like you... (unless you already work for them... :) ) i was planning in using some of the maps myself, to use them in my own campaign, and i was wondering if i could make a small request: would it be possible to have area 17 in a two-color format, à la LotR? (look HERE (http://www.danielreeve.co.nz/LOTR/Maps/)) basically, i'd like to give my players a map of the zone they're living in, as if it is a REAL map given to them by their mentor. it would be nice if it was just a physical map, with no names on it, so i can add them myself. i understand you're very busy with th (GREAT) project, i just ask humbly a small help DM to DM... keep doing a great job! |
| Darth Syntax12-26-07, 02:44 PM | good day first of all, i'd like to congratulate all of you for the AWESOMENESS of this thread... i've been reading bit and pieces, and all this is just AMAZING! apart from the fluff and the crunch, one thing that really caught my eye are the wonderful maps... i really believe you people should be working for WotC, they really need people like you... (unless you already work for them... :) ) Thanks for the compliments on the maps. I'd like to think that I've gotten better at them over the course of the Project (as evidenced by the more recent maps of Ilaros). i was planning in using some of the maps myself, to use them in my own campaign, and i was wondering if i could make a small request: would it be possible to have area 17 in a two-color format, à la LotR? (look HERE (http://www.danielreeve.co.nz/LOTR/Maps/)) basically, i'd like to give my players a map of the zone they're living in, as if it is a REAL map given to them by their mentor. it would be nice if it was just a physical map, with no names on it, so i can add them myself. I really can't give you a map of the south of Ilaros to be used for some other world (I'm very attached to the map and I would like to keep it my own). However, I would be willing to draft up a unique map for you based upon any specifications you can give me. Just start another thread, provide me with the details, and I'll see what I can do. It may be a while before I can get to the actual mapping as I am out of town for the end-of-December festivities. |
| Delazar7812-26-07, 05:25 PM | I really can't give you a map of the south of Ilaros to be used for some other world (I'm very attached to the map and I would like to keep it my own). i understand this, i just didn't wanna ask you for some original additional work However, I would be willing to draft up a unique map for you based upon any specifications you can give me. but since you're proposing this yourself, i gladily accept the offer! would you prefer a private mail? thank again EDIT: actually, on second thought, maybe i can just take one of the unassigned "triangles" and put there all the things i want in my Campaign World... so i can help you all, and i also get your feedback... Would it make sense if in the same "triangle" i put a human empire, elven kingdom, dwarven strongholds, a magocracy, a theocracy, a psi-culture? i'm not a big fan of "national borders", so it will be something like loads of City-states has anyone already used flying islands? >;) |
| Darth Syntax12-26-07, 08:04 PM | i understand this, i just didn't wanna ask you for some original additional work I understand, however I like mapping so it really isn't a problem but since you're proposing this yourself, i gladily accept the offer! would you prefer a private mail? thank again PM would be fine. Whatever works for you. EDIT: actually, on second thought, maybe i can just take one of the unassigned "triangles" and put there all the things i want in my Campaign World... so i can help you all, and i also get your feedback... There is always that yes. Let me see (As I say I am not at home and thus all of my information is not with me) I believe that the following regions are free: 18 11 20 6 2 regions 18, 11, and 20 are going to link you to the super continent and all of that, so that is worth taking into account. Would it make sense if in the same "triangle" i put a human empire, elven kingdom, dwarven strongholds, a magocracy, a theocracy, a psi-culture? i'm not a big fan of "national borders", so it will be something like loads of City-states has anyone already used flying islands? >;) Flying islands? Not that I know of. It might prove interesting to have your whole region based upon such things. As to city states, I am a fan of them myself and indeed many of my nations are really confederations of city states or effectively the areas controlled by a particularly powerful city. Now, onto maps. If you could give me some kind of draft to work from (you can draw it in paint, photoshop, or whatever) that would be great. It dosen't have be to super detailed unless you want it to be. Let me know what you decide and how I can help. |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 04:47 AM | http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/000-AllWorld.jpg this is the last map of the world i saw...is it still updated? |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 06:47 AM | ok, i've decided to try and contribute, so here is my first (shy) effort. this should be "triangle 18" http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/nr18-WorldMapSectionDown-Blank-TEST.jpg it will certainly look cooler once D_S has re-made it... :) a couple of notes: in ages past, the drow tried to conquer the surface world by darkening the sky with black clouds, thus barring access to the sun. the actually succeded on the main land (the two islands to the west are not affected), and all the Valley (all the land encompassed between the desert to the north, the ice to the south, the mountains to the east and the sea to the west) is covered in dark clouds, ravaged by a constant rain and thunder storm. to cope with this, some of the greatest civilization have managed to separate their countries from the land, and now they are floating above the dark cloud. on the map, the gray circles are the crater left, while the red circles are the floating islands. all this is possible due to the existance of MANA, a form of energy peculiar to the valley, which can be found in three different forms: liquid (mana pools), solid (mana crystal), and gas (mana clouds). in the valley, those who control MANA control power, since the magic-technology of the valley is based on the power of mana. this is just a small introduction, i'll get into details later on. regarding the map, i used purple for the mana pools, but they should actually be kind of fluorescent pale blue/green. let me know if i made any mistake thx |
| DonThelonious12-27-07, 12:16 PM | Wowzers! I go away for a little while and come back to find D_S has advanced his map making to an almost professional level (I have seen worse maps used to demonstrate things on Discovery and the History Channel:chicken: :thumbsup:). As for Delazar, I have to say welcome aboard! The idea for the floating islands is actually pretty unique for our little world, and the Mana has a lovely Final Fantasy feel. I must ask a few burning questions though: 1. With the sun blocked out by the Dark Elves (Sorry buddy, but Drow is WAY to FR :P) has there been a proliferation of the light sensitive races? Also has there been a huge increase in the number of daylight sensitive undead? I could see this as being a huge danger in your region. I can see kingdoms made up of vampires ruling from great Necropoli. 2. Will you be using Mana based magic systems? And with the neat flavor of you region might I suggest you introduce some rules on Materia Magic based off of the crystallized mana? PM me if you are interested. 3. What maintains the cloud? And how does it stay pinned in the region? It could have a very serious impact on the regions around you so I would li9ke to know how it is being maintained. 4. What impact has the cloud had on the plant-life of your region? Has it all died out and all thats left is a huge pitch-black barren wasteland? Have the plants adapted to the lightless condition and found another source of energy? Or potentially the spell could have been a specialized Epic Spell that still allows the sun to shine through, but only at a level equal to that of the full moon; It still provides enough light for the plants to grow and thrive, but it has no effect on the creatures that live there (I smell a high level adventure hook off this...). Sorry for tackling you as a way of saying hi, this is just how we do things around here:D. You will be seeing posts like this a lot, for alot of the things you bring up. Once again welcome aboard to you:). -- Okay, looking at the map Delazar posted. I can see a few potential things that might be problems: 1. How is the super continent going to impact the weather patterns for the world now? 2. With the introduction of Delazars Black Cloud, I have to ask the impact that might be having on the regions around him? |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 01:44 PM | As for Delazar, I have to say welcome aboard! thanks... 1. With the sun blocked out by the Dark Elves (Sorry buddy, but Drow is WAY to FR :P) has there been a proliferation of the light sensitive races? Also has there been a huge increase in the number of daylight sensitive undead? I could see this as being a huge danger in your region. I can see kingdoms made up of vampires ruling from great Necropoli. the way i imagined it, the Dr... Dark elves have now founded many city-states on the suface, under the cloud. They compete with a race of true-breeding Tieflings for the lands under the cloud. Orcs and goblinoids form the bulk of their slaves armies. There are still some Human settlements under the cloud, but obviously they live in constant fear of an attack from the Dark Elves and the Tieflings. When the situation becomes really critical, some of the Great Lords of the floating Islands descend on their flying ships togheter with Griphon Knights to save the day. I hadn't thought about Undead cities, but it surely make sense, i wull include them. What i want to convey is, it is a dangerous place, but it is not completely lost to evil. 2. Will you be using Mana based magic systems? And with the neat flavor of you region might I suggest you introduce some rules on Materia Magic based off of the crystallized mana? PM me if you are interested. I created Mana only for "Fluff". Basically, i needed an explanation for floating islands, flying ships, and possible mobile cities. I don't like to change the rules of the game, really. If you have any experience with Eberron, i like to use mana in the same way they use Dragonshards... like, it is mentioned that Red Dragonshards are used for all magic items, Black shards for binding etc. So, it's basically fluff. 3. What maintains the cloud? And how does it stay pinned in the region? It could have a very serious impact on the regions around you so I would li9ke to know how it is being maintained. I would have gone into details later, but basically the Dark Elves have made a (more than Epic) ritual, based on the position of Monoliths, which are usually the center of their City states. So, the cloud hangs around these monolith, if a monolith should fall, the cloud around it (radius to determine) would disappear. Players could indeed be involved in a campaign to destroy the Monoliths, and recover ground. 4. What impact has the cloud had on the plant-life of your region? Has it all died out and all thats left is a huge pitch-black barren wasteland? Have the plants adapted to the lightless condition and found another source of energy? Or potentially the spell could have been a specialized Epic Spell that still allows the sun to shine through, but only at a level equal to that of the full moon; It still provides enough light for the plants to grow and thrive, but it has no effect on the creatures that live there (I smell a high level adventure hook off this...). Honestly, i'm not sure about flora/fauna... what would happen if the sky was always covered with dark clouds? Basically, the clouds allows light-sensitive races to live on the surface, but i wouldn't want it to make the landscape TOO alien. Also keeping in mind that Dark elves, Tieflings, and their Goblinoid hordes have already changed the ladscape based on their needs/lifestyles. I hope all i'm writing now will not contradict what i'll write later... :) |
| DonThelonious12-27-07, 02:01 PM | Have no fears about contradicting yourself later, just read some of the more out there speculations of the rest of us. I like the idea for your region. The cloud aspect of it reminds me of an undead world I created, with the sun equal to the full moon and the humanoid races used for cattle, slaves, and breeding stock. I see your mana pools acting similar to the Underdark Crystals from FR. A kind of magical radiation that has an impact on all aspects of life in the region. |
| Darth Syntax12-27-07, 03:40 PM | ok, i've decided to try and contribute, so here is my first (shy) effort. this should be "triangle 18" http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/nr18-WorldMapSectionDown-Blank-TEST.jpg it will certainly look cooler once D_S has re-made it... :) a couple of notes: in ages past, the drow tried to conquer the surface world by darkening the sky with black clouds, thus barring access to the sun. the actually succeded on the main land (the two islands to the west are not affected), and all the Valley (all the land encompassed between the desert to the north, the ice to the south, the mountains to the east and the sea to the west) is covered in dark clouds, ravaged by a constant rain and thunder storm. How long did this this period of rather nasty weather last? If is was for any considerable length of time the lack of light, the constant inundation, and all of that is going to kill off a large number of plants (followed by animals) making the mainland essentially a wasteland. Probably a wasteland dominated by cockroaches. to cope with this, some of the greatest civilization have managed to separate their countries from the land, and now they are floating above the dark cloud. on the map, the gray circles are the crater left, while the red circles are the floating islands. If the floating islands were torn out of the land, I would expect a far less cohesive landmass. The earthquakes alone caused by this would radically change the terrain, and the craters would have filled with water (from all the rain) conceivably making the land below full of lakes, seas, and channels. Also, your current floating islands are hundreds of miles in diameter which would not only make them very unwealdy but very difficult to keep together (the mass of the things would cause probable breaking). You might want to consider a larger number of smaller islands each having enough room to support a smallish city state. Further, if these islands are above the cloud layer is it going to be bother very cold and very dry. How do the people get the water they need to survive? Do they, perhaps, descend into the tempest below with the aid of complex rigging systems to gather water? Do they have flying creatures or machines? If not, the Swoyag, the Lagar, and several other powers of my region would be willing to sell you some dirigibles and possibly the odd soarwhale or ornithopter; at a reasonable price of course . . .:smirk: -- Back to the mapping. The world map on the Wiki is not exactly up to date as region 14 (to the west of you) is more or less finished, I'm just waiting on the final approval of the author. Any way, his map creates a rather notable divide between the southern polar continent and the supercontinent which should carry over to some extent to your own region. Here is a draft of that map so you can see what I mean. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2084790345_fc81e3a25f_o.jpg Let me know what you decided to do, and I'll try to get a map up as soon as I can. Oh, and welcome to the project. |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 04:48 PM | How long did this this period of rather nasty weather last? it's a permanent effect of the clouds If is was for any considerable length of time the lack of light, the constant inundation, and all of that is going to kill off a large number of plants (followed by animals) making the mainland essentially a wasteland. Probably a wasteland dominated by cockroaches. ok, better to say then that the clouds are permanent, and the rain is just frequent If the floating islands were torn out of the land, I would expect a far less cohesive landmass. The earthquakes alone caused by this would radically change the terrain, and the craters would have filled with water (from all the rain) conceivably making the land below full of lakes, seas, and channels. maybe we can add some "fractures" extending from the craters? Regarding the water, it could indeed have generated lakes, or just draind into the Underdark... is there an "Underdark" in this world? Conside that a crater of an island with a 200 miles radius will probably be a 200 liles DEEP crater. I'm actually thinking that many evil creatures have built cities in the walls of these craters... yes yes. Also, your current floating islands are hundreds of miles in diameter which would not only make them very unwealdy but very difficult to keep together (the mass of the things would cause probable breaking). You might want to consider a larger number of smaller islands each having enough room to support a smallish city state. yes, there will also be several floating cities, but those indicated by me are the main floating islands. Mana keeps the floated lands them togheter... ot just think about land masses in the Plane of Air... the just fly around the Plane, meaning, is not SO impossible. Further, if these islands are above the cloud layer is it going to be bother very cold and very dry. i also thought about this... here i'm actually looking for your help... would it be TOO stretching to say that the Mana keeps the temperature moderate on the islands? How do the people get the water they need to survive? Do they, perhaps, descend into the tempest below with the aid of complex rigging systems to gather water? Do they have flying creatures or machines? yes, almost all the civilized cultures breed flying mounts or use flying ships (as stated in my previous post) If not, the Swoyag, the Lagar, and several other powers of my region would be willing to sell you some dirigibles and possibly the odd soarwhale or ornithopter; at a reasonable price of course . . .:smirk: i believe the Dwarves of my region would be insterested in the Zeppelins... :) -- Back to the mapping. The world map on the Wiki is not exactly up to date as region 14 (to the west of you) is more or less finished, I'm just waiting on the final approval of the author. Any way, his map creates a rather notable divide between the southern polar continent and the supercontinent which should carry over to some extent to your own region. Here is a draft of that map so you can see what I mean. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2084790345_fc81e3a25f_o.jpg Let me know what you decided to do, and I'll try to get a map up as soon as I can. so, does my map fit, or i need to change something? Oh, and welcome to the project. thanks! :D |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 05:01 PM | Conside that a crater of an island with a 200 miles radius will probably be a 200 liles DEEP crater. actually, thinking about it again, this doesn't make a lot of sense, and it's un-cool... if i leave behind me a crater 200 miles deep, it means my surface is at least 200 miles off the ground... that's not good... maybe these HUGE land masses didn't manage to "take off" like flying castles or citadels, but just created an elevated landmass above the cloud... HELP! |
| Darth Syntax12-27-07, 05:25 PM | it's a permanent effect of the clouds ok, better to say then that the clouds are permanent, and the rain is just frequent You are still going to have the problem of the lack of light being detrimental to life below. It might make for a rather interesting wasteland sort of environment. maybe we can add some "fractures" extending from the craters? Regarding the water, it could indeed have generated lakes, or just draind into the Underdark... is there an "Underdark" in this world? Conside that a crater of an island with a 200 miles radius will probably be a 200 liles DEEP crater. The question of an Underdark is still rather open, but I tend to be against it as it is essentially impossible to have both plate motion (to generate mountains, rifts, and the like) and a large, stable world below. This, however does not rule out extensive cave systems and the like. Further, one could have a hollow world if the interior is riddled with extra-dimensional pockets and things of that nature. As to the cracks and lakes, I think it would make sense to have them, and it would also help to give your region a distinct "appearance" which ties into the floating islands. yes, there will also be several floating cities, but those indicated by me are the main floating islands. Mana keeps the floated lands them togheter... ot just think about land masses in the Plane of Air... the just fly around the Plane, meaning, is not SO impossible. I am really more concerned with the energy released by moving such large chunks of land about in what I assume was a comparatively sort span of time. The forces involved would have been tremendous and caused craters many times the size of the actual islands. Further, if the islands are too large I think it might hurt of feel of the floating island aesthetic. If you can't see over the edge from most of the island I think they might loose some of their mystique and interest. i also thought about this... here i'm actually looking for your help... would it be TOO stretching to say that the Mana keeps the temperature moderate on the islands? Although you can indeed handwave with magic, I think it might help to make your peoples and cultures more distinct if they had to cope with living in an extreme and harsh environment. You might have settlements on the underside of the islands that are almost solely concerned with gathering water from the cloud layer below. There are all manner of possibilities for how cultures might develop in interesting and surprising ways living in such an environment. i believe the Dwarves of my region would be insterested in the Zeppelins... :) Please, dirigibles. Ferdinand von Zeppelin dosen't exist in the world :D so, does my map fit, or i need to change something? Well the land mass should probably be broken into two parts (a division between the main landmass and the southern polar continent), and your eastern mountains should probably move a bit west as the region to your east has fairly flat grasslands right up it it's border. I'll see what I can't come up with. |
| Darth Syntax12-27-07, 05:28 PM | actually, thinking about it again, this doesn't make a lot of sense, and it's un-cool... if i leave behind me a crater 200 miles deep, it means my surface is at least 200 miles off the ground... that's not good... The islands don't have to have a depth of 200 miles, I was only referring to their surface diameter. The islands themselves might only be a mile or two thick. maybe these HUGE land masses didn't manage to "take off" like flying castles or citadels, but just created an elevated landmass above the cloud... You could do this, yes, but I think the potential for flying islands is more interesting. -- Ok, I've got a very quick draft of a possible edit of your map, taking into account the geography of neighboring regions. So far it is only a coastline and the floating islands (in green with drop shadows). http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2141742875_44dc9b947f_b.jpg If you do stay with the floating islands idea, I think it might be best to produce two or three maps of your region: one of the lands below, one of the floating islands upon their sea of clouds, and possibly a unified map. As always, let me know what changes I need to make (I know there will be quite a few considering how much was changed), and I will try my best to implement them. |
| DonThelonious12-27-07, 07:24 PM | Well other than the inevitable drunken revelry that I will be pursuing this New Years, I can finally get back to work on this again. Delazar: I would stick with the original floating islands. As for the problems with water and stuff. My idea is that there are smaller islands that are a bit lower in the atmosphere, basically floating lakes. These would have dangers of their own, such as dragons who charge great sums for access and monsters that fill the water and the skies around them. The landmasses could be held together by mana, but if that is the case I would advise making them attached to the land below them by a sort of mana chain. Utilizing some creative applications for floating disk spells and the like the people of the islands could travel up and down the chain like elevators, to get to resources on and in the ground. Just some random thoughts I figured I would throw at you. |
| Delazar7812-27-07, 07:24 PM | i'm not sure i like the idea of this "earth disks" flying around... i think i like more the idea of huge ladmasses elevated from the sea level, and some smaller islands floating around. i think that a floating island of X radius should have a depth of at least X/2 so, a 1 km radius (2 km wide) island should have a "cone" of earth under her of 500 meter... that's just how i see it. With the "highlands" i could actually also use the space "inside" the elevation, if you know what i mean... so i can develop the surface, as well as the inside, which the inhabitants of the surface will have dug and molded for their use. also, i'd like there to be a connection between the main ladmass and the ice to the south, i was planning some movements to go on between the two places... maybe we can invert the map and connect it with the north pole? btw, i love the way you made the map, especially those shadows under the islands...perfetto! sorry sorry sorry if this is bothering you, i'd just like to do this in a way were we're all happy :) |
| DonThelonious12-27-07, 07:26 PM | Posted at the same time lol:D |
| Darth Syntax12-27-07, 07:42 PM | i'm not sure i like the idea of this "earth disks" flying around... i think i like more the idea of huge ladmasses elevated from the sea level, and some smaller islands floating around. i think that a floating island of X radius should have a depth of at least X/2 so, a 1 km radius (2 km wide) island should have a "cone" of earth under her of 500 meter... that's just how i see it. So you are looking at a cross section something like the shape of the stereotypical diamond then? With the "highlands" i could actually also use the space "inside" the elevation, if you know what i mean... so i can develop the surface, as well as the inside, which the inhabitants of the surface will have dug and molded for their use. So the islands would then be honeycombed with passages and the like. This could prove interesting, and would go a long way toward solving the temperature problems: people living inside the islands. also, i'd like there to be a connection between the main ladmass and the ice to the south, i was planning some movements to go on between the two places... maybe we can invert the map and connect it with the north pole? I can't say I am while about the idea of there being a connection between the supercontinent and the southern polar landmass. The first reason is what thay would do to the weather patterns, the second is that it makes sea travel really difficult, and third is that I think it would simply be too large a landmass and allow for the cultures and peoples of the super contenent to have too much potential influence upon all parts of the world. However, if you simply went with an extension of the northern polar landmass (say region 6 or 2) the problems with weather and the like would be lessened. btw, i love the way you made the map, especially those shadows under the islands...perfetto! sorry sorry sorry if this is bothering you, i'd just like to do this in a way were we're all happy :) No worries, its always good to work things out a bit before we go too far. |
| Delazar7812-28-07, 10:19 AM | So you are looking at a cross section something like the shape of the stereotypical diamond then? yes, but i guess with islands that are 100/200 miles wide this could be impractical. btw, i think i can wrap my mind around the idea of flying disks, i've prepared a new map, this could be Zone 6... you probably need to tweak the left corner to fit the whole picture, it is just to give you a better idea. i thought only 5 of the Political powers in the region could afford to create a floating Island, so there's only 5 islands now. I like your previous map, but i'd like the islands to be less fragmented, and occupy more space... this is were "normal life" will go on, i'd like a bit more space :) http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/nr6-WorldMapSectionDown-TEST.jpg |
| Darth Syntax12-28-07, 12:12 PM | If this map is going to be region 6 then I'll need to do some rather substantial tweaking to get it to line up with the other maps. Region 6 borders regions 9, 1, 8, 10, 19 , 13, and 4 (as well as 2 and three by way of the north pole) so your western and southern sides will need to be altered. Also, and region 6 shares the same polar landmass as region 9, your more northerly areas will need to be edited as well. I don't mean to hit you over the head with a big-eye tuna about your map or anything, it is just that the current state of the world does limit the shapes that maps can take. I would generally suggest a landmass that extends from the northern polar continent to the west, sweeps down a bit toward the middle, but avoids crossing the regional borders, especially as the corners. |
| Delazar7812-28-07, 12:41 PM | *scratches his head* that was a big tuna... so, on my East there zone 9, whose land i only touch with the polar cap, so i guess that's ok. On my South i got nr 1, which is empty, so i can (more or less) do as i please :). On my West there's 8, which is empty (same as above), but indeed in the corner is nr 4, which is all Islands, so my lower West corner need to be adapted. maybe you can just cut the lower West corner of mountains, so it only influences zone 8 and 1, and it doesn't drastically change from my map... what do you think? |
| Darth Syntax12-28-07, 01:47 PM | I'll do what I can, but I'm concerned about how Soviet is going to feel about having those rather large islands right off shore of his region (9). Both of your maps are rather "land heavy" which poses some slight arrangement problems considering the shape of the world. However, I do have a possible solution that would allow you to maximize your land coverage without having to deal with being smack in the middle of the old, established regions of the Project (9, 19, 13, 10, and 17). Regions 11 and 20 (both part of the supercontinent) are currently vacant and it would great to have them filled in. Granted you wouldn't have access to the ice cap, but it would allow you to have more land. |
| Delazar7812-28-07, 05:13 PM | I'll do what I can, but I'm concerned about how Soviet is going to feel about having those rather large islands right off shore of his region (9). maybe you can move those two large islands a bit nearer to my landmass, so they are like 300/400 miles from region 9 if i remember correctly, that small island in region 9 is inahbited by some Dragon-humanoid species? The two islands in my region are inhabited by Dragons and their humanoid minions, the Wyrmkin, a new race i created (Drawing (http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Drawings/?action=view¤t=Zephyra2.jpg)) Granted you wouldn't have access to the ice cap, but it would allow you to have more land. i don't really need the "cap", but i'd like to have ICElands in my region... you think i can fit them in a "middle" triangle zone? i honestly wouls like to work on only one triangle, but if we really can't find a solution... |
| DonThelonious12-28-07, 07:54 PM | Delazar: I think before you really do anything regarding the eastern side of our region you should look at this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=947117) and this (http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/Caelea) so that you understand exactly what your neighbor to the east has created. |
| Darth Syntax12-29-07, 12:32 AM | maybe you can move those two large islands a bit nearer to my landmass, so they are like 300/400 miles from region 9 I'll see if I can't work something up in the next few days. i don't really need the "cap", but i'd like to have ICElands in my region... you think i can fit them in a "middle" triangle zone? Oddly yes, if you have an area of high elevation, glaciers could very easily exist, so having ice is not a huge issue. |
| Delazar7812-29-07, 06:47 AM | ok great, see what you can do with the map i gave you already! if you think it is really hopeless, i'll start studying some alternatives... thx! |
| Darth Syntax12-29-07, 10:13 PM | Curséd Double Post |
| Darth Syntax12-29-07, 10:14 PM | Alright Delazar, I've drawn up a draft of region 11 using your maps as a guide. I've not yet put in the large islands to the east, but I wanted your opinion on things before I get too carried away. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2169/2148088830_87e7c6f52b_o.jpg Points of Interest: The large swath of sickly brown-purple is the area under the perpetual cloud cover and is thus deprived of light. This (I would think) would lead to many of the plants dieing off and possibly fungi gaining more of a foot hold, along with some truly exotic chemosynthetic lifeforms probably brought up from underground. You will not that in the northern mountains there are a considerable number of glaciers. This is due to high elevation. Also it occurs to me that the clouded over regions would be considerably cooler than the standard equatorial region due to the lack of warmth from the sun. I've not yet done terrain on the floating islands as I am unsure what you want. I was thinking something like a high cold steppe with some tundra-like features (considering the elevation and all that) but that's just me. Let me know what you think. -- One edit I would like to make would be to the shape of the northern coastline. It is current a bit to level and conveys far too much triangularity. I suppose the same could be said for the eastern coast as well. Hrm. |
| Delazar7812-30-07, 11:10 AM | great work, as usual. The large swath of sickly brown-purple is the area under the perpetual cloud cover and is thus deprived of light. This (I would think) would lead to many of the plants dieing off and possibly fungi gaining more of a foot hold, ok, good You will not that in the northern mountains there are a considerable number of glaciers. This is due to high elevation. Also it occurs to me that the clouded over regions would be considerably cooler than the standard equatorial region due to the lack of warmth from the sun. good I've not yet done terrain on the floating islands as I am unsure what you want. I was thinking something like a high cold steppe with some tundra-like features (considering the elevation and all that) but that's just me. see, the floating island should be as "normal" as possible, so i just like them to be a "heaven above hell"... so, rolling plains, lush forests, lakes and the like. Once again, i would like them to be FULL, one piece islands. Question: i need a desert part, is that supposed to be the north? i made a couple of adjustment: the mountains to the west should encompass the whole region, since the people of the valley believe the rest of the world to be a worst wasteland than the one they live in, their belief come from ignorance, since they never left the region due to these impassable mountains. The Dwarves are the guardians of "The Gates of the World", the only passage thru the mountains... Gates that have not been opened in millenia. also, i noticed there's a floating island in a zone where there's no cloud, so i added it. http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/mapupdate.jpg how do you "hide" maps?...excuse my noobishness...^^ PS: i noticed you went straight for region 11... is there no hope for region 6, as per my last post? i liked it better :) |
| NorthWind12-30-07, 02:22 PM | Ladies and gentlemen of the Project! Courtesy of Darth Syntax, I'd like to present this elegantly rendered map (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2146903611&size=l) of my region. Sorry for my slowness, I'm currently trying my hand at DMing for the first time (and two campaigns, no less) but my map is set - anything else I need to consider, or is the next thing culture, people, and places on my triangle? |
| Darth Syntax12-30-07, 03:55 PM | see, the floating island should be as "normal" as possible, so i just like them to be a "heaven above hell"... so, rolling plains, lush forests, lakes and the like. Once again, i would like them to be FULL, one piece islands. The trouble with making the islands single pieces of land is that they tend to look very unnatural; as though they were dragged in from elsewhere and floated above the land. Question: i need a desert part, is that supposed to be the north? Yes, the pale yellowish area is a desert. the mountains to the west should encompass the whole region, since the people of the valley believe the rest of the world to be a worst wasteland than the one they live in, their belief come from ignorance, since they never left the region due to these impassable mountains. Unfortunately, there really isn't a place on the map where your mountains can behave that way at the regional boundary. Region 11 had the best bet as there were mountain chain that lined up with your lateral mountains rather well. I could stretch a chain running N-S further into the interior. It might work better if instead of a "Valley" you have a "Plateau" as an area surrounded by mountains is very likely going to be at great elevation. Tibet-like how do you "hide" maps?...excuse my noobishness...^^ hidden text and such is made by putting things is [ SBLOCK] [ /SBLOCK] tags (without the added space of course). PS: i noticed you went straight for region 11... is there no hope for region 6, as per my last post? i liked it better :) Region 11 allowed for the smallest number of edits to the overall land shape. Region 6 would require an essentially complete reworking of the map to get it to fit. I could do maps of region 6 with high mountains and floating islands, but they would be shaped very differently. |
| Delazar7812-30-07, 05:26 PM | The trouble with making the islands single pieces of land is that they tend to look very unnatural; as though they were dragged in from elsewhere and floated above the land. making a 100-mile wide island detach from the ground and fly is rather unnatural... pls, can I have full islands? pls pls pls Unfortunately, there really isn't a place on the map where your mountains can behave that way at the regional boundary. isn't my drawing correct? where is it wrong? Is it ok to keep discussing this here, or should we go PM? i just don't want to de-rail the thread too much, but if you think this "troubleshooting" is constructive, let's stay here :) Region 6 would require an essentially complete reworking of the map to get it to fit maybe i'm looking at the wrong map... it didn't look so wrong. apologies if my replies seem late, but i live in Europe (Belgium), so we probably have different time frames... |
| NorthWind12-30-07, 05:36 PM | The Boreali Draft I The people of Boreal are a unique race, just opening the gates into their lands to trade and participate in diplomatic relations with their neighbors. A race of magicians, artisans and philosophers, the Boreali traveled from the frigid islands north of the mainland ages ago, and spread from there. While sharing similar cultural roots and magical traditions, these people have slowly diversified, dividing along geographical lines of mountains, lakes and oceans into states with similar, yet distinct, culture - all claiming to hold the "truest" Boreal heritage. Physical appearance: The Boreali are a humanoid race, slender and of average height. Their skin tends to be fair, however, in the southern islands, a light tan or pale brown is common. Hair is dark in all cases, however - typically black or brown with irridecent highlights. Eyes are metallics - gold, silver, copper and so on. Modern Dress: The most common article of clothing is a buttoned (or unbuttoned as the case may be) linen shirt of various colors, over which is usually worn a vest and a silk sash. common surnames (translated): Hawkeye, Dovewing, Foxtail, Catear, Hart, etc. Traditional surnames are based on local animals, however, the reason for this custom is unknown [or at least, the Boreali don't know why]. Some cultural notes: (just to start laying some groundwork) the Origin of the people Once, ages ago, in the frigid northern islands, a conscience arose from the reflection of the Moon on the ice, the whistling of the winds, the rush of the sea. It was the first Spirit, a spirit of magic and moonlight. He crafted seven other spirits, and it was the youngest of them who, in a fight with her elders (the specifics of which vary by region), created a Fire. The flames consumed her, and in this spirit's sorrow for causing strife, her ashes sprang up as the Boreali. There, they learned the magic of the spirits, and when they died, joined them and added their own magic to that of their children. Eventually, these people traveled south, groups slowly breaking off of the original movement and settling in various locations. [I]Religion The world of the Boreali is filled with many spirits, both those of the deceased, those of magic, and those of nature. However, although respected, these spirits are not directly worshiped - the Heavens are (or at least, by most Boreali) as both the home of the Moon and the stars - the home of Angels. Over time, philosophers and magicians came to the agreement that it was the light from Heaven that created the first spirit, and it is to the Heavens that the Boreali pray. For them, it is a double act of faith: first off, they must believe that there are angels and divinities, and second, they must hope that someone will hear their prayers and accept their offerings, since they pray to the skies as a whole, and only rarely to particular celestial bodies. Also worth noting is the dualism of the Boreali religion, which has personifications of demons - the hardships they encountered on their ancient travels (which I haven't invented yet) Another important point is their lack of distinction between divine and arcane casters - all magic comes from intermediary spirits, stars, or oneself (which is an exstension of the spirit who created them) |
| Darth Syntax12-30-07, 06:43 PM | making a 100-mile wide island detach from the ground and fly is rather unnatural... pls, can I have full islands? pls pls pls If they are only supposed to be about 100 miles wide then I'll need to greatly reduce their size. They are currently several hundred miles wide. I can shrink them so that they are about that size however. isn't my drawing correct? where is it wrong? Is it ok to keep discussing this here, or should we go PM? i just don't want to de-rail the thread too much, but if you think this "troubleshooting" is constructive, let's stay here :) It's fine to keep discussing things here. The problem with your map having the mountains at the border like it does is that there are no corresponding mountains in the neighboring region and thus it doesn't connect correctly. maybe i'm looking at the wrong map... it didn't look so wrong. The problem is that region 8 is currently claimed and has a draft map which is simply a large island. I am still waiting to hear back from the owner of that region about what he wants to do but until I do I can't really allow a map that would spill over to that region. The current world map is not up to date because I don't feel as though I can add regional maps to it that the authors haven't approved in some way or another. apologies if my replies seem late, but i live in Europe (Belgium), so we probably have different time frames... No worries about that, we are all probably on different times. |
| NorthWind12-30-07, 07:27 PM | Boreal Magic Magic is inherent to the Boreali, and as such, is a large portion of their culture. There world is filled with a myriad of supernatural entities, said to control the structure, power and other aspects of the magic inherant in the Boreal area, and their magicians are the individuals who choose to work with such invisible entities. Magic in the Boreal lands is controlled by the spirits of magicians - the Judges are (according to belief) the souls of deceased magicians, who serve to regulate the rules of magic after death for a year and a day before leaving for the Heavens in the same way real-world judges uphold the law. It is the Judges who are the reason why magic functions as it does. Their laws and strictures (nowdays no longer up to interpretation but simply enforced) are why spells function only on certain races, last for set times, and so on. These invisible spirits are said to control a specific area's magic. The magician in Boreali culture uses the spark of magic within them, or magic borrowed from spirits of the skies or of nature. Depending on their area of expertise, they serve various functions in society - some work as soldiers, doctors, engineers, or crafters, but in all cases, work on commission, either from their state or from private patrons. In any case, however, a magician serves a spiritual function. All magicians are a go-between for the Boreali and the many spirits, angels, and demons that fill their culture. At the birth of a child, a magician will be called to perform rituals. At death, they will place spells to warn the spirits of a traveling soul. Magicians lead worship of the Heavens, and commonly hold positions of political power. If a traveler were to arrive on Boreali shores, they would probably be referred to a magician. Magic is innate to all Boreali, however - within each one is potential for magic, however, not all choose to express this talent as a magician. More to come, in all likelyhood - this is a defining point of the race. |
| Delazar7812-31-07, 07:13 AM | If they are only supposed to be about 100 miles wide then I'll need to greatly reduce their size. They are currently several hundred miles wide. I can shrink them so that they are about that size however. i didn't realize how big they were...pls don't "shrink" them ! can you at least make them a bit more "full"? maybe we can add a "scale" marker somewhere, so we have a clear view of the distances? about the mountain borders, no problem, you have a better understanding of the "big picture", so your take it's ok for me... i'll find something else for the dwarves to do :) |
| Darth Syntax12-31-07, 01:51 PM | I've done some minor edits to the map and added a scale so that you can see just how large things really are. The triangles are 4,000 miles on a side, which makes for a very large interior. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2151880465_83a810707a_o.jpg If you think the map's size needs to be adjusted let me know. |
| Delazar7801-01-08, 02:47 PM | looks great! i guess you can proceed with the Eastern Islands! |
| Darth Syntax01-02-08, 03:20 PM | And we have map. I've added the islands to the east, although I am a bit concerned that the overall landmass shape is too obviously triangular which might look a tad odd, but that's a generally minor thing. I've not put in the mana pools as I don't know if you want lakes of liquid magic hundreds of miles across (it seems to me that this would devalue the mana as it would exist in large quantities). Let me know where to go from here. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/2158716233_7c058427b5_o.jpg Also, If I could get you to draw up a political map of some species that would be spectacular. |
| Delazar7801-02-08, 04:33 PM | cool, cool, and cooler! http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/fausto_passarelli/Various/politicalmap.jpg 1 - Theocracy – Holy Lands of the Light (Golden Sun on White) 2 - Plutocracy – Republic of Norvosa (Three Silver Coins on Yellow) 3 - Elven Kingdom – Forest Realm of Thanadiel (White Tree on Green) 4 - Empire – Empire of Aduria (Golden Two-headed Eagle on Imperial Red) 5 - Magocracy - The Great Council (Silver Flame on Blue) 6 – Skylords of Gryphyn (Golden Gryphon on Blue) 7 - Fiendish City-State – Xogotha (Flaming Eye on Black) 8 - Dwarven Kingdom – Guardian Kingdom of Khadar (Mithril Anvil on Black) 9 - Menthat City State - Reign of Cerebem (The Golden Circles, crossing, on Green) 10 - Celestial City-State (1) – Shan-la (Golden Wings on Sky Blue) 11-12 - Dragon Kingdoms (10) the 10 types of dragons (Good: Metallic Dragon on Sky Blue, Evil: Chromatic Dragon on Night Blue) 13 – Kraken Sea for the mana pools, you can draw some mana "swamps" in the zones i indicated previously, mostly in the shadows of some mountains and near the island of the High Council... i think you can have some fun drawing blue-green flourescent swamps? :) |
| Darth Syntax01-02-08, 04:39 PM | I'll see what i can do. By the way, what do the numbers refer to? If they are countries and the like it would be helpful to have borders as well as names to work from. |
| Delazar7801-02-08, 05:25 PM | i did write down what the numbers refer to... :) |
| Darth Syntax01-02-08, 05:37 PM | Somehow I missed the names: How odd. Anyway, borders would still be nice as that will allow me to construct a political map of your region. |
| dragonoverlord01-05-08, 02:37 PM | the map is good, i only have a few changes for it. i like the locations of the other rivers and the lake, but i need a few more added. first, i need a river positioned so that it flowed through the area where the hole is now located , with its source to the north west of it. next, i would like a lake, with a river flowing into it near to, but still before, the beginning of the tundra on Helcarion. lastly, i would like another lake some where in the west of the mainland continent. as a final note, i will be posting a large amount of information sometime in the next two weeks. |
| Darth Syntax01-06-08, 02:22 PM | Ok Dragon, I've done the edits in question, let me know what you think. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/2172069233_de8d9de440_b.jpg |
| DonThelonious01-07-08, 01:34 AM | Dragon, your region still looks like a monster spitting fire to me:P. The map is very impressive, and very pleasing to the eye. D_S you are very gifted. -- Been working on this for awhile, and posted it over on another thread. I will be using it in my region though, and once again I have a very good reason for everyone to fear the goblins of Fallenstar:devil: :evillaugh. I still need to put in more of the fluff, but it will be region specific, for now this is just a more generic version. Hope you guys like it:D. GOBLIN PIGSTICKER http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/2132630769_9ddabafb5b.jpg I knows! I jus' put teh pointy end in teh other guy! I 'ill be the shadows, he 'ill never see me... Thens we eat good! Gippy, Goblin Pigsticker Goblins eat anything. Its a fact of life that all other races have had to come to terms with. The first goblin pigstickers were hunters who would gather food for their tribe by any means necessary. At some point they began hunting humans, the tribe having gotten a taste for 'long pork'. Humans proved to be wily prey though, and it took a special sort of goblin to hunt them successfully. Over the years hunters became more and more specialized in tracking and taking down their ultimate prey. With time they have honed their skills to a quasi-mystical art form, tapping into their innate connection to shadows and darkness. It was only natural for this connection to bring them into contact with the Plane of Shadow, where they befriended the first shadow mastiffs, finding kindred spirits in the extraplanar canines who shared their love of the hunt and their appetite for sentient flesh. The art of hunting humans has long since expanded to hunting all sorts of sentient humanoids. The goblin pigstickers original shadow mastiff companions have long since become native outsiders who will only deal with the pigstickers on equal terms. BECOMING A GOBLIN PIGSTICKER The road to become a goblin pigsticker is a difficult one. Most pigstickers started their careers as rangers, who then picked up the skills of a rogue. The opposite is also true as well, with master rogues taking levels in ranger. Rarely druids will branch out, taking a few levels of rogue and a level of ranger in order to track down and kill interlopers to their woods. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Race: Goblin Skills: Hide 9 Ranks, Move Silently 6 Ranks Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse Special: +2d6 Sneak Attack; AND Favored Enemy (Humanoid): Any humanoid is acceptable, the most common types are Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, and Human; AND Animal Companion class feature. Class Skills Goblin Pigsticker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are.... Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skills Points at Each Level : 6 + int Hit Dice: d6 BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities 1. +1 +0 +2 +0 Can You See Me Now, Still Hate 'Em 2. +2 +0 +3 +0 +1d6 Sneak Attack, Evasion 3. +3 +1 +3 +1 Beast Buddy of The Dark 4. +4 +1 +4 +1 +2d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (20 ft.) 5. +5 +1 +4 +1 Shadow Illusion 3/Day, Harness The Night 6. +6 +2 +5 +2 +3d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (40ft.) 7. +7 +2 +5 +2 Improved Evasion 8. +8 +2 +6 +2 +4d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (80 ft.) 9. +9 +3 +6 +3 Shadow Shaper 10.+10 +3 +7 +3 +5d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (160 ft.) Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goblin pigstickers are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as all light martial weapons, the rapier, and the whip. Goblin pigstickers are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Can You See Me Now (Su): A goblin pigsticker can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a pigsticker can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow. Still Hate 'Em (Ex): A goblin pigstickers class levels stack with their ranger levels to determine when they gain new favored enemies and their bonus's when dealing with their favored enemies. Sneak Attack: A goblin pigsticker can do sneak attacks just like a rogue. He gains the indicated amount as bonus damage on a successful sneak attack. These bonus dice stack with similar bonus' from other class's. Against his favored enemies a goblin pigsticker gains an additional +1d6 damage for each +2 bonus he gains from his Favored Enemy class ability. Evasion(Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a goblin pigstaicker can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the pigsticker is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless pigsticker does not gain the benefit of evasion. Beast Buddy of The Dark (Ex): At third level a goblin pigsticker gains the willing companionship of a Shadow Mastiff. This beast takes the place of a regular animal companion. This creature is a loyal companion that accompanies the pigsticker on his adventures. The beast is treated as a native outsider, so it cannot be dispelled or banished and can be resurrected. Use the Druids Animal Companion rules presented on pg. 36 of the PHB for information on handling animal companions. The shadow mastiff is considered a 10th level Alternative Animal Companion and the pigsticker is treated as a druid of equal character level for purposes of advancing the shadow mastiff. Only the shadow mastiff qualifies for this ability, and the druid levels only count in regards to the shadow mastiff. Goblin pigstickers are immune to the bay of their shadow mastiff companion, but not that of other shadow mastiffs. Pigstickers can never have more than one animal companion at a time. In all other ways (those not covered above) the shadow mastiff is treated as a normal animal companion. In the case of a pigsticker already having levels in druid then his Goblin Pigsticker levels stack with his Druid levels when determining the abilities of his shadow mastiff companion. Shadow Jump (Su): At 4th level, a pigsticker gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a Dimension Door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some heavy shadow. A pigsticker can jump up to a total of 20 feet each day in this way; This may be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a pigsticker can jump each day doubles (40 feet at 6th, 80 feet at 8th, and 160 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment. Shadow Illusion (Sp): When a pigsticker reaches 5th level, he can create simple visual illusions. This ability’s effect is identical to that of the arcane spell Silent Image and may be employed three times per day with a caster level equal to his pigsticker levels. Harness The Night (Su): In any sort of heavily shadowed condition a goblin pigsticker of 5th level or higher gains a bonus equal to his goblin pigsticker level on all hide checks. This ability is negated in any light greater than that produced by a Light spell. Improved Evasion(Ex): This ability, gained at 8th level, works like evasion (see above). A pigsticker takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What’s more, he takes only half damage even if he fails his saving throw. Shadow Shaper (Su): Goblin pigstickers of 9th level and higher are able to shape the shadows around them. This ability functions just like the spell Shadow Conjuration cast by a wizard of half the pigstickers total level. It is usable twice per day. PLAYING A GOBLIN PIGSTICKER Brief description on how to play the class you are designing. Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat. Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power. Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on.. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE WORLD It came out of nowhere. I had just started my watch when I heard the call of its beast, then the thing just appeared. Than the killing started... A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world. Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class. Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class). Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards. NPC Reaction This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE GAME This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically. Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting. Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class. Sample Encounter Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC. EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her. Name alignment/Gender/Race/Levels Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +, Languages ------------------------------------------------ AC , touch , flat-footed () hp ( HD) Fort +, Ref +, Will + ------------------------------------------------ Speed ft. ( squares) Melee Base Atk +, Grp + Atk Options Combat Gear Spells Prepared Supernatural Abilities ----------------------------------------------- Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha SQ Feats Skills Possessions |
| dragonoverlord01-08-08, 01:44 PM | the map is perfect. |
| Darth Syntax01-08-08, 01:57 PM | Smashing, Dragon. Now, if I might trouble you for a political map (it doesn't have to be fancy) of your region that would be great. |
| eue01-09-08, 10:52 AM | I'm BACK! Finally! Sorry for not posting anything in almost a month, but I wasn't able to access the web in the holidays. I've been working out some of the nations in the Jari island (specially the mighty Balqiza Empire) and I'm planning on posting that information sometime soon. In a few weeks I'll have... How do you say that in English? You know... when the school semester ends and you have those written exercises and stuff like that... Whatever. I'm going to be busy with some study. So, it may be some more time before I check back with The Project again. Sorry:( -- I am glad to know we've got another triangle filled up. Welcome Delazar78! (it's a little late, I know...) I really like the idea of the flying islands. Specially this one: You might have settlements on the underside of the islands that are almost solely concerned with gathering water from the cloud layer below. Since so far I've only skimmed through the new posts, I'm not sure if this was discussed before... It seems I didn't notice it... How do the people in the flying islands travel to the lands below, and if they do, how common is that kind of travel? How are trade relations between them? And between separate islands? -- PLAYING A GOBLIN PIGSTICKER Brief description on how to play the class you are designing. Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat. Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power. Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on.. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE WORLD It came out of nowhere. I had just started my watch when I heard the call of its beast, then the thing just appeared. Than the killing started... A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world. Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class. Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class). Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards. NPC Reaction This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE GAME This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically. Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting. Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class. Sample Encounter Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC. EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her. Name alignment/Gender/Race/Levels Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +, Languages ------------------------------------------------ AC , touch , flat-footed () hp ( HD) Fort +, Ref +, Will + ------------------------------------------------ Speed ft. ( squares) Melee Base Atk +, Grp + Atk Options Combat Gear Spells Prepared Supernatural Abilities ----------------------------------------------- Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha SQ Feats Skills Possessions It seems like you forgot something, Thel... Kinda like the pigsticker... Reminds me of the shadowdancer... I LOVE the shadowdancer...;) -- Now, a little teaser on the Balqs. More is coming in the next few days. The peoples of the Balqiza Empire are religious fanatics. Their faith is a derivation from the beliefs followed on Aruna. A long time ago, the faith of Aruna suffered a ideological division on the role of women. To some women are the children of the creating entities Order and Chaos. To others, women are the result of the original corruption of primal Order by Chaos. The followers of the first ideal founded the Holy Kingdom of Aruna. The followers of the second one founded the Balqiza Empire. The Empire puts emphasis in the order. The existing set of laws is not to be broken by any means, with incredibly severe penalties for even the smaller crimes, like the theft of an apple in the market. The penalties include forced labor, lifetime imprisonment, slavery, death, and ultimately, the banishment into Chaos, which is but a ritualized execution that supposedly sends the soul of the victim into the primal essence of Chaos, to be destroyed and rebuilt over and over again. As I mentioned before, women are not considered persons in the Empire, but objects, possessions. All women are born as property of their mother's owner. And very few lucky ones ever become owners of themselves. In the last five centuries, only three achieved this amazing feat. Despite the harsh legal system, the mistreatment of women, and the religious fanaticism, the Balqs are not warmongers like the people of the Udalm'krafh. They keep peaceful and respectful relationships with all their neighbors including the ideally-opposed Holy Kingdom of Aruna. Gotta go now... |
| DonThelonious01-10-08, 09:08 AM | How do you say that in English? You know... when the school semester ends and you have those written exercises and stuff like that... Finals. You mean finals I believe. -- It seems like you forgot something, Thel... Kinda like the pigsticker... Reminds me of the shadowdancer... I LOVE the shadowdancer... Yeah I need to finish off the fluff, but the class is complete as far as the crunch goes. It was also based loosely off of the Shadowdancer, I am glad you like it:D -- The peoples of the Balqiza Empire are religious fanatics. Their faith is a derivation from the beliefs followed on Aruna. A long time ago, the faith of Aruna suffered a ideological division on the role of women. To some women are the children of the creating entities Order and Chaos. To others, women are the result of the original corruption of primal Order by Chaos. The followers of the first ideal founded the Holy Kingdom of Aruna. The followers of the second one founded the Balqiza Empire. The Empire puts emphasis in the order. The existing set of laws is not to be broken by any means, with incredibly severe penalties for even the smaller crimes, like the theft of an apple in the market. The penalties include forced labor, lifetime imprisonment, slavery, death, and ultimately, the banishment into Chaos, which is but a ritualized execution that supposedly sends the soul of the victim into the primal essence of Chaos, to be destroyed and rebuilt over and over again. As I mentioned before, women are not considered persons in the Empire, but objects, possessions. All women are born as property of their mother's owner. And very few lucky ones ever become owners of themselves. In the last five centuries, only three achieved this amazing feat. Despite the harsh legal system, the mistreatment of women, and the religious fanaticism, the Balqs are not warmongers like the people of the Udalm'krafh. They keep peaceful and respectful relationships with all their neighbors including the ideally-opposed Holy Kingdom of Aruna. This is really interesting. Have you ever read any of Raymond Feists "Riftwar Saga"? In one of the later books he presents a society of horseman who view women as objects. Women are not allowed clothes or any sort of possessions. The Balqs remind of them, without the horse connection though, obviously. |
| imake1301-10-08, 12:34 PM | Hello there all! I am eager to join this project... Some ideas I had for my side of the die would be some sort of eastern asia like culture... think japan in the samurai era... I'm thinking this civilization will be pretty closed to outsiders, perhaps just opening trade contact for the first time in a millinea... thoughts? |
| Darth Syntax01-10-08, 02:03 PM | before I comment on anything, I have somewhat annoying news: Due to some rather nasty computer problems I can't access my various maps at the moment and I don't know when I will be able to so I will be a bit slow in the mapping for the moment. I do hope to solve this situation in some way but for now, maps are on hold. -- Eue, you say that the Balqiza Empire was founded by a particular religious sect, what impact has that had on the governance of the Empire? Are they a theocracy, a Cesaropapist (in the general sense that the religion in essentially an arm of the government) state, or some other kind of polity? |
| imake1301-10-08, 06:10 PM | I think it would be really neat if after we finished the globe we drew up a map that had the old world sort of feel to it... less color, parchmenty... you know? It would be a really cool thing to add to this supplement. so in an effort to save my eyes... can anyone hot link the general rules of creation here? |
| DonThelonious01-10-08, 10:43 PM | imake13: We don't really have any set form of rules for building your region really. We only ask that you keep the tech limited to no later than 17th century (though a few of the regions break this rule in some form or another such as Soviet has guns, D_S has flying zeppelins, etc.). Also we ask that your regions map and cultures mesh with the regions closest to you (unless of course you do as taski did and make your region almost totally inaccessible to outsiders without flight). Another thing is to try not to step on anyones toes by stealing specific region themed things (D_S is pure psionics, I have dinsaurs, etc). Other than that stated above have fun and throw just about anything you can think of in there. Personally I like the idea of an Asian themed region, and I am quite surprised that it had not been done yet:rolleyes:, and I don't think your going to have to worry about stepping on anyones toes with that idea. Oh and as for the mapping, just throw together something in paint or a similar program, then post it here and D_S will fit it into the world map and make it pretty. Though with his last post I am not sure how long it will be before he can make maps again (Sorry to hear about that D_S, :weep: I empathize with you). -- I had DS make me some maps of specific parts of my region earlier and I think this is the them that 13 was talking about (I hope you don't mind if I call you 13;) ): This is my eastern island, and as you can see D_S really is amazing. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2184742200_96032e854f.jpg |
| imake1301-10-08, 10:51 PM | yeah, that map is awesome... now imagine a fully marked and assembled world map like that... *drools* Ok, I'm just going to proceed then and hope for the best. Forgive me if I make some noobish errors at first, I'll try to catch up. what would be the best triangle to claim with a region similar to eastern asia? |
| imake1301-11-08, 12:45 AM | Ok, here is my rough landscape outline... this will be a large continent island... probably about 400 miles on all sides of water... secluded and perhaps even hidden eastern civilizations live here. any suggestions for additions to this rough draft? http://www.johnhoey.org/talis.jpg |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 03:47 AM | imake13: We don't really have any set form of rules for building your region really. We only ask that you keep the tech limited to no later than 17th century (though a few of the regions break this rule in some form or another such as Soviet has guns, D_S has flying zeppelins, etc.). Also we ask that your regions map and cultures mesh with the regions closest to you (unless of course you do as taski did and make your region almost totally inaccessible to outsiders without flight). Another thing is to try not to step on anyones toes by stealing specific region themed things (D_S is pure psionics, I have dinsaurs, etc). To clarify and add, Ilaros (my region) does indeed makes heavy use of psionics, but the arcane is equally important as are such things as clockwork, alchemy, and a generally "weird" atmosphere. By contrast, divine magic is essentially unknown and largely impossible to the Ilaroi. Also, dirigibles not zeppelins:D -- As to the best place for an east-asianesque region, at the risk of sounding like a Zen-master "Everywhere and nowhere". Many of the regions have no clear real-world analogue and instead draw on a variety of sources. The Ejantuli Empire, for example, draws on the Ottoman Empire, Ming Dynasty China, the Gupta Empire and other Indian powers, the Salish, The British Empire, and the Phoenicians without being any one of these things. I also have greco-venetian-moorish green tea drinking gnomes so there you go. Anyway, region 2 is free I believe and although that would have some connection to the northern polar landmass you can still have an island-heavy area. On your draft: Seeing as I have photoshop working on my laptop (though the old maps are sadly still not accessible) I should be able to knock up a version of your map with the scale you indicated. However, a map at the global scale is going to make your island rather small (the triangles are 4000 miles to a side), but as long as you are happy with your region, then it should be fine. |
| imake1301-11-08, 04:45 PM | I edited my map to include a rough draft of climate. |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 05:24 PM | 13, Your climate bands unfortunately don't mesh with the way the map is set up. Each of the triangles is approximately 60° of latitude which means that if you have a polar region then it goes from 90° S/N to 30° S/N and thus there cannot be both polar and tropical bands. Also, you indicated that your island is only 400 miles to a side which would also prevent it from having anything near the climate variation you are thinking of. For the sake of simplicity, here is a very rough climatic "map" of a polar region to give you an idea of the temperature and climate bands. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1197/1473490386_77da599c00_b.jpg |
| imake1301-11-08, 05:35 PM | you misunderstood my dimensions i think... I meant i want the sea around my island to be 400 miles (roughly) to the edge of the triangle... that still makes my island roughly 3200 miles across |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 05:39 PM | Alright, sorry for the misinterpretation. However, even accounting for this, there is still an issue with the climate bands. If you want a cold - temperate region then region 2 should work. If you want tropical, I recommend region 20. |
| imake1301-11-08, 07:14 PM | hmm i dont want a very cold region... but i would like to have some snow... so perhaps I'll just have more mountaineous regions in some spots. |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 08:18 PM | High mountains would certainly work for having snow at lower latitudes. Before you get too far in to the development of your region I have a couple of questions for you that might have some bearing upon landmass placement and other geographic matters. 1. You have said you want an east-asianesque area. What exactly do you mean by this? Are you thinking of a mono-culture (say chinese inspired) or are you looking at a more diverse area? A large landmass is probably going to produce an equally large number of differing cultures. 2. Have you given much thought to the impact of geography upon your people? 3. What sort of climates are you looking for? Will you be happy with a tropical region or do you want something a bit more temperate? If you do take region 2, then you might want to locate your landmass further to the south, away from the polar region which would give you a climate band ranging from the Sub-arctic (like Finland) to the Sub-Tropical (Louisiana, North Africa, and so on). 4. You mentioned that you wanted your people to be isolated. How are you going about creating the conditions for isolation? The easiest way would probably be to make the land itself hard to find (rather in the way taski did with her islands). A single large landmass would be much easier to locate than a smaller one or an archipelago. 5. What sort of people will be living in your region? Knowing the inhabitants might help in placing the area. |
| imake1301-11-08, 08:34 PM | I'm thinking the region is going to host peoples of a few different cultures. I plan on having an empire like that of medieval japan/china... and then possibly having something similar to native american culture nomads living in the more plains like areas. I feel the seclusion might come from the empire sealing off their borders... perhaps with ancient magic or something to create large mountains and then heavily guarding the mountain passes. There will be a handful of races that live here... I'd like to have some snow not cause I want a really cold region, but because I'd like to tuck somethings away in a harsh region hard to get to... any more thoughts? |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 08:51 PM | With some adjustment to the overall layout, you could keep the northern area and have a cold, bleak land of dread and secrets in the far north and still have considerable area for more comfortable climes for your other peoples. The empire you mentioned might be located rather far inland, possibly in some kind of mountainous highland making it difficult for outsiders to contact them. They may even consider leaving their mountainous home to be ill-omened and use banishment into the outside world as a form of punishment. You could incorporate some vaguely Tibetan themes (and or Inca for that matter) as well in such a place. By contrast the people of the coasts and lowlands may have more contact with outsiders and know very little of the interior empire and its people. The inland Empire could well have become mythologized to the point that most outsiders assume it is little more than a legend. |
| imake1301-11-08, 08:55 PM | that could be fun... i'm trying to figure out how to make an entire empire... but have it be secluded... that seems tricky. Especially if it will include samurai caste... cause i mean... how are you a warrior if there is never any war? |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 09:04 PM | A warrior caste could exist in an isolated culture, it's purpose would just be a bit different. Perhaps the Empire is composed of numerous competing principalities and domains all vying for control leading to prolonged periods of civil war. Or there might be fearsome creatures in the mountains (such as Yakfolk and Rakshasas) who threaten the people and thus a large military force is needed. Or perhaps warfare has become ritualized and is now part of some larger quasi-religious framework; the very stability of the cosmos might depend upon the ritual wars being fought. In a related thought. if there are fearsome creatures surrounding the Empire, the people might well have come to believe that the whole of the outside world is overrun with demons and that they are the only people left upon the world. That alone would give them enough desire to have a strong army; preventing the outer evils from destroying what they believe to the last outpost of civilization. |
| imake1301-11-08, 09:35 PM | all interesting ideas! I'll start laying some framework here. |
| Darth Syntax01-11-08, 09:49 PM | What shall I do about your map? Should I leave it alone for a bit or do you want me to fit it into the world and so on? |
| imake1301-12-08, 03:49 AM | you could try to fit it in in 20 if you want... i'd like to see how that would look. |
| Darth Syntax01-12-08, 03:55 AM | I'll see what I can do. I will probably have to tweak the shape (a stretch here, a pull there and that sort of thing) a bit to get it to fit in the triangle, be of approximately the right size, and not spill over the edge. Such is the nature of triangles. Also, shall I add some speculative terrain or no? |
| eue01-12-08, 06:22 AM | Have you ever read any of Raymond Feists "Riftwar Saga"? In one of the later books he presents a society of horseman who view women as objects. Women are not allowed clothes or any sort of possessions. The Balqs remind of them, without the horse connection though, obviously. I had never heard of "Riftwar" before. But now that I've read about it... It sounds interesting. I am looking for Magician as we speak. The no-clothes idea is interesting though. It helps steering away from some islamic influences I was trying to avoid. -- Oh, yes, that's finals :( Thanks. -- I'm working out the trade of my region. I've got a map with the distribution of (some) the main trade resources on the region. Some resources are still missing there, I am searching for pictures to use as symbols right now. Most of the ones in there I made myself. I know they suck, but I'm a programmer not a Photoshop expert ;) http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/f/Reg5Resources.png I've got the full listing of resource "producers" here: Alchemical Goods: Izxhe Alcohol: Iz Animals: The Balqiza Empire Aruna Dye: The southern territory of the Udalm'krafh (known as the Urala Peninsula) Exotic Animals: The Chain Fish: The aventi, in the Sea of Utr The Chain The Utran Federation The Balqiza Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Alma Uxiv Fruit: The Alma Uxiv Gems: The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Balqiza Empire The Sea Kin, in the sea north of Jari (needs a name...) Glass: Izxhe Grains: The Balqiza Empire The Alma Trid The Ahz'Alm Lumber: The Alma Uxiv Meats: The Balqiza Empire Aruna Medical Goods: Izxhe The aventi Metals (general): The Balqiza Empire The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Union of Itah Metals (precious): The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The aventi Narcotics: Izxhe Oil (fuel): The aventi Ore: The Balqiza Empire The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Union of Itah Paper: The Urala Peninsula Izxhe Pottery: Iz Psionic Devices: Izxhe Salt: The Union of Itah The Chain The Utran Federation Slaves: Iz The Udalm'krafh (from Pareh Mak) Tea: The Union of Itah Textiles: The Urala Peninsula Vegetables: Aruna The Utran Federation The Alma Trid The Ahz'Alm Weapons: The Udalm'krafh The Balqiza Empire Wine: Iz Aruna Note that this only lists the major sources. The fact that some resource is not listed in some region, doesn't mean it can't be found. Those that are in fact exclusive to some regions are detailed below. I'll post an import/export chart (like the ones some of you posted before) once I get another slice of free time. If I made any mistake regarding the likeness of some resources being found where I placed them, please name it. I'm not really sure about where tea is more likely to grow (climate, latitude, altitude, etc), as well as dye and some others. The reduced presence of lumber is due to the also reduced number of forests in all three islands. Exception made to the rainforests of the Arm of Alm, one of the main reasons the islands are quite rich. During the last two or three decades, the Alma Uxiv has been increasing wood prices, as a way to reduce deflorestation (and to get better profits as well), resulting in the establishment of trade routes with more distant nations. Izxhe is pretty much void of natural resources, trading mostly in final products with most of the imports being raw materials. The islands of the Chain are the most important fishing zone, due to the easeness and safety of navigation across them. The illithids of Pareh Mak trade in mindless thralls with help from the Udalm'krafh, since few governments are willing to trade with such aberrations. The minds of the condemned eventually wear away after countless mental intrusions from the mind flayers. Then they become like living automatons, obeying everything their masters ask from them. Some nations employ the "mindless" cleaning the streets, the sewers, or doing any other unpleasant task. Competing with the mind flayers is the desert nation of Iz. Slaves is one of their main trades, too. Traditional slaves, not mindless. Self-aware slaves are, according to many Iz slavers, better at doing their tasks, since they can react to unexpected situations. And self-aware slaves do not require "maintenance", like the mindless. In order to survive with(out) their wrecked mind, the mindless require the daily administration of a special substance produced solely by the mind flayers of Pareh Mak. Two years ago, the elans managed to replicate the substance, but they did it only for didactic purposes, since they strongly believe every single being has the right to his mental awareness. They are strict adepts of total cognitive liberty. They did not mass produce it, neither revealed the secret for manufacturing it. They do not endorse any kind of mental violence. The aventi, the aquatic humans that once lived in Izxhe, have some knowledge of the underwater flora and of their medicinal properties. They use these to trade with the above world. They also control a rather large source of oil, and some underwater mines. Although they do not have a phisiological need to eat or drink, the elans do eat and drink. They import some luxurious foods and drinks like tea and wine. One of the things unique to my region I'd like to claim is one addictive substance that's extracted from the luma plant, which is the only thing that grows in Izxhe. And it doesn't grow anywhere else. That's one of the main reasons the elans can afford to live with great luxury, studying, travelling the world, collecting artwork, and all that stuff. The luma drug is a very popular within the Alma Trid and the Ahz'Alm, but its main consumers are the inhabitants of the Chain. Within one or two hours after ingestion, the drug induces a state of increased mental awareness in the recipient. The subject is able to perform most mental tasks faster than usual. It also almost completely eliminates sensitivity to pain. These effects usually last for three hours. It is physically addictive, with the users suffering physical pain when deprived of it for periods of time longer than anything from one or two weeks, in case of occasional use, to two or three days in the most regular drinkers. The drug is a milky liquid (in the sense that it is opaque white) and is usually stored in non-glass containers, since the sunlight degrades its purity. The usual dosis consists of a cup of two to three deciliters. Ingesting higher quantities can result in loss of mental faculties, permanent insanity and in extreme cases death. The main undesirable side effect of the drug besides the addiction is the extreme fatigue subjects suffer from once the effects end. After the effects of luma wear away, some people sleep for sixteen or even more consecutive hours. There is no undisputable proof yet, but claims have been made that regular ingestion of luma considerably reduces the subject's lifetime. I am working on a reason for the biological singularity of Izxhe. I've created luma because (please, correct me if I'm wrong) the island would be a sandy desert if there was no vegetation growing there, as I said once before. Before the elans came to the island, the plant was already known, but it was not given any use. It was the elans who first discovered the drug and how to extract it. Merely ingesting the plant doesn't yield the same effect. It is the secret extraction process of the elans that makes the drug effective. Worse yet, luma is extremely toxic to all the human subraces, its ingestion usually resulting in death. Oh, human subraces? Well, I came to notice there are almost only humans in my region. Huz and luti are psionic humans. Elans were once humans. The aventi are humans adapted to underwater life. There are those called "true humans" living all across Jari, mainly. The mind flayers, well, they were humans... before ceremorphosis... For the Karim Empire I was thinking of dwarves or gnomes first, living in caves et al, but now I've decided to keep "humanity" and go for the underfolk. I like this idea. Now, the question that I think I need to ask you, gentlemen (and lady, if I'm not wrong), is: Do you think I need to come up with a reason for this exclusivity of "humanity" in region #5? If so, can I please enlist your help? |
| imake1301-12-08, 03:01 PM | I'd love to see some speculative terrain :P... and don't worry about stretching it, etc... thats fine. |
| Darth Syntax01-12-08, 04:12 PM | 13, I've done a very rough draft of some possible terrain (mostly mountains and rivers) for your inspection. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2022/2187717799_4df679b9b0_o.jpg Anything and everything can be changed at this point so feel free to rip it apart. |
| DonThelonious01-12-08, 09:16 PM | I had never heard of "Riftwar" before. But now that I've read about it... It sounds interesting. I am looking for Magician as we speak. The no-clothes idea is interesting though. It helps steering away from some islamic influences I was trying to avoid. It is an awesome series, spanning about 10 or 11 books. Well worth the read. As for the islamic influences, look into the Aztecs and the Incas of central and south america. They held similar views about women. I'm working out the trade of my region. I've got a map with the distribution of (some) the main trade resources on the region. Some resources are still missing there, I am searching for pictures to use as symbols right now. Most of the ones in there I made myself. I know they suck, but I'm a programmer not a Photoshop expert ;) http://dwenty.pbwiki.com/f/Reg5Resources.png I've got the full listing of resource "producers" here: Alchemical Goods: Izxhe Alcohol: Iz Animals: The Balqiza Empire Aruna Dye: The southern territory of the Udalm'krafh (known as the Urala Peninsula) Exotic Animals: The Chain Fish: The aventi, in the Sea of Utr The Chain The Utran Federation The Balqiza Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Alma Uxiv Fruit: The Alma Uxiv Gems: The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Balqiza Empire The Sea Kin, in the sea north of Jari (needs a name...) Glass: Izxhe Grains: The Balqiza Empire The Alma Trid The Ahz'Alm Lumber: The Alma Uxiv Meats: The Balqiza Empire Aruna Medical Goods: Izxhe The aventi Metals (general): The Balqiza Empire The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Union of Itah Metals (precious): The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The aventi Narcotics: Izxhe Oil (fuel): The aventi Ore: The Balqiza Empire The Karim Empire The Oljar League The Udalm'krafh The Alma Trid The Union of Itah Paper: The Urala Peninsula Izxhe Pottery: Iz Psionic Devices: Izxhe Salt: The Union of Itah The Chain The Utran Federation Slaves: Iz The Udalm'krafh (from Pareh Mak) Tea: The Union of Itah Textiles: The Urala Peninsula Vegetables: Aruna The Utran Federation The Alma Trid The Ahz'Alm Weapons: The Udalm'krafh The Balqiza Empire Wine: Iz Aruna Note that this only lists the major sources. The fact that some resource is not listed in some region, doesn't mean it can't be found. Those that are in fact exclusive to some regions are detailed below. I'll post an import/export chart (like the ones some of you posted before) once I get another slice of free time. This is more the territory of D_S and Araes. The reduced presence of lumber is due to the also reduced number of forests in all three islands. Exception made to the rainforests of the Arm of Alm, one of the main reasons the islands are quite rich. During the last two or three decades, the Alma Uxiv has been increasing wood prices, as a way to reduce deflorestation (and to get better profits as well), resulting in the establishment of trade routes with more distant nations. Why are the forests so reduced? Izxhe is pretty much void of natural resources, trading mostly in final products with most of the imports being raw materials. So they are the Japan of your region, interesting. The islands of the Chain are the most important fishing zone, due to the easeness and safety of navigation across them. So what makes them so mild? Given the two continent sized landmasses on either side of them I imagine they get some pretty serious squalls that blow through there. The illithids of Pareh Mak trade in mindless thralls with help from the Udalm'krafh, since few governments are willing to trade with such aberrations. The minds of the condemned eventually wear away after countless mental intrusions from the mind flayers. Then they become like living automatons, obeying everything their masters ask from them. Some nations employ the "mindless" cleaning the streets, the sewers, or doing any other unpleasant task. This is really neat. I would like to see a template or something for these Mindless. I could just imagine some pirate captain in a longboat using these. Competing with the mind flayers is the desert nation of Iz. Slaves is one of their main trades, too. Traditional slaves, not mindless. Self-aware slaves are, according to many Iz slavers, better at doing their tasks, since they can react to unexpected situations. And self-aware slaves do not require "maintenance", like the mindless. In order to survive with(out) their wrecked mind, the mindless require the daily administration of a special substance produced solely by the mind flayers of Pareh Mak. Two years ago, the elans managed to replicate the substance, but they did it only for didactic purposes, since they strongly believe every single being has the right to his mental awareness. They are strict adepts of total cognitive liberty. They did not mass produce it, neither revealed the secret for manufacturing it. They do not endorse any kind of mental violence. This is a very illithid thing to do. Are the elans working at all to restore the mindless, or do they just look the other way when their allies and neighbors use these things? The aventi, the aquatic humans that once lived in Izxhe, have some knowledge of the underwater flora and of their medicinal properties. They use these to trade with the above world. They also control a rather large source of oil, and some underwater mines. You may also want to give them kelp beds as another resource. They are also likely the best navigators in the region. Although they do not have a phisiological need to eat or drink, the elans do eat and drink. They import some luxurious foods and drinks like tea and wine. So they are native celestial creatures with a thing for the luxury items of the world. Cool. One of the things unique to my region I'd like to claim is one addictive substance that's extracted from the luma plant, which is the only thing that grows in Izxhe. And it doesn't grow anywhere else. That's one of the main reasons the elans can afford to live with great luxury, studying, travelling the world, collecting artwork, and all that stuff. The luma drug is a very popular within the Alma Trid and the Ahz'Alm, but its main consumers are the inhabitants of the Chain. Within one or two hours after ingestion, the drug induces a state of increased mental awareness in the recipient. The subject is able to perform most mental tasks faster than usual. It also almost completely eliminates sensitivity to pain. These effects usually last for three hours. It is physically addictive, with the users suffering physical pain when deprived of it for periods of time longer than anything from one or two weeks, in case of occasional use, to two or three days in the most regular drinkers. The drug is a milky liquid (in the sense that it is opaque white) and is usually stored in non-glass containers, since the sunlight degrades its purity. The usual dosis consists of a cup of two to three deciliters. Ingesting higher quantities can result in loss of mental faculties, permanent insanity and in extreme cases death. The main undesirable side effect of the drug besides the addiction is the extreme fatigue subjects suffer from once the effects end. After the effects of luma wear away, some people sleep for sixteen or even more consecutive hours. There is no undisputable proof yet, but claims have been made that regular ingestion of luma considerably reduces the subject's lifetime. I laid claim to hemp and hemp related plants, though in my region its called Marijahn. I guess drugs are a universal thing for every culture. I am working on a reason for the biological singularity of Izxhe. I've created luma because (please, correct me if I'm wrong) the island would be a sandy desert if there was no vegetation growing there, as I said once before. Before the elans came to the island, the plant was already known, but it was not given any use. It was the elans who first discovered the drug and how to extract it. Merely ingesting the plant doesn't yield the same effect. It is the secret extraction process of the elans that makes the drug effective. Worse yet, luma is extremely toxic to all the human subraces, its ingestion usually resulting in death. What effects would it have on the demi-human and humanoid races? I thinbk clarifying this may be important. Oh, human subraces? Well, I came to notice there are almost only humans in my region. Huz and luti are psionic humans. Elans were once humans. The aventi are humans adapted to underwater life. There are those called "true humans" living all across Jari, mainly. The mind flayers, well, they were humans... before ceremorphosis... For the Karim Empire I was thinking of dwarves or gnomes first, living in caves et al, but now I've decided to keep "humanity" and go for the underfolk. I like this idea. Now, the question that I think I need to ask you, gentlemen (and lady, if I'm not wrong), is: Do you think I need to come up with a reason for this exclusivity of "humanity" in region #5? If so, can I please enlist your help? As long as the other authors agree, it could be that ALL humans started out in your region, but through some unknown methods spread throughout the world some time in the past. Of course that means there is likely some very ancient ruins spread throughout your region, both above and below the water I imagine. The other races though would have a hard time surviving in your region, or at least getting a foot hold in order to build civilizations of their own. |
| Darth Syntax01-13-08, 01:20 AM | I'm working out the trade of my region. I've got a map with the distribution of (some) the main trade resources on the region. Some resources are still missing there, I am searching for pictures to use as symbols right now. Most of the ones in there I made myself. I know they suck, but I'm a programmer not a Photoshop expert ;) Interesting choice of symbols of the alchemical goods. Alchemical Goods: Izxhe Any idea what sort of goods they might produce? Trade in and production of alchemical goods are a large part of the economies of the Maritime Republics so it would be good to know if I am looking at a potential market, a potential competitor, or both. Alcohol: Iz What sort of alcohol do the people of Iz export? Wine? Beer? Distilled Spirits? Some unique beverage? Animals: The Balqiza Empire Aruna A similar question here: What animals? Glass: Izxhe Izxhe seems to produce the two classes of goods that keep the Orothoi and Nacáilan economies afloat, I should watch observe carefully. However, if they don't produce much in the way of high quality optical glass then I should be alright. Glass was one of the original trade items that the Ilaroi were to specialize in, and I would like to keep that aspect of their trading. Medical Goods: Izxhe The aventi Narcotics: Izxhe Paper: The Urala Peninsula Izxhe Yep, I seem to have a competitor in the Izxhe as they seem to provide nearly all the goods that are the foundation of the Maritime Republic economies. Tea: The Union of Itah Although there are colonies from which my tea drinkers can get their supplies, might I inquire how open the Union is to trade and in what kind of tea they specialize? If I made any mistake regarding the likeness of some resources being found where I placed them, please name it. I'm not really sure about where tea is more likely to grow (climate, latitude, altitude, etc), as well as dye and some others. Tea generally grows in sub-tropical or tropical climates and often at high altitudes. The reduced presence of lumber is due to the also reduced number of forests in all three islands. Exception made to the rainforests of the Arm of Alm, one of the main reasons the islands are quite rich. During the last two or three decades, the Alma Uxiv has been increasing wood prices, as a way to reduce deflorestation (and to get better profits as well), resulting in the establishment of trade routes with more distant nations. Well, several of the trading powers of my region would be willing to sell lumber in large amounts. I can offer you bamboo as well and for a reduced price from the more traditional wood due to its faster growth rate. Izxhe is pretty much void of natural resources, trading mostly in final products with most of the imports being raw materials. As I observed above, I'm going to have to keep an eye on them (from a world-internal point of view), they seem like dangerous economic rivals. The illithids of Pareh Mak trade in mindless thralls with help from the Udalm'krafh, since few governments are willing to trade with such aberrations. Ok, I have to ask, your Pareh Mak, any relation (linguistically that is) to the Pak Ma Ra from Babylon 5? One of the things unique to my region I'd like to claim is one addictive substance that's extracted from the luma plant, which is the only thing that grows in Izxhe. And it doesn't grow anywhere else. That's one of the main reasons the elans can afford to live with great luxury, studying, travelling the world, collecting artwork, and all that stuff. The luma drug is a very popular within the Alma Trid and the Ahz'Alm, but its main consumers are the inhabitants of the Chain. Within one or two hours after ingestion, the drug induces a state of increased mental awareness in the recipient. The subject is able to perform most mental tasks faster than usual. It also almost completely eliminates sensitivity to pain. These effects usually last for three hours. Sounds a bit like Sappho from Dune. I myself was thinking of making use of a Sappho drug for use by Logicians (a class I am trying to devise broadly similar to Mentats), however the one I had in mind didn't make one impervious to pain. Indeed it gave a slow drain to constitution. However, I would certainly not be averse to importing luma. I am working on a reason for the biological singularity of Izxhe. I've created luma because (please, correct me if I'm wrong) the island would be a sandy desert if there was no vegetation growing there, as I said once before. Actually, its location would seem to indicate a rather more lush environment, rather like Borneo or some such place, but that doesn't mean it has to have been a verdant island. Oh, human subraces? Well, I came to notice there are almost only humans in my region. Huz and luti are psionic humans. Elans were once humans. The aventi are humans adapted to underwater life. There are those called "true humans" living all across Jari, mainly. The mind flayers, well, they were humans... before ceremorphosis... For the Karim Empire I was thinking of dwarves or gnomes first, living in caves et al, but now I've decided to keep "humanity" and go for the underfolk. I like this idea. Now, the question that I think I need to ask you, gentlemen (and lady, if I'm not wrong), is: Do you think I need to come up with a reason for this exclusivity of "humanity" in region #5? If so, can I please enlist your help? I was thinking the same thing as Thel actually, that humans might have originated in region 5 and spread out from there. However, there needn't be too many ancient ruins, especially if the humans migrated away from there long ago (as the ancestors of the Ilaroi humans would have done should this be the case). |
| imake1301-13-08, 03:33 PM | Can you explain some of the terrain on my map? that seems incredibly mountainous... but I'm not exactly a topgraphical expert... any suggestions for how that would be settled? |
| imake1301-13-08, 03:49 PM | Can you explain some of the terrain on my map? that seems incredibly mountainous... but I'm not exactly a topgraphical expert... any suggestions for how that would be settled? |
| imake1301-13-08, 04:12 PM | Can you explain some of the terrain on my map? that seems incredibly mountainous... but I'm not exactly a topgraphical expert... any suggestions for how that would be settled? |
| imake1301-13-08, 04:17 PM | Can you explain some of the terrain on my map? that seems incredibly mountainous... but I'm not exactly a topgraphical expert... any suggestions for how that would be settled? |
| Darth Syntax01-13-08, 04:21 PM | As to the current geography, my reasoning is roughly as follows: the eastern part of the landmass is dominated by a high plateau ringed with mountains. This would be a good spot for the isolationist empire: they could farm the lands along the rivers and lakes on the plateau and would be effectively cut off from the rest of the area by the mountains and the general rugged terrain. To the west of the plateau is a long river-valley system, idea for an agrarian people of some kind, although that is not the only sort of culture that could flourish in such a region. The coastal fringe could easily accommodate a number of cultures dependent upon the sea of sustenance or, by contrast, a smaller number of larger sea-going peoples. As I said, anything and everything can be changed at this point, so don't worry about tweaking things. |
| imake1301-13-08, 04:45 PM | Can you explain some of the terrain on my map? that seems incredibly mountainous... but I'm not exactly a topgraphical expert... any suggestions for how that would be settled? |
| Darth Syntax01-13-08, 06:14 PM | Well, over the last several days I have been working on the religious traditions of the nyezza, the gnomes of the Maritime Republics. This required some rethinking of the overall religious environment of Ilaros and most importantly severing the connection between Tlónism and the Bifurcating Path. However, sense I had not really done much writing on either, the change wasn't hard. Anyway, as always comments, critiques and questions are welcome. And now, without further ado, the religious tradition of the nyezza. The religious traditions of the nyezza have a long history, originating in the pre-literate oral culture and slowly developing and evolving into the customs and practices of the present day. Like all folk religions that of the nyezza has no founder and is deeply intertwined with the culture and psychology of its practitioners. The private exercise of religious devotion is still very much an affair of the home and of the family, full of idiosyncratic practices where as the public, civil religion (widely known as Tlónism) is considerably more organized and consistent. The nyezzai religious customs are implicitly atheistic for they are utterly silent upon the matter of gods. This has always been the case and even the earliest known writings concerning nyezzai religion make no mention of divinity. As contact with explicitly theistic cultures increased, the nyezza were introduced to the concept of deities but have largely retained their lack of belief in such beings, seeing them as irrelevant. Although lacking deities, the religion of the nyezza does have numerous objects of veneration and worship, the Tlón (the underlying cosmic order), the meorai (philosopher-saints), the ghosts of ancestors, and numerous other cosmic forces and concepts. Universal Concepts and Beliefs The nyezzai religions have never been unified in a fashion analogous to that of the revealed religions of the world. Each city or city-state has its own religion traditions, festivals, and customs that are unique and often contradict those of neighboring cities. However all schools and sects of nyezzai religion share a number of core beliefs that are universal The Tlón The Tlón is the underlying order of the cosmos which permeates all things. It is intimately associate with natural law, with mathematics (especially geometry and game theory), and civic order. Often, the Tlón is likened to the rules of a very complex and elaborate game which are revealed slowly over the course of play; an analogy which has confused no end of foreigners who come away thinking that the nyezza literally worship games Thoeth Thoeth is understood to be the cosmos as interpreted by the fallible senses. If the Tlón can be likened to the rules of a game, then Thoeth is the game itself. Thoeth is the result of the mind interpreting the ideas and patterns of the Tlón as physical phenomena rather than as arrangements of mental events. However, Thoeth is not regarded as “evil” only as an imperfect representation. Indeed, Thoeth is often regarded as a kind of teaching tool, a series of helpful metaphors and stories to help condition the mind and guide it toward the underlying truth. The Meorai The word Meorai roughly translates as “wise one” or “sage” and refers to the saint-like figures on nyezzai religion. The meorai are those who have attained a certain level of wisdom and understanding of the Tlón that their minds posses a special clarity after death and remain within the dreams of the living, guiding their dreams and fostering harmony. Veneration of the meorai often takes place at shrines whose location is significant to the life and teachings of the meorai in question. Statues and Icons are made of them to serve as proxies and as foci for veneration and acts of devotion. It is considered auspicious to make offerings to the meorai upon certain holy days as it will bring their attention to you and thus more likely to guide you (should you be found worthy). Meorai also function as patrons of places, of ideas, and of professions and are venerated accordingly. The patrons of cities usually feature prominently in the art and architecture of their city, often in symbolic ways. In Trokoilon, for example, herons and other long-legged water birds are symbols of Pharon (patron of that city) and are found on everything from the official seal of the city to the frescos that decorate the sides of the buildings in the ele. There are also patron meorai of crafts, trades, arts, and the like, and each has festivals and observances. The Thalos The city-state or thalos is considered the basic unit of civilization among the nyezza and it is no great surprise that it features so prominently in their philosophy and religion. The thaloi are invested with an almost sacred quality and representations of the ideal of harmonious and pragmatic order. When actions are prescribed they are almost inevitably in the context of civic virtue to the point that the conduct of individuals is largely judged on its contribution to (or detraction from) the overall good of the city. Even the ele (the marketplace) which forms the heart of the thalos is held in reverence by the nyezza, The ele is place both of commerce and debate where goods and ideas are regulated by underlying and above all pragmatic laws. It is for this reason that the ele the very soul of the thalos is seen as an embodiment of the immutable Tlón. The Virtues The writings of the meorai are filled with descriptions and discussions of proper conduct. Although numerous formulations of these ethical precepts exist, the most widely expected version occurs in The Discourses of Nurian. • Avoid Avarice, embrace Greed: Greed and Avarice are sharply contrasted in nyezzai philosophy with greed representing the positive acquisition of wealth, knowledge, power, etc. for some pragmatic or aesthetic end while Avarice is merely acquisition for its own sake. Avarice is regarded as a vice as it deprives the market (and thus society as a whole) of the benefits of ongoing commerce by overly restricting access to goods and resources. • Shun Ignorance, embrace Doubt: Doubt, and skepticism in general, is regarded as necessary as it cultivates an incisive mind that is not easily fooled or led astray. • Avoid Candor, embrace Cunning: On the whole the Nyezza do not believe that the old saw “honesty is the best policy” has any merit. There are many times when a lie is more efficacious and even more meaningful than a simple statement of truth. One should always endeavor to attain the most favorable and pragmatic outcome regardless of whether or not it is founded upon truth. If one must lie to do so, then the lie is necessary. If the truth is more useful, then to lie would be unnecessary. • Abhor Disorder, embrace Harmony: Disorder and unreason are states brought about by ignorance and self delusion and one must avoid falling into the trap of holding that there is no underlying order. To embrace harmony is to embrace the Tlón itself, to live according to reason, to be civilized, and there is no higher value than civilization itself. • Distrust the Answers, embrace the Questions: Knowledge is not acquired through the simple knowing of facts, the questions themselves, and why they are asked is often more important. The questions show the path of reasoning rather than just a few scatted points and should be seriously considered. • Refrain from Rashness, embrace Persistence: Action without forethought is both unreasonable and ultimately destructive as well as being a trait of the uncivilized and the unlearned. One is expected to act in accordance with reason, with forethought, and above all with dedication to leaving nothing unfinished. Private Devotion and Civil Religion Like many aspects of Nyezzai culture there is a strong division between one’s private religious devotions and those that are performed in public. Private religion is largely practiced within the home and often involves ancestor veneration (especially the singing of songs and small sacrifices), meditation, the telling of stories, and the playing of certain games thought to help condition the mind. These practices are largely concerned with the internal harmony of a household or family group and tend to translate poorly both to other family groups and to the society at large. Why should one offer up songs and litanies to some obscure ancestor of one’s neighbor who had nothing whatever to do with you nor you with them? By contrast the public religion of Tlónism is highly concerned with the public good, especially the good of the city. Public holidays and rituals are meant to unite the populous as a whole with a common set of symbols and stories as well as cultivate civic virtue. To this end the veneration of the meorai is central to Tlónist practice as these sages and culture heroes represent something approaching a universal ancestor to a whole population and are venerated accordingly. Public festivals are very important and it is generally considered in bad form to not join in the celebration of such holidays. The Private Religions Although the individual customs and beliefs of the many family groups vary they all draw from the same cultural background and as such contain many similar concepts which serve to unite them. What follows in an inexhaustive list of some of the more common beliefs of nyezzai folk religion. • Belief that one’s mind is the totality of one’s true being. • Belief that proper training of the mind leads to harmonious thought and a better, more rational life • Discord is unnatural and caused by improper thinking and an undisciplined mind • Strong disbelief in the “reality” of the material world • The continued existence of the dead within the dreams of the living, especially relatives, lovers, and close friends • The need to completely destroy the body of the dead (usually by creation) to help ensure that the deceased will not become a unquiet ghost • Belief that grieving too much for the dead will cause them pain as well as dooming them to exist as ghosts • Belief that the dead and influence the dreams of the living for good or ill • A yearly ceremony or celebration of one’s departed ancestors in which is once more acceptable to grieve for them • A strong tradition of keeping the practices of private religion secret • A ceremony in which a dying member of the family shares all of their secrets with a chosen successor both to pass on the knowledge and to be unburdened in the afterlife • Belief in ghosts • Belief that games (especially abstract strategy games) are important tools to training the mind to think correctly • Veneration of certain meorai who have special significance to the family group • Veneration of the Tlón Private Worship The exercise of private religious devotion almost always occurs within the home and most houses have small shrines to ancestors and to patron meorai. Many of these are located in wall recesses or in small courtyard gardens and usually contain images, statues, or other items which serve as the focus of acts of veneration. Veneration of the shrines usually takes place alone or with a small family group and can involve silent contemplation, chanting of liturgies, libation pouring, the lighting of lanterns, or the burning of incense. In addition of worship at shrines, most nyezza engage in various forms of familial worship which include the telling of stories of ancestors and meorai, the eating of special commemorative meals, the celebration of births and deaths, and the observance of a number of other holidays. The Civic Religion Tlónism, as it is practiced in the nyezzai city-states is very much a part of the overall civic culture which helps keep the people united. Each thalos has a unique set of rituals, festivals, practices, and beliefs which are intimately tied to the history and culture of the city. In Trokoilon, the meorai Pharon is venerated as the mytho-historic founder of the city and his iconongragy (herons, ships, and navigation tools) is ubiquitous; however, in Sýrenvo he is barely mentioned as a figure of import. The patron meorai form an important part of civic religious expression and many public festivals and observances are tied to them. Civic Worship Tlónists do not, as a rule, build temples or churches such as are found in other lands but instead worship in small shrines, in the marketplace (or other place of public gathering), or in walled ornamental gardens (often featuring hedge mazes, small shrines, and canals and lakes). Worship in the gardens is generally conducted by ethiseke (Tlónist scholar-priests) on festive occasions or on certain days connected with patron meorai. Often these services consist of the telling of traditional stories (often in riddle form) accompanied by music, ritual offerings, chanting, and silent contemplation. While worship in the gardens tends to be a fairly serious affair, the festivals and holidays celebrated in the ele and other public spaces tend to be more colorful affairs full of boisterous activity, theatrical performances, food, music, and general conviviality. These festivals are meant to be times of joy and laughter, an aspect of existence every bit as important to the nyezza as quiet introspection. The After Life Funerary Customs The nyezza hold that death is merely a more permanent form of sleep and one from which there is no awakening. At the moment of death, the mind slips into the dream-state and remains there, living in the collective dreams of the people. The body itself is rapidly disposed of as its continued existence is thought to torment the dream-mind of the deceased by reminding them of their once physical state. The most common way of disposing of the body is by cremation followed by the scattering of the ashes into the sea. As a result of these customs there are no graveyards in the nyezzai nations and funerary monuments such as stele are vanishingly rare. Interactions with Other Religions Like many religions that develop alongside a specific culture, the religion of the nyezza is not a proselytizing faith. One will not find Tlónist missionaries trying to convert people or populations as membership in the nyezzai religion is synonymous with being nyezza. There have been instances of people, and even whole populations converting to Tlónism but this usually occurs only after near-total cultural assimilation (the Esh of Orothos being an excellent example of a population that has been thoroughly “nyezzified”). The nyezza tend to be relatively tolerant of foreign religions in their midst, as long as they do not disrupt civil order or directly conflict with the elaborate legal codes which govern their society. Conflicts have arisen in more recent times with the religions of other lands, especially those that demand total devotion to a particular dogma. A family or other group of nyezzai extraction living among the Caeleans would most likely adopt the local religion in the public sphere, going to the public festivals, attending whatever worship services are required to maintain decorum and the like but at home the situation would be very different. The shrines would be maintained, the ancestors and the meorai venerated in accordance with family tradition, the stories would be told, and the old language would be preserved. This sort of split religious identity would not be considered problematic to the nyezza but it could very well be interpreted badly by the locals. |
| imake1301-13-08, 06:35 PM | Please forgive my excessive multiple postings... my internet went nuts. |
| eue01-15-08, 07:16 AM | Wow, so many questions and comments! This post is gonna be HUGE! As for the islamic influences, look into the Aztecs and the Incas of central and south america. They held similar views about women. Thanks. Why are the forests so reduced? Well, I was thinking of something related to the same thing that caused Izxhe to be that poor in natural resources island (the "cataclism" the aventi escaped from). Something that makes the land harsh to some kinds of flora (like most trees, in this case). It was more severe on the Izxhe, and now only luma grows there. So they are the Japan of your region, interesting. On that aspect, yes. But they're quite different, too. Their culture and way of life does not resemble Japan at all, from what I know of Japan (not much)... So what makes them so mild? Given the two continent sized landmasses on either side of them I imagine they get some pretty serious squalls that blow through there. I'm not sure. But I will come up with an answer... I think I'll have to use something supernatural, or magical. This is really neat. I would like to see a template or something for these Mindless. I could just imagine some pirate captain in a longboat using these. I was thinking on that too, but was saving it for later on. I don't wanna start making rules already. Flavor first. I have a motto: "Flavor rules the rules, not the opposite". This is a very illithid thing to do. Are the elans working at all to restore the mindless, or do they just look the other way when their allies and neighbors use these things? The first great step into figuring out how to reverse that state (if at all possible) was the syntesis of the "mindless serum", as it is called by the mindless traders. The elans are very determined to fix the mindless. They do not want to go into war with the illithids. They do not want to eradicate slavery (although they do not endorse it). They only want those poor souls to have a mind of their own, enslaved or not. You may also want to give them kelp beds as another resource. They are also likely the best navigators in the region. What are kelp beds exactly? Beds as in to sleep in? They do have fish, which I meant to include lobster and other non-fish sea food. Kelp usually occur in temperate and polar oceans, but last year (here on Earth) kelp forests were discovered in tropical waters near Ecuador, so I guess it would make sense to include them. Was the sea food common in kelp forests what you meant by beds? What effects would it have on the demi-human and humanoid races? I thinbk clarifying this may be important. When I read my text a second time I got the idea it may be a little confusing. To clarify things, luma can refer to one of two things: the plant and the drug. I should have used "the luma plant" to distinguish. What I said was toxic to humans was not the drug. It was the plant itself. The drug the elans extract does not kill anyone (except for the effects mentioned...). Its effects include all races. Eating the plant kills humans, but does nothing to everyone else. That's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. It's not my fault that my peoples chose to name drug and plant the same... :D The demi-humans are a special case to consider. I think I can leave it to whoever is "hosting" these races to decide upon whether it kills or not. I don't really mind. Anyways, I don't think that to be very important, since no one would eat it. Willingly. It can make a good poison for humans... And there's plenty of the luma plant in Izxhe. As long as the other authors agree, it could be that ALL humans started out in your region, but through some unknown methods spread throughout the world some time in the past. Of course that means there is likely some very ancient ruins spread throughout your region, both above and below the water I imagine. The other races though would have a hard time surviving in your region, or at least getting a foot hold in order to build civilizations of their own. I like the idea. Of course you like it, they're giving you the craddle of mankind! Sorry 'bout that, that wasn't me speaking... I believe it was my subconscious... Any idea what sort of goods they might produce? Trade in and production of alchemical goods are a large part of the economies of the Maritime Republics so it would be good to know if I am looking at a potential market, a potential competitor, or both. I think both. Elans are proud of their alchemical studies. I am still deciding what kind of goods they produce, but I am thinking of making up their own. My next post, maybe. What sort of alcohol do the people of Iz export? Wine? Beer? Distilled Spirits? Some unique beverage? I meant more in the way of spirits. Notice I separated wine. In the alcohol category I'm including beverages derived from cereals (like beer and whisky). As to what kind does Iz export... mainly spirits resulting from the distillation of the cereals they grow in their oases. I will get more specific, finding one from Earth that is adequate to the climate (if there is one), or making up, naming and describing it, but not right now. A similar question here: What animals? I still ain't decided exactly which ones, but when I say animals I am thinking of work animals (like Earth's horses, camels, and lamas) mainly. The animals grown for food (like cows and pigs) are in the meats category. However, if they don't produce much in the way of high quality optical glass then I should be alright. Glass was one of the original trade items that the Ilaroi were to specialize in, and I would like to keep that aspect of their trading. Forgive me if I stepped on your toes there... I didn't mean it. The glass I referred there is more like simple glass. I didn't mean any optical equipment. More like window glass, in contrast with lens glass. Is that ok with you? I would not mind crossing that out. As you pointed out below I think they have enough to survive without it. Yep, I seem to have a competitor in the Izxhe as they seem to provide nearly all the goods that are the foundation of the Maritime Republic economies. Please do not treat them as the Izxhe. That's the island's name. They are the Sons and Daughters of Karhiz. And their nation is the Undying Kingdom of the Sons and Daughters of Karhiz. For short, you may refer to them as the elans, or the Great Race, if you like. Sorry, my subconscious strikes again... Although there are colonies from which my tea drinkers can get their supplies, might I inquire how open the Union is to trade and in what kind of tea they specialize? My contacts within the Union are proud to announce they are looking forward to enter this new market. As to the kind of tea... What distinction are you looking for? The plant the leaves are taken from? Or is there any other distinction I ignore? I didn't give much thought to tea yet. I will research a little more on tea and answer it sometime soon, I hope. Tea generally grows in sub-tropical or tropical climates and often at high altitudes. Thanks. I think I hit the spot when I picked the Union as the main producers. Well, several of the trading powers of my region would be willing to sell lumber in large amounts. I can offer you bamboo as well and for a reduced price from the more traditional wood due to its faster growth rate. That would shake the Alma Uxiv's monopoly. Good. As I observed above, I'm going to have to keep an eye on them (from a world-internal point of view), they seem like dangerous economic rivals. Dangerous? Well, the elans are not looking forward to any sort of conflict for any reason. But they are prepared to defend themselves economically. And, if things escalade, militarily. Ok, I have to ask, your Pareh Mak, any relation (linguistically that is) to the Pak Ma Ra from Babylon 5? Well... I have only seen the first few episodes so far... But I checked on wikipedia and this is what I've got Humanoid in form, the pak'ma'ra have tentacles around a mouth cavity containing an inflexible beak, somewhat reminiscent of the mind flayers of Dungeons & Dragons, or the fictional entity Cthulhu. Wow, I thought. Despite the likeness, and how odd it may seem, it was just a lucky coincidence. I made up the words in Jar and the result was in fact very, very similar. Sounds a bit like Sappho from Dune. I myself was thinking of making use of a Sappho drug for use by Logicians (a class I am trying to devise broadly similar to Mentats), however the one I had in mind didn't make one impervious to pain. Indeed it gave a slow drain to constitution. However, I would certainly not be averse to importing luma. I do not remember exactly what Sappho is (I've seen the movie a long time ago...). Is it melange, the spice? I'm looking forward to see the Logician. The imperviousness to pain makes luma useful in other fields too. It can be administered to soldiers, for example, although since it may be quite expensive to put an entire army under the effects of luma, probably only gladiators or generals will be using it. It may also be used for surgery, as a powerful anesthetic. Actually, its location would seem to indicate a rather more lush environment, rather like Borneo or some such place, but that doesn't mean it has to have been a verdant island. Well, it was. But there was a "cataclism" of sorts, a long time ago (prior to recorded history in the region) that led to the creation of the aventi and made it like what it is today. You can read about it in the wiki, the second chapter of The History of the Great Race. I was thinking the same thing as Thel actually, that humans might have originated in region 5 and spread out from there. However, there needn't be too many ancient ruins, especially if the humans migrated away from there long ago (as the ancestors of the Ilaroi humans would have done should this be the case). Glad you approve it. I will go for some, not many, ruins. Gotta give the players some dungeons, right? Since I don't have many plans for dragons, I need dungeons. After all, this is Dungeons & Dragons. -- D_S: Back a few posts you asked me about the religious nature of the government of the Balqiza Empire. Here's a description of how the Balqs rule themselves. The Balqiza Empire is not really an empire in the true meaning of the word. There isn't a single man holding all the power. There is a senate, named the Chamber of the Wise, that votes upon laws and other issues. The senate itself is formed by one selected individual from each province. Each of these individuals is picked by the Pwarr (governor, plural Pwarri) of their province. There are a total of 32 provinces (I'm working on a map). The Pwarri are elected in an anual vote, by the migo (something like worthy citizen) of each province. The Pwarr rules his province as he sees fit. The only way he can be overruled is if it is voted upon in the senate. The penalty for abusing power (in any possible way) is the worst possible: banishment into Chaos. There are three special members of the senate (bringing their number to a total of 35). These are: the head of the Church of Balqiza, the president of the Balq Trading Association, and the Supreme Kizt (kizt is an army title, similar to general; the Supreme Kizt alone holds the higher rank of the Balq army). Each one represents his respective organization. There isn't a head of state, so to say. Every member of the senate is equally powerful. There is no leader of the senate. The senate in its entirety is the head of state. Needless to say, everyone mentioned inside that spoiler box is male... Religion means a great deal to everyone in the Empire, so it greatly influences politics. There is even a religious presence in the senate, as you can see. The "Empire" part of the name comes from the original government. By 241 YE (Year of the Empire), which is, approximately 2057 GF (year of the Great Father), a revolution took place and the new government was created. The main cause of the revolution was the deviation the Emperors were taking from their faith. Religion is free in Balqiza, as there are no laws against other pratices. But since the legal system is extremely based off the religious dogmas of their faith, it is not easy to pratice another belief. As everyone (well, every male) is allowed to freely leave the Empire and go live somewhere else, without any repercussion, there are almost no non-believers in the Empire. If one leaves, however, he can never again return. This doesn't apply to simple travel. It applies only when someone moves, so to say, and establishes his life somewhere else. This prevents some ill-minded folks (in the Balqs opinion) from entering the Empire, buying some women, leaving the Empire and freeing the women. Only migo (singular miga) may buy women. And a prerequisite to be a miga is to be a resident of the Empire. -- By the way, how long did we decide (if we ever did) the year to be? I think I remember everyone agreeing upon something like Earth's (and season lengths too). Someone (D_S, I think) mentioned prime numbers. I believe that's a magnificent idea. I love prime numbers! Prime numbers rule! :plotting Nice idea... Prime numbers ruling... Ok, prime numbers are sacred somewhere within my region... Gotta flesh out this idea... The religions of Aruna and Balqiza are similar in origin but quite different nowadays. The Balqs have a more dualistic system, with Order and Chaos strongly opposed. For the Arunans that separation doesn't exist at all. For them, Order and Chaos became one with each other and are now present in everything. For the Balqs there are two possible faiths after death: Chaos and Order. One becomes one with either one of these upon one's death (please ignore the repetition). Chaos is reserved for the banished. Order is reserved for those who follow order, who follow the laws. To join Chaos, the ritual of banishment must be performed. Otherwise one's essence (I prefer this word to soul) vanishes. This is also what happens to the non-believers. -- I'm done, finally! Man, that was tiresome. Feel free to make me write another giant-sized post... |
| Darth Syntax01-15-08, 07:24 PM | Ah good, nice juicy block of text. Excellent :lop: What are kelp beds exactly? Beds as in to sleep in? They do have fish, which I meant to include lobster and other non-fish sea food. Kelp usually occur in temperate and polar oceans, but last year (here on Earth) kelp forests were discovered in tropical waters near Ecuador, so I guess it would make sense to include them. Was the sea food common in kelp forests what you meant by beds? A lot of things come in "beds" oysters, kelp, certain minerals, really anything that can come in large, generally flat masses. I had not heard about the kelp off Ecuador, I'll have to look into that as kelp forests have always fascinated me. When I read my text a second time I got the idea it may be a little confusing. To clarify things, luma can refer to one of two things: the plant and the drug. I should have used "the luma plant" to distinguish. What I said was toxic to humans was not the drug. It was the plant itself. The drug the elans extract does not kill anyone (except for the effects mentioned...). Its effects include all races. Eating the plant kills humans, but does nothing to everyone else. That's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. It's not my fault that my peoples chose to name drug and plant the same... :D The demi-humans are a special case to consider. I think I can leave it to whoever is "hosting" these races to decide upon whether it kills or not. I don't really mind. Anyways, I don't think that to be very important, since no one would eat it. Willingly. It can make a good poison for humans... And there's plenty of the luma plant in Izxhe. Thanks for the clarification. As to whether or not the plant is poisonus to other humanoids, i would venture to guess that those with essentially similar physiologies (gnomes, halflings, elves, dwarves, and so on) might be effected in similar ways, but stranger creatures like thri-kreen, dromites, and so on might have a variety of different reactions. I think both. Elans are proud of their alchemical studies. I am still deciding what kind of goods they produce, but I am thinking of making up their own. My next post, maybe. Good to know. I've also been trying to devise some more interesting alchemical substances, and ones that are on par with magical effects, none of this "alchemy must be inferior" garbage. So far I have the following ideas: "Scarab Light": Essentially a glowing liquid which is used to make long lasting lamps that do not give off heat or risk starting fires. Originally distilled from the lantern beetle (a grapefruit sized beetle native to much of the south west of Ilaros) for use in ships lanterns, scarab light is now used in all manner of illumination devices from street lamps to lights in mines. The light generated is soft and golden in color and provides descent illumination for months on end. "Esuin Fire": Proper "Greek Fire" that combusts when in contact with water making it a deadly weapon in naval warfare. Often cannon shells are filled with the stuff and the flames can be very difficult to extinguish. "Hermetic Ink": taken from the ink sacs of young kraken and mixed with various other compounds, Hermetic ink is essentially invisible ink that cannot be magically detected but is revealed when the page is washed in some as yet undetermined solution. A favorite of spies everywhere. Forgive me if I stepped on your toes there... I didn't mean it. The glass I referred there is more like simple glass. I didn't mean any optical equipment. More like window glass, in contrast with lens glass. Is that ok with you? I would not mind crossing that out. As you pointed out below I think they have enough to survive without it. I don't mind the competition I just want to keep the market corned for optical glass. As to other glassware, while some very fine examples of the craft can be found in the Maritime republics I certainly don't imagine that they are the only people who make the stuff. My contacts within the Union are proud to announce they are looking forward to enter this new market. Excellent excellent. As to the kind of tea... What distinction are you looking for? The plant the leaves are taken from? Or is there any other distinction I ignore? I didn't give much thought to tea yet. I will research a little more on tea and answer it sometime soon, I hope. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. I would like to think that this plant (or rather its Project version) is native to, at least, the tropics and sub-tropics of Ilaros although there may be other populations of the plant elsewhere. As to varieties, tea is usually classified by how the leaves are processed. White tea is made from young leaves that are very gently dried. Green tea is only minimally oxidized and then dried. Oolong tea is more oxidized than green, and black tea is the most oxidized. The teas can also be flavored with oils such as bergamot oil (which is found in earl grey), flowers (such as jasmine or rose), spices, fruits, and other things. Tea can come in a variety of forms ranging from whole leaf teas to powder teas (such as matcha) which are whisked into hot water. The Orothoi, the Genatians, and the Nacáilans (being major tea consumers) tend to prefer white or green whole leaf teas while the Jaur prefer black teas often in powder form and heavily spiced. There are also other plants that can be made into infused beverages (called herbal tea or tisane) such as rooibos, mint, lemongrass, fennel, and so on. Um. Sorry about the tea thing, I like tea and so I've done some research on it. Dangerous? Well, the elans are not looking forward to any sort of conflict for any reason. But they are prepared to defend themselves economically. And, if things escalade, militarily. I was thinking more along the lines of a "cold" economic war. Trade embargoes, some light privateering, market manipulation, espionage, and so on. Well... I have only seen the first few episodes so far... But I checked on wikipedia and this is what I've got Wow, I thought. Despite the likeness, and how odd it may seem, it was just a lucky coincidence. I made up the words in Jar and the result was in fact very, very similar. Hunh. Weird. I do not remember exactly what Sappho is (I've seen the movie a long time ago...). Is it melange, the spice? I'm looking forward to see the Logician. The imperviousness to pain makes luma useful in other fields too. It can be administered to soldiers, for example, although since it may be quite expensive to put an entire army under the effects of luma, probably only gladiators or generals will be using it. It may also be used for surgery, as a powerful anesthetic. Sappho (in addition to being a greek poet) is a red liquid that the mentats consume which heightens their mental powers. As to the Logician, it may be some time in coming as I am not a deft hand with class creation. However I do know it is going to make use of the autohypnosis skill and have rather impressive short range precognitive powers based upon a thorough understanding of probability. It will also have really terrible hit dice and BAB(if only there was a way to have no BAB). The Balqiza Empire is not really an empire in the true meaning of the word. There isn't a single man holding all the power. There is a senate, named the Chamber of the Wise, that votes upon laws and other issues. The senate itself is formed by one selected individual from each province. Each of these individuals is picked by the Pwarr (governor, plural Pwarri) of their province. There are a total of 32 provinces (I'm working on a map). The Pwarri are elected in an anual vote, by the migo (something like worthy citizen) of each province. The Pwarr rules his province as he sees fit. The only way he can be overruled is if it is voted upon in the senate. The penalty for abusing power (in any possible way) is the worst possible: banishment into Chaos. So it is a kind of oligarchy then? Do they have imperialist goals such control over neighboring populations or interest in colonies? There are three special members of the senate (bringing their number to a total of 35). These are: the head of the Church of Balqiza, the president of the Balq Trading Association, and the Supreme Kizt (kizt is an army title, similar to general; the Supreme Kizt alone holds the higher rank of the Balq army). Each one represents his respective organization. There isn't a head of state, so to say. Every member of the senate is equally powerful. There is no leader of the senate. The senate in its entirety is the head of state. It would seem to me that this triad would have considerable power, more so than the other members of the senate. How is power theoretically balanced so as to keep the senators on equal footing? Religion is free in Balqiza, as there are no laws against other pratices. But since the legal system is extremely based off the religious dogmas of their faith, it is not easy to pratice another belief. So while they don't explicity outlaw other religions, they have built their society in such a way as to make other religions effectively useless and implicitly forbidden. Devious. As everyone (well, every male) is allowed to freely leave the Empire and go live somewhere else, without any repercussion, there are almost no non-believers in the Empire. If one leaves, however, he can never again return. This doesn't apply to simple travel. It applies only when someone moves, so to say, and establishes his life somewhere else. This prevents some ill-minded folks (in the Balqs opinion) from entering the Empire, buying some women, leaving the Empire and freeing the women. Only migo (singular miga) may buy women. And a prerequisite to be a miga is to be a resident of the Empire. So they make special dispensation for ambassadors and the like who might have to live abroad for years at a time or do they simply not have these sorts of people? -- I look forward to reading more about your region eue, it is shaping up nicely. |
| DonThelonious01-21-08, 12:18 AM | D_S: You mentioned making a PrC (or was it a base class?). I believe it went like this: As to the Logician, it may be some time in coming as I am not a deft hand with class creation. However I do know it is going to make use of the autohypnosis skill and have rather impressive short range precognitive powers based upon a thorough understanding of probability. It will also have really terrible hit dice and BAB(if only there was a way to have no BAB). If you would like some help on this let me know. I like building PrCs and Classes as much as you do making maps. As for the Mentat feel, I am very familiar with the Dune series (Frank Herbert was a genius). I would be happy to offer any assistance I can for it. |
| Darth Syntax01-21-08, 12:31 AM | Thel, I would be delighted for any help you could offer. I will attempt to sketch a vague outline of the Logician (which is intended as a base class) in the near future and we'll see what can be done with it. |
| DonThelonious01-21-08, 03:13 AM | Cool, just give me all the abilities you want it to have and I can make it work mechanically. I will leave the better part of the fluff to you. What do you want this class to do? |
| DonThelonious01-23-08, 07:54 PM | I finished the class off and put all the fluff in. I do believe I have made my goblins the scariest things in existence. Check this class out. SCARY AS HELL! This is a PrC i worked on offline for awhile and finally got up here. It is missing the sample characters animal companion, but other than that it is complete. Will make for very memorable goblin bad guys:D GOBLIN PIGSTICKER http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/2132630769_9ddabafb5b.jpg I knows! I jus' put teh pointy end in teh other guy! I 'ill be the shadows, he 'ill never see me... Thens we eat good! Gippy, Goblin Pigsticker Goblins eat anything. Its a fact of life that all other races have had to come to terms with. The first goblin pigstickers were hunters who would gather food for their tribe by any means necessary. At some point they began hunting humans, the tribe having gotten a taste for 'long pork'. Humans proved to be wily prey though, and it took a special sort of goblin to hunt them successfully. Over the years hunters became more and more specialized in tracking and taking down their ultimate prey. With time they have honed their skills to a quasi-mystical art form, tapping into their innate connection to shadows and darkness. It was only natural for this connection to bring them into contact with the Plane of Shadow, where they befriended the first shadow mastiffs, finding kindred spirits in the extraplanar canines who shared their love of the hunt and their appetite for sentient flesh. The art of hunting humans has long since expanded to hunting all sorts of sentient humanoids. The goblin pigstickers original shadow mastiff companions have long since become native outsiders who will only deal with the pigstickers on equal terms. BECOMING A GOBLIN PIGSTICKER The road to become a goblin pigsticker is a difficult one. Most pigstickers started their careers as rangers, who then picked up the skills of a rogue. The opposite is also true as well, with master rogues taking levels in ranger. Rarely druids will branch out, taking a few levels of rogue and a level of ranger in order to track down and kill interlopers to their woods. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Race: Goblin Skills: Hide 9 Ranks, Move Silently 9 Ranks Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse Special: +2d6 Sneak Attack; AND Favored Enemy (Humanoid): Any humanoid is acceptable, the most common types are Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, and Human; AND Animal Companion class feature. Class Skills Goblin Pigsticker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are.... Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skills Points at Each Level : 6 + int Hit Dice: d6 BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities 1. +0 +0 +2 +0 Harness The Night, Still Hate 'Em 2. +1 +0 +3 +0 +1d6 Sneak Attack 3. +2 +1 +3 +1 Beast Buddy of The Dark 4. +3 +1 +4 +1 +2d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (20 ft.) 5. +3 +1 +4 +1 Shadow Illusion 3/Day 6. +4 +2 +5 +2 +3d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (40ft.) 7. +5 +2 +5 +2 Can You See Me Now 8. +6 +2 +6 +2 +4d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (80 ft.) 9. +6 +3 +6 +3 Shadow Shaper 10.+7 +3 +7 +3 +5d6 Sneak Attack, Shadow Jump (160 ft.) Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goblin pigstickers are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as all light martial weapons, the rapier, and the whip. Goblin pigstickers are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Goblin pigstickers with druid levels can add this list to their druid-allowed weapon list. Harness The Night (Su): In any sort of heavily shadowed condition a goblin pigsticker gains a bonus equal to his goblin pigsticker level on all hide checks. This ability is negated in any light greater than that produced by a Light spell. Still Hate 'Em (Ex): A goblin pigstickers class levels stack with their ranger levels to determine when they gain new favored enemies and their bonuses when dealing with their favored enemies. When choosing a new favored enemy with this ability the pigsticker is limited to only humnoids. Sneak Attack: A goblin pigsticker can do sneak attacks just like a rogue. He gains the indicated amount as bonus damage on a successful sneak attack. These bonus dice stack with similar bonus' from other class's. Against his favored enemies a goblin pigsticker gains an additional +1d6 damage for each +2 bonus he gains from his Favored Enemy class ability. Beast Buddy of The Dark (Ex): At third level a goblin pigsticker gains the willing companionship of a Shadow Mastiff. This beast takes the place of a regular animal companion. This creature is a loyal companion that accompanies the pigsticker on his adventures. The beast is treated as a native outsider, so it cannot be dispelled or banished and can be resurrected. Use the Druids Animal Companion rules presented on pg. 36 of the PHB for information on handling animal companions. The shadow mastiff is considered a 10th level Alternative Animal Companion and the pigsticker is treated as a druid of equal character level for purposes of advancing the shadow mastiff. Only the shadow mastiff qualifies for this ability, and the druid levels only count in regards to the shadow mastiff. Goblin pigstickers are immune to the bay of their shadow mastiff companion, but not that of other shadow mastiffs. Shadow Jump (Su): At 4th level, a pigsticker gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a Dimension Door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some heavy shadow. A pigsticker can jump up to a total of 20 feet each day in this way; This may be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a pigsticker can jump each day doubles (40 feet at 6th, 80 feet at 8th, and 160 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment. This ability only functions for the pigsticker and his shadow mastiff companion. Pigstickers may choose to jump alone or with their shadow mastiff, but not the shadow mastiff alone. Shadow Illusion (Sp): When a pigsticker reaches 5th level, he can create simple visual illusions. This ability’s effect is identical to that of the arcane spell Silent Image and may be employed three times per day with a caster level equal to his pigsticker levels. Can You See Me Now (Su): At 7th level a goblin pigsticker can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a pigsticker can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow. Shadow Shaper (Su): Goblin pigstickers of 9th level and higher are able to shape the shadows around them. This ability functions just like the spell Shadow Conjuration cast by a wizard of half the pigstickers total level. It is usable twice per day. PLAYING A GOBLIN PIGSTICKER Shadows and darkness are your friend. Keep in the dark as much as possible Combat: Goblin pigstickers usually start off combat by having their shadow mastiff use its Bay ability to confuse and panic weaker enemies. Enemies who resist the bay become targets for a shadow jump sneak attack. Hit and run tactics are your friend. Your shadow mastiff companion can panic many enemies, sending them fleeing into the darkness where you can pick individuals off quickly. Advancement: Goblin pigstickers have a pretty straight forward advancement. They can also choose to advance any of their other classes as well. If they went primarily ranger then they could continue to advance in that class for the combat abilities. If they chose to just dip into ranger for the Favored Enemy, but were mostly druid then they could continue to advance as Druid for the spellcasting, which can make for exceptionally dangerous pigstickers. Resources: Most goblin pigstickers are highly respected and valued members of their communities. If a pigsticker is associated with a particular tribe or village then he can expect to have members of that community ready to aid him when needed, but only if it falls within the normal behaviors for them. Goblin pigstickers are also highly sought after by the armies of their larger cousins, such as hobgoblins and bugbears, where they act as spies, assassins, and recon specialists. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE WORLD It came out of nowhere. I had just started my watch when I heard the call of its beast, then the thing just appeared. Than the killing started... Goblin pigstickers are first and foremost lone hunters and trackers for their communities. Very rarely do humans or their allies survive encounters with them, and when the survivor tells their stories these are often dismissed by their fellows as an exaggeration. The exception to this is the elves, whose trackers and rangers often come across the remains of a pigsticker hunt. Daily Life: Your day usually starts at dusk. You will get a report on your particular races activities during that day, then prepare to hunt accordingly. When the call to arms is sounded you are usually the first to respond, putting your skills as a scout to use in order to gain the greatest advantage for your less courageous allies to plan their ambushes. Notables: One of the greatest goblin pigstickers of all time was a nondescript little goblin who went by the name of Gippy. He and his shadow mastiff companion, Dusk Fang, were masters of tracking down and killing elves, the hardest of prey. On one occasion the pair single-handedly took out an entire isolated elf village in the course of just one week, earning him the elven name "Si Paer Ail Si Bol", The Death In The Night. Organizations: Goblin pigstickers are usually loners, seeking only the companionship of their shadow mastiffs. When tackling particularly tough hunts, such as taking entire villages, they may band together along with many other members of their village or tribe in order to do the job as efficiently as possible. Occasionally pigstickers will maintain contact with similarly aligned druids and rangers they knew prior to taking this PrC. NPC Reaction You are a goblin who specifically hunts humans and their allies, so feelings about you are mixed. To those you hunt you are a menace, and a creature of unspeakably horror, if you are not first dismissed as simple myth. To those of your tribe who depend on you for the meat and equipment you bring in you are a hero, though still something to be feared and respected. If you are serving in any sort of military capacity you are a valuable soldier and a feared enemy. GOBLIN PIGSTICKERS IN THE GAME The ability to shadow jump in and sneak attack are a devastating combination. Expect pigsticker characters to be in and out of combat when in areas of heavy shadow or darkness. Adaptation: Pigsticker can actually be applied to any race that has a tribal or clan structure and also eats other humanoids. Pigsticker is the goblin term for it, though Shadow Stalker, (X-Race) Slayer, or other similar types of names can also work. Just change the race requirement to whatever suits you, or remove it entirely. Encounters: Most often pigsticker npcs will only be encountered if they are hunting one or all of the PCs. Under very rare circumstances players may need to seek out the assistance of a pigsticker, usually this will involve them hiring the hunter to take out specific members of the pigstickers favored race. Another common encounter is during times of conflict, when PCs may encounter lone pigstickers that are acting as advance scouts, or small units containing several pigstickers and their companions on assassination missions. Sample Encounter As stated above, most encounters with Goblin Pigstickers occur when they are out hunting. And your the prey... EL 20: Your group is walking along a forest trail, through the lengthening shadows of dusk, searching for a suitable place to make camp. As you all look about for somewhere to settle in for the night none of you can shake the feeling that something is watching you. A quick search of the area by your guide, an elf ranger and his wolf companion, turns up nothing. Yet you all still feel the need to gather a little extra firewood to help keep the shadows at bay. As night falls your little band of adventurers begins to get comfortable, the ranger offers to take first watch. This has become the regular routine over the last several days, so none of you think anything of it and turn in. Just as you are beginning to drift off to sleep though you hear the elf begin to say something, but his words are lost as they quickly turn into a gurgling scream. As you come fully awake something wet splatters the sides of your tent, and the crackling firelight makes the now dripping smears dance wildly as you grope for your sword. Then you hear the bay of a beast from your nightmares. It pierces all the way to your soul, bringing back every fear of every night terror from your childhood. You shake the feeling quickly though, as your little group of thrill seekers grab up their weapons and charge out into the cool night air. You are all greeted by the sight of your elven guide hanging from a tree, his insides torn out. It had taken less than 20 seconds from the first sound, and as you look on in horror his sharp elven eyes blink several times at you, a pleading look on his smooth face, before going dull. Then from out of the darkness you hear a high pitched but grating voice laugh at your distress. From everywhere and nowhere you hear the voice whisper to you "Now the hunt begins..." Still need to do the stats for Dusk Fang, but Gippy himself is done. Gippy, The Death In The Night NE Male Goblin Rogue3/Druid6/Ranger1/Goblin Pigsticker 10 Init: +11 Senses: Listen +3, Spot +18, Dark Vision 60 feet Languages: Common, Goblin, Elven, Druidic ------------------------------------------------ AC: 27; Touch 19; Flat-footed 21 (10 +4 Leather, +6 Dex, +1 Size, +3 Deflection, +3 Natural) HP: 95 (3d6+6d8+1d8+10d6+20 HD) Fort +16, Ref +25, Will +15 ------------------------------------------------ Speed: 30ft. (6 Squares) Special Movement: Shadow Jump 160 Ft. Base Atk: +14/+9/+4 Grp: +11 Melee: +25/+20/+15 (+27/+22/+17 Vs. Elves) Ranged: +24/+19/+14 Damage: +3 Flaming Elf Bane Short Sword 1d4+1d6+4 19-20/x2 (17-20/x2 W/ Keen) Melee; +2 Thundering Shock Composite Shotbow 1d4+1d6+1 20/x3 (+2d8 Sonic On Critical) Ranged Atk Options: Sneak Attack +7d6 (+10d6/Elves, +9d6/Humans, +8d6 Halflings), Wild Shape 3/Day Combat Gear: +3 Flaming Elf Bane Short Sword, +2 Thundering Shock Composite Shortbow (+1 Str) Spells Prepared: 0: Create Water x 2, Detect Magic, Mending, Read Magic 1st: Entangle, Faerie Fire, Obscuring Mist, Produce Flame 2nd: Barkskin, Bulls Strength, Spider Climb, Tree Shape 3rd: Call Lightning, Poison, Quench Supernatural Abilities: Can You See Me Now, Harness The Night, Shadow Illusion 3/Day, Shadow Shaper 2/Day ----------------------------------------------- Abilities: Str 12, Dex 24, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10 SQ: Dark Vision 60 Ft., Small Size, Trap Finding, Improved Evasion, Trap Sense +1, Animal Companion, Nature Sense, Wild Empathy, Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Resist Natures Lure, Wild Shape, Favored Enemy (Elf +6, Human +4, Halfling +2), Track, Can You See Me Now, Still Hate 'Em, Beast Buddy Of The Dark, Shadow Jump, Harness The Night, Shadow Illusion, Shadow Shaper Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse, Track, Improved Initiative, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Natural Spell Skills: Balance +7, Concentration +11, Disguise +25, Escape Artist +7, Hide +60 (+70 in heavy shadow), Jump +10, Knowledge (Nature) +26, Listen +3, Move Silently +41, Ride +11, Search +20, Spot +18, Survival +28 Spell Casting: Druid Spells 5/4/4/3 Possessions: +3 Flaming Elf Bane Short Sword, +2 Thundering Shock Composite Shortbow (+1 Str), +2 Wild Leather of Improved Shadow (glamored to look like silver-ish leather), Ring of Protection +3, Ring of Chameleon, Potion of Nondetection, Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (25 Charges), Amulet of Natural Armor +3, Boots of Elvenkind, Cloak of Resistance +4, 2 Elixirs of Sneaking (+10 competence Move Silently/1 hour), Gloves of Dexterity +4, Hat of Disguise (uses it to look like a halfling), Hewards Handy Haversack, Ioun Stone (Deep Red Sphere +2 Enhancement Dex), Scabbard of Keen Edges, Druids Vestments, 174pp, 62gp, 103sp Sneak Attack If Gippy can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. On a successful attack against an opponent who is denied their dexterity bonus to AC, Gippy deals an addition 7d6 points of Sneak Attack damage. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks as well, but only if the target is within 30 feet. Gippys goblin pigsticker levels grant him a special sneak attack against his favored enemies. For every +2 bonus he gets from his favored enemy ability, Gippy gets an additional +1d6 SA damage. Trapfinding: Gippy can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Gippy can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. If Gippy beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check he can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it. Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while Gippy still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he takes only half damage on a failed save. If Gippy is helpless he does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. Trap Sense (Ex): Gippy has an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. Spontaneous Casting: Gippy can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that he hasn’t prepared ahead of time. He can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower. Wild Empathy (Ex): Gippy can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. Gippy rolls 1d20 and adds his druid level and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, Gippy and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. Gippy can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check. Woodland Stride (Ex): Gippy may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him. Trackless Step (Ex): Gippy leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired. Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Gippy gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey. Wild Shape (Su): Gippy has the ability to turn himself into any Small or Medium animal and back again three times per day. His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time he uses wild shape, he regain lost hit points as if he had rested for a night. Any gear, except his armor, worn or carried by Gippy melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When he reverts to his true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on his body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at Gippys feet. The form chosen must be that of an animal Gippy is familiar with. Gippy loses the ability to speak while in animal form because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.) The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed Gippys druid level. Favored Enemy (Ex): Gippys favored enemies are elves, humans, and halflings. He gains a +6 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against elves. Likewise, he gets a +6 bonus on weapon damage rolls as well. For humans this bonus drops to +4; for halflings it drops again to +2. Can You See Me Now (Su): Gippy can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a he can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow. Beast Buddy of The Dark (Ex): Gippy long ago gained the willing companionship of a Shadow Mastiff, which he has named Dusk Fang. This beast takes the place Gippys regular animal companion. Dusk Fang is a loyal companion that accompanies Gippy on his adventures. The beast is treated as a native outsider, so it cannot be dispelled or banished and can be resurrected. Use the Druids Animal Companion rules presented on pg. 36 of the PHB for information on handling animal companions. Dusk Fnag is treated as a 10th level animal companion, and Gippy is treated as a 20th level Druid for purposes regarding the advancement of Dusk Fang. Gippy is immune to the bay of his shadow mastiff companion, but not that of other shadow mastiffs. Shadow Jump (Su): Gippy has totally mastered his ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a Dimension Door spell. His only limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some heavy shadow. Gippy can jump up to a total of 160 feet each day in this way; This may be a single jump of 10 feet or multiple jumps of varying distances. His max distance of 160 feet can be split among many jumps. Gippy can jump less than 10 feet at a time, but no matter how small, it still counts as a 10-foot increment. This ability only functions for Gippy and Dusk Fang. Gippy may choose to jump alone or with his shadow mastiff, but cannot jump the shadow mastiff alone. Shadow Illusion (Sp): Gippy can create simple visual illusions using the stuff of shadows. This ability’s effect is identical to that of the arcane spell Silent Image and may be employed three times per day. He has a CL of 10. Harness The Night (Su): In any sort of heavily shadowed condition Gippy gains a bonus equal to his goblin pigsticker levels (+10) on all hide checks. This ability is negated in any light greater than that produced by a Light spell. Shadow Shaper (Su): Gippy has reached the pinnacle of the goblin pigstickers shadow mastery and is able to shape the shadows around himself. This ability functions just like the spell Shadow Conjuration cast by a wizard of 10th level. It is usable twice per day. |
| Elf_Jedi01-24-08, 12:51 AM | http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=690271 Feel free to Pilage, it was something similar to this..... |
| eue01-25-08, 09:30 AM | Ok, I survived the first week of finals. One more to go. I took a little break and I got time to elaborate on a quick post... ...ones that are on par with magical effects, none of this "alchemy must be inferior" garbage. Seems like you took the words right off my pocket. I'll be working on some of my designs soon. ...when the page is washed in some as yet undetermined solution. It might be interesting if the elans were the main producers of that... You know... spice the competition little... Tell me what you think. I would like to think that this plant (or rather its Project version) is native to, at least, the tropics and sub-tropics of Ilaros although there may be other populations of the plant elsewhere. So, you mean that Iz (and other tea-producing nations across the globed) imported it from Ilaros? No problem there. Thanks for the lecture on tea. I usually tend to do the same with topics I know a lot about, so, it's fine by me. I only notice I've crossed the line once it gets to the size of an entire screen. From now on, I will never again use tea to refer to tisane. I hate it when I reveal my ignorance through my use of words. As to the kind of tea Iz specializes on... Well, I've read about gunpowder tea. I like the name... It sounds... strange. So, Iz's tea speciality is the gunpowder variant. I was thinking more along the lines of a "cold" economic war. Trade embargoes, some light privateering, market manipulation, espionage, and so on. Great. Great. Wonderful. I hate "warm" wars of any kind. I prefer when powers "attack" each other without really "attacking". That's settled then. So it is a kind of oligarchy then? Do they have imperialist goals such control over neighboring populations or interest in colonies? Yes, it's like an oligarchy. They had imperialistic goals before the revolution. But not anymore. As I said, they are an Empire only by name. They may like to establish colonies somewhere, but I guess they're not very concerned about it. It would seem to me that this triad would have considerable power, more so than the other members of the senate. How is power theoretically balanced so as to keep the senators on equal footing? Yeah, you got me there. In theory, and according to the law, each senator holds equal power. One vote is always one vote. No matter who voted it. But, in truth, each member of this triad (thanks for the term) holds more power on the senate than a single vote. What happens is that the senate is somewhat split into three "factions": those who play along with the Church, those who play along with the Traders, and those who play along with the military. That's the kind of thing everyone knows about but no one really does anything against. So while they don't explicity outlaw other religions, they have built their society in such a way as to make other religions effectively useless and implicitly forbidden. Devious. That's the tone. The Balqs are not simply brutes who mistreat women. They are an intelligent, civilized, and cultured people. They managed to keep friendly diplomatic and economic relationships with even the Arunans, followers of diametrically opposed ideas. So they make special dispensation for ambassadors and the like who might have to live abroad for years at a time or do they simply not have these sorts of people? Sure. That was floating around my mind when I was typing that, but somehow it never made it to the fingers. I look forward to reading more about your region eue, it is shaping up nicely. It's nice to hear. I'll try to keep up with the good work. Once finals are over... (next week) I will now get back to study how the GROUP BY and the HAVING clauses interact within the SELECT statement and all that stuff. :weep: |
| LefferDP01-25-08, 01:13 PM | Yo. School, work and muay thai took me away for a while, but I am returned. Will have new content by tomorrow. |
| Darth Syntax01-25-08, 05:08 PM | Ok, I survived the first week of finals. One more to go. I took a little break and I got time to elaborate on a quick post... Glad to hear you survived, finals can be brutal. Seems like you took the words right off my pocket. I'll be working on some of my designs soon. We seem to have hit on a theme here: alchemy and psionics (two great flavors together at last). I'll be working on alchemy as well, I've just got a lot on my plate at the moment. It might be interesting if the elans were the main producers of that... You know... spice the competition little... Tell me what you think. While I am in favor of competition, the ink is near and dear to me and I would like to keep it. So, you mean that Iz (and other tea-producing nations across the globed) imported it from Ilaros? No problem there. That might be the case, but the plant may have populations that arrived in a less agentive way, say through ocean dispersal of seeds or some such thing. As to the kind of tea Iz specializes on... Well, I've read about gunpowder tea. I like the name... It sounds... strange. So, Iz's tea speciality is the gunpowder variant. Gunpowder tea is a green tea that is rolled into pellets that look a bit like grains of black powder. Considering the variety, I would think the Orothoi and the Nacáilans would be interested in importing it. Great. Great. Wonderful. I hate "warm" wars of any kind. I prefer when powers "attack" each other without really "attacking". That's settled then. I agree. It especially makes sense considering that the Orothoi consider open conflict to be cowardly and unimaginative while devious manipulation and economic warfare the proper expression of hostilities. Yes, it's like an oligarchy. They had imperialistic goals before the revolution. But not anymore. As I said, they are an Empire only by name. They may like to establish colonies somewhere, but I guess they're not very concerned about it. Ok. Do you have any ideas as to where they might have colonized or what sort of resources they might be interested in? Yeah, you got me there. In theory, and according to the law, each senator holds equal power. One vote is always one vote. No matter who voted it. But, in truth, each member of this triad (thanks for the term) holds more power on the senate than a single vote. What happens is that the senate is somewhat split into three "factions": those who play along with the Church, those who play along with the Traders, and those who play along with the military. That's the kind of thing everyone knows about but no one really does anything against. So the senate has pseudo-political parties then or perhaps factions. How organized are they and how do they interact with each other? Do the Traders work with the Military often, or are they opposed? How about the Church? That's the tone. The Balqs are not simply brutes who mistreat women. They are an intelligent, civilized, and cultured people. They managed to keep friendly diplomatic and economic relationships with even the Arunans, followers of diametrically opposed ideas. How extensive are their foreign relations and how do they deal with cultures that don't share their views upon the social position of females? Sure. That was floating around my mind when I was typing that, but somehow it never made it to the fingers. What form does this special dispensation take? Is it enough that embassies are generally considered to be part of the home nation or are their other things going on? What about merchants and the like? |
| taski01-26-08, 11:51 PM | With all this talk about trade, I thought I'd work out what resources the Ungku'u have available. Some of their resources might be fairly valuable to other regions. Tubers, roots and vegetables, including potatoes of various colors and consistencies, horseradish, onions, leeks and garlic. Mushrooms, including edible, poisonous, and medicinal ones. Some mushrooms may have additional, undiscovered alchemical uses. Herbs, including dill, mint, and thyme. There are also many medicinal herbs. Berries, including blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, salmon berries, huckleberries, and possibly others. Beans, which they grind with stone mills to create bean-bread. Kelp, used in stews and as a portable, edible wrap for dried foods. Nuts, including pine nuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Nut oil is also used in cooking. Wood bark, including cedar, used to flavor food. Maple sugar, used as a sweetener. Fish, including salmon, cod, halibut, tuna, trout, smelt, anchovies and others. Shellfish, including clams and oysters. Octopus and squid. Sea cows, which are domesticated and herded. Seals, including sea lions and fur seals. Whales, including beluga, narwhals, right whales, minke whales, sperm whales, etc. Though orcas are present, there is a taboo against killing or eating them. Alpacas, which are domesticated and herded for their meat and wool. Moa birds, which are also domesticated for their meat. Guinea pigs, which are domesticated for meat and kept in pens. Kiwi birds, which lay large eggs that are considered a delicacy. Woods, including pine, maple, cedar, silver fir, sugi, alder, and others. Peat, used for all kinds of things. Dyes from berries, leaves and algae, including bluish-purple, reddish-purple, pale blue, and bright green. Flax, used to make linen. Precious metals, including gold, silver and copper. Iron. Jade, obsidian, basalt, chalk and clay. Mineral pigments, including red, black, yellow, and jade. Salt. Lots of salt. Furs, including seal and enaliarctos (land-walking proto-seal). Alpaca wool, which is very soft, lightweight, and warm. Ivory, from walruses. Bone, from whales and other creatures. Feathers, from moas, eagles, ravens, sea birds, and the occational roc. Metal jewelry, usually wire-wrapped and/or pounded with a hammer, and depicting native animals and plants. Beads, made from wood, bone, clay and obsidian. Jade and ivory beads are used as currency. Ivory beads are about half the value of jade beads. Tapestries, which depict folk tales and religious stories. These can be very big, up to 10' x 20'. Musical instruments, including huge 4' diameter drums, wooden flutes, long horns, didgeridoo, and iron chimes and gongs. Carvings, made from wood, bone, basalt, and jade. Usually depicting people, animals and spirits. Pottery, made from clay. Sizes range from hand-held decanters to large jugs. Often painted with geometric patterns. Baskets, made from grasses or strips of wood. They are usually water-tight. Wool, linen, and leather clothing, which comes in cloaks, shirts, pants, parkas, cloaks, etc. The linen clothes are usually dyed with geometric patterns, and the wool with stylized animals and spirits. Herbal medicinal elixirs, which typically cure specific ailments. Jade tools, including knives, axes and clubs. Usually enchanted to last longer, work better, or attract helpful spirits. Iron cauldrons, meant to hold enough stew for 10-20 people, usually with intricate designs, and enchanted to stay warm for hours, clean themselves, and/or bless their contents. Iron harpoons, which are magically enchanted to (typically) fly further, dig in deeper, aim better, inflict electrical damage, stun, or return after missing the target. Obsidian arrowheads, enchanted like the harpoons. Sacred jade jewelry, worn only by priests when binding a spirit. Enchanted and blessed to protect the priest. Sacred throwing bones, used by uhuna (wu jen) in divinations. Can make minor predictions, if you know how to read them. Ancestral urns, made of clay and containing a bone of an ancestor. These allow ancestor ghosts to stay near home rather than reincarnate. The urns might be valuable to other regions as art objects, but beware of angry ghosts! Considering what they lack, the Ungku'u would especially value steel weapons, glass objects, and anything made with advanced knowledge (be it mechanical, arcane, psionic, or other). If someone from another region discovers the islands and offers these things, the Ungku'u will offer to pay in jade beads or gold jewelry, possibly offering more than the items are worth in the other region. They won't willingly sell sacred objects, ancestral urns or their people, but they'll trade pretty much anything else. |
| dragonoverlord01-30-08, 05:56 PM | sorry for not posting anything for awhile. i have not been able to find time to post things lately , but i will soon, i have a large amount of additional information formed for my region. Also, D_S, did you get my e-mail with my political map draft? |
| Darth Syntax02-01-08, 04:22 PM | Dragon, I did get your map and I thought I responded with an e-mail to it, although it may have become lost in "a series of tubes" or some other wild of the internet. I am a bit concerned about the number of small countries making the map difficult to read. -- Of late I have been pondering planar interactions as they pertain to my region and I've come up with a very basic outline of ideas for the Mercane and how they function. Notes on the Mercane for Future Development Mercane belong to a conceptual group of outsiders who seem to embody philosophical constructs which display deep, underlying patterns rather than ethical or moral constructs. The Mercane represent the very essence of the market economy, trade, and negotiation. Mercane are native to a number of urbanized pocket-planes connected by a vast planar sea. From these cities the mercane control their vast trade network The cities are divided into a number of autonomous districts called Bazaars each ruled by a merchant consortium specializing in a particular form of trade. Each mercane city is ruled by a cabal of merchants chosen from the ruling trading consortium or consortia of the city Mercane “reproduce” by expanding their markets. Population is regulated by supply and demand Each Bazaar functions as a “family” and all the mercane native to it can be considered to be related in some fashion. Bazaar affiliation is encoded in the complex spot patterns that cover their bodies. Young mercane (those just created by market forces) are wholly owned by their Bazaar and must earn enough profit to buy themselves before they are allowed to venture into the more lucrative avenues of trade. If the Bazaars can be likened to a family then the cities are clans or tribes. Mercane from different cities have slightly varying appearances; skin colors vary though they are all blue, greenish, or vaguely purple and there are other variants in appearance such as height, weight, and the like. Warped Mercane and “Black Markets”: When an expanding market undergoes an unforeseen and rapid collapse presently developing mercane become twisted and act as destabilizing factors. The Bazaar from which they originate will become subject to decay and will become a literal black market Warped Mercane tend to hoard wealth as opposed to investing their wealth in the continued expansion of the market. As continued market failure is necessary to the creation of the Warped, this is their means insuring their own future existence. Mercane are generally “friendly” with genies, Rilmani, and Nerra. Of mortals, mercane tend to get on best with the nyezza as these two peoples share a number of traits. Indeed, the mercane are regarded as something akin to paragons of virtue by the nyezza. As market expansion is vital to them, the hording of wealth is considered anathema. Thus, mercane really hate dragons and will pay handsomely for their destruction and the returning of their hoard to the market Not all Mercane trade in physical commodities: information, secrets, services and the like are also valued by them and have their own Bazaars. Mercane are known to operate “wandering shops” which seem to appear and disappear in a most frustrating manner. Mortals with a particularly promising mercantile streak might be “invited” to join the mercane, often without their knowledge. Mercane are not an overtly violent people, especially among each other and they take great pride that they are above such barbarisms as war. However, Mercane are known to have opponents “removed” or to kill out of personal spite. It is said that no Mercane has ever harmed another (in the physical sense) and this is true, for a given value of true. True Mercane do not kill each other and are loath to even lash out in anger, but the Warped Mercane are known for their skill as assassins and they are used in secret in this capacity. |
| DonThelonious02-01-08, 05:08 PM | So your proposing that the Mercane are the physical manifestations of economy? That is actually a very interesting concept and I for one whole heartedly agree. This also explaines why they are so prevalent in Ilaros. Something to think about is that the Mercane might also be somehow connected a strong latent psionic "sea" that encompasses and emanates from your region. This would strongly tie them to your region as well as give them great incentive to ensure that the economy of Ilaros stays intact. |
| Darth Syntax02-01-08, 07:31 PM | So your proposing that the Mercane are the physical manifestations of economy? That is actually a very interesting concept and I for one whole heartedly agree. This also explaines why they are so prevalent in Ilaros. More or less this is the case. However I am not sure whether they predate mortal trade networks or arose as a kind of planar response to such a concept. Their connection to the Ilaroi is probably due to the fact that the concept of the market economy is very old there and deeply ingrained thus making the mercane more comfortable in dealing with them. Essentially, the Ilaroi developed civilization on monday and by noon tuesday were establishing proto-capitalism. Something to think about is that the Mercane might also be somehow connected a strong latent psionic "sea" that encompasses and emanates from your region. This would strongly tie them to your region as well as give them great incentive to ensure that the economy of Ilaros stays intact. The prevalence of psionics may have some effect on the collective unconscious of the Ilaroi thus making the philosophies and ideas they hold easier to detect and latch onto. It may be that the mercane find this "strength of ideas" useful as a kind of grounding aid when dealing with mortals; beings notoriously disruptive to the clear focus of the mind of outsiders. |
| Darth Syntax02-03-08, 06:02 PM | Some time ago there was a discussion of how long the year (by which I assume solar year) was. I proposed using a prime number for this, and I know eue at least thought this a good idea. I hereby propose that the solar year be 367 days long for the following reasons: 1. 367 is very close to 365.25, which is roughly the number of days in an earth solar year. Essentially this would make a Project year near enough to our own to avoid too much confusion. 2. 367 is a prime number 3. 367 is a happy prime number (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_number), which is pleasantly absurd |
| DonThelonious02-03-08, 09:07 PM | 367 is fine by me, though I would have preferred something a little more easily divided. I will survive with this though. Either tonight or tomorrow I am planning on going through this thread and compiling all the universal information. It will be things like days in the year, the information on the moons, global weather patters, which regions various races hail from (IE: eue is the cradle of humans, etc.). I would like to ask you guys to let me know if I miss anything when I do this. -- D_S: I have a big base class project going on right now but when I get the chance I am going to post a skeleton of your Logician PrC. A few things that I need to ask about though: 1. Is this going to be in anyway a true psionic class? The Mentats from Dune were something akin to living super computers that could follow a train of thought to a variable ends. 2. Is this going to be an esoteric class? The reason I ask is that many elitist intelligent groups are very secretive, so I wanted to possibly incorporate this. 3. Do you want them to have any combat ability at all? Or do you intend to have them just like the Dune Mentats, all brain no brawn and dependent on others for defense and offense? I think minimum combat ability would be best, and in exchange I can give them something like: Pure Logic Precognition (Ex): Logicians are masters at looking at, and seeing, every possible outcome of any specific action, and by focusing their minds they can often predict exactly what will happen in any given situation. To use this ability the Logician must first succeed on a concentration check (DC = Base 20 + Number Of (:confused:Rounds/Minutes/Hours/Days:confused:) To Look Ahead). It takes 1 full round to activate. Using this ability does provoke and AOO. If something happens that interrupts the logicians concentration the attempt fails unless he succeeds on another check equal to original DC + 5. If he took any damage than the DC becomes the damage dealt or the new DC given above, whichever is greater. If the logician succeeds on his check he uses a power similar to a Commune spell. Instead of a deity though the logician speaks to his deeper subconscious, and is able to as himself a number of yes or no questions equal to his Int score. I figured at higher levels the logician would gain certain spell/psi-like abilities based on the outcome of his prediction. These are up in the air though, depends on where you want to go with this class. Tell me what you think of my preliminary idea. This would likely be a first level ability and I would build the class around it. |
| Darth Syntax02-03-08, 10:19 PM | 367 is fine by me, though I would have preferred something a little more easily divided. I will survive with this though. I suppose the indivisibility of the number in any easy way is part of it's charm. I am currently thinking of divising a calendar of thirteen twenty eight day months and a three day null period centered on some solar event (say a solstice) after which a new year begins. I have no idea who would use this calendar but I imagine the three day null period might coincide with some kind of extended carnival-like holiday. Either tonight or tomorrow I am planning on going through this thread and compiling all the universal information. It will be things like days in the year, the information on the moons, global weather patters, which regions various races hail from (IE: eue is the cradle of humans, etc.). Makes sense. I can provide a few things native to Ilaros Dromites Bhuka Thri-Kreen Capybara Riding Gazelles and Antelopes Aphelox (the aphid-anteater creature from which the drink, phelo, is derived) Lantern Beetles Architect Bugs (semi-sentient dog-sized mammal-arthropods known to construct massive termite mound-like structures. Distantly related to Dromites) Tea? Potatoes? (certainly there are many native varieties as they formed the staple starch of many of the peoples of the south-west) Terror Birds Giant Ground Sloths D_S: I have a big base class project going on right now but when I get the chance I am going to post a skeleton of your Logician PrC. A few things that I need to ask about though Just to clarify, the logician is meant to be a base class rather than a PrC. Now then, onto the questions. 1. Is this going to be in anyway a true psionic class? The Mentats from Dune were something akin to living super computers that could follow a train of thought to a variable ends. The Logician is not psionic in the way that the psion or the wilder are, but sense it deals so much with the cultivation of the mind, the modification of thinking and memory, and so on, it does wander into the psionic realm. I suppose it is a combination skill/psionic class. As to the living super computer, yes that is indeed something that Logicians are supposed to do, but they are not quite so narrow in focus as they are meant to take into account personalities, psychology, and other such things. 2. Is this going to be an esoteric class? The reason I ask is that many elitist intelligent groups are very secretive, so I wanted to possibly incorporate this. While certain schools of Logician might be secretive, the basic sort of training and skill set occurs in several cultures. The Ejantuli Eunuch-Logicians (such as Drosh Anarxa Mlor, the Imperial Grand Vizier) are indeed a very insular and secretive body and probably have some kind of organizational PrC or feats. By contrast the Logicians of Orothos are a more open group (they accept many students who show promise) and their training is not so much secret as it is reserved for the very best minds. So, low level logicans are probably on par with wizards but truly master logicans are rare and highly prized. 3. Do you want them to have any combat ability at all? Or do you intend to have them just like the Dune Mentats, all brain no brawn and dependent on others for defense and offense? I think minimum combat ability would be best, They certainly don't need much in the way of combat ability and a pure logician is probably quite weak. They are meant to be advisers and analysts, not combatants. However, I can imagine a rogue/logician being a rather scary combatant what with all of the foresight and analysis meshing with the speed and surgical blows. Pure Logic Precognition (Ex): Logicians are masters at looking at, and seeing, every possible outcome of any specific action, and by focusing their minds they can often predict exactly what will happen in any given situation. To use this ability the Logician must first succeed on a concentration check (DC = Base 20 + Number Of (Rounds/Minutes/Hours/Days) To Look Ahead). It takes 1 full round to activate. Using this ability does provoke and AOO. If something happens that interrupts the logicians concentration the attempt fails unless he succeeds on another check equal to original DC + 5. If he took any damage than the DC becomes the damage dealt or the new DC given above, whichever is greater. This is an excellent idea for an ability and really does speak to the heart of the idea. However, I can see the check also being an autohypnosis based ability. If the logician succeeds on his check he uses a power similar to a Commune spell. Instead of a deity though the logician speaks to his deeper subconscious, and is able to as himself a number of yes or no questions equal to his Int score. I figured at higher levels the logician would gain certain spell/psi-like abilities based on the outcome of his prediction. These are up in the air though, depends on where you want to go with this class. Some basic ideas I have had for Logician abilities are: Perfect Recall: A Logician can, with concentration and effort, perfectly recall some memory to the point of being able to notice minute details that would be lost on anyone else. Rather like remembering that on tuesday there was a flock of crows overhead and recalling that there were 135 of them and exactly how they were arraigned, the exact color of the sky, the scent of the air, and so on. Partition Mind: A Logician can effectively put certain memories, emotions, thoughts, and knowledge into their deep subconscious. This ability allows a logician to undergo magical or other extraordinary interrogation without fear of either revealing secrets or registering as lying. Tell me what you think of my preliminary idea. This would likely be a first level ability and I would build the class around it. As I said, it sounds spiffing. Even though commune is a fifth level cleric spell it makes sense for the Logician to have early access to their version of it as it really is the basis for a class that is essentially an intellectual precognitive. Thanks for the help Thel |
| DonThelonious02-04-08, 01:41 AM | So you want a full base class, eek! I do much better balancing out 10 levels as opposed to 20. Thats fine though, I can work with this. If you can build a perfectly styled map from my rambling than I can get this class done. -- Jus so I am clear I plan on borrowing a bit from the lore master and likely some form the factotum as well. My reasoning is that someone wit hthe memory of a computer would, over time, pick up a bit of the skills and possibly abilities of those around them. If there was any other random ideas you have for the class let me know. |
| Darth Syntax02-04-08, 08:16 PM | So you want a full base class, eek! I do much better balancing out 10 levels as opposed to 20. Thats fine though, I can work with this. If you can build a perfectly styled map from my rambling than I can get this class done. I see if I can't come up with a useful outline of ideas for the Logician. It will help me get a much better idea of the class. Jus so I am clear I plan on borrowing a bit from the lore master and likely some form the factotum as well. My reasoning is that someone wit hthe memory of a computer would, over time, pick up a bit of the skills and possibly abilities of those around them. I hadn't thought of the Loremaster (but it is an excellent idea), but I was discussing the possibility of the Logician having some Factotum-esque abilities with taski some time ago. I suppose that the Logician might have something vaguely like the Inspiration system where by they can pick up skills and abilities they don't normally posses by means of logical cogitation and analysis. Logicians might be able to function similarly to the computer in the Chinese Room (give them the rules and they can appear to understand what they are doing) at mid levels and at higher levels they may well be able to go one step further and actually learn a complicated set of skills by understanding the underlying patterns. -- Unrelated to the above, as I have been populating the planes that concern the Ilaroi my mind has natural turned to the question of Outsiders. I have already outlined how I intend to use the Mercane and I have several other ideas that I would like to run past you all so as not to step on anyones' toes. Rilmani : I intend to use the Rilmani (all six varieties) as planar alchemists, craftsmen, and as arbitrators. Essentially, their obsession with Neutrality from Planescape will be transformed into a desire of Equilibrium and the proper mixing of elements to produce what they consider favorable results. Yugoloths: I was in dire need of some kind of evil outsider and the 'loths seemed like an excellent candidate to use as both puppet masters and as the living embodiment of ruthlessly pragmatic Realpolitik. They are not so much evil for its own sake as endlessly duplicitous, paranoid, and ruthless in their pursuit of their hidden goals. Nerra: I am planing on using a plane of Mirrors and would like to make use of these beings, although I am as yet a bit fuzzy on what their purpose is. |
| eue02-06-08, 07:25 AM | Just a quick post: going to lunch... Later in the afternoon I'll get something more. 367 is PERFECT for me. Since I am a level 2 Commoner/level 7 (lol) Programmer, I have thing for numbers with strange properties. I've looked it up and, besides prime and happy, 367 is also a self-number and a strictly non-palindromic number. Perfect. |
| dragonoverlord02-06-08, 11:53 AM | here is an update of information for my region. any information that i do not specifically change here is still valid. Races humans= ordinary humans, i will crate a few broad ethnicities for them. at the moment these are: - helcarion humans - sziget humans (mainly live on the islands) - at least two for the mainland area elves= 2 different races, related, but different species. also, each races has sub-groups.: helcarion elves: elves of the helcarion continent group 1= "ice elves", those that still live in cities and other permanent, traditional settlements. group 2= "snow elves", those that have taken up a nomadic, tribal life, changed from the old ways northern elves: elves of the islands and mainland continent group 1= "wild elves" dwarves= one race, three groups: group 1= "frost dwarves", dwarves that inhabit the continent of helcarion and were integrated into the grand republic, and are part of many of the various modern states on the continent group 2= "iron dwarves", dwarves that inhabit the mainland continent who advocate staying separate from all other races and following the ancient traditions of their people. adhere strictly to the laws and traditions of the dwarves, dislike any change, let few or no foreigners into their communities, and only do the minimum amount of trading necessary for survival, mainly receiving food in exchange for various metal and metal products. like to pretend that they do not need the help of others, but are no less dependent on it than anyone else in the region. group 3= " steel dwarves", this group advocates changing dwarven society, they are often integrated into the nations of other races, more involved with the rest of the region, details of their beliefs and habits varies depending on the area in which they live. gnomes,orcs, and aboleths are unchanged. dragons unchaged, with a few addtions. about 80% of dragons have their "typical" alignments, other 20% have differn ones. some of these dragons have always been differnt, but many changed as a result of experiences during the wars. that is what i have for races so far. here is a link (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14322629&postcount=692) to my last post on the subject. Religon i have the list of the survving old gods finished the old gods -a Raznor(LN), before the wars he was the tyrant, the god of strict law, tyranyy, oppression of the weak to benefit the strong, etc. , and the fallen brother of the god of honor, justice and law. the wars changed him, first by forcing him to work with his brother to defeat the Enemy, and by the his brother's eventual sacrifice. in the last battle, his brother used all his power to protect raznor when the explosion happened, buying him enough time to escape by traveling to another plane. this act touched raznor deeply, and caused him to admit that he had been wrong and his brother had been right. he then decided to take his brother's place.now, he is the patron of all civilized law codes, honor, honorable combat and war, rules, nobles, justice,discipline and orderly retribution. he is now one of the most popular gods in the areas that have gained some degree of stability and in many well-organized groups, particularly military ones -Shieren(NG),originally patron of metallic dragons, now the general patron of good,in addition to all his old areas of influence, and wisdom. he is the only one of the good deities to survive, and is now one of the two eldest gods. -Erranor(N), patron of nature, respectful hunting and framing, enemy of any who despoil or abuse nature. he was the only god that did not fight in the last battle. he is the eldest god. -Magicon( CN[e])before the wars he was the god of magic. he was a basically uncaring being, his only desire was for magic to exist and for its use to be widespread. he survived the wars, but was terribly scared. the explosion during the last battle injured him badly, physically and mentally. also, since he was connected to all magic, an equivalent hole opened on his body in the area of his heart. his last rational action was to stop any further damage to magic by switching it to his body. this had is intended purpose, but also drove him insane and gave him terrible pain that he could not cure. he is now the god of insanity, entropy,wild vengeance, and patron of those who have been driven mad by grief. -Illianii, basically the same areas of responsibility as before the wars. she is the goddess of love, but not romantic love. the basic emotion of love, along with the emotions of friendship, are her domain.the love of a parent for their child, the bond between close friends, the love of country a soldier displays, these all fall within her domain. she is also the patron of those who fight to defend something,especially something that they care about very much. her followers spoke out against the wars from the beginning, and played an essential role in uniting the people of the region against the Enemy at the end of the wars. currently, she is concentrating on the recovery of the region , the repair of the regional infrastructure, keeping the peace, and in general healing the wounds of the wars and attempting to move the region towards a better future. members of her church are almost universally accepted, in some places they are the only non-natives that are at all trusted. other -this being is the same as the surviving old gods in power and effect, but radically different in origin. Zvrakonainikal (NE), is composed of the essence of many of the veil gods who died in the last battler, and the spirit of the Enemy's second-in-command. the enemy's second-in-command was present at the last battle, and when the explosion occurred, his body was destroyed and his spirit was nearly destroyed, too, but he attached onto many of the evil gods, used them to protect his spirit, and absorbed him when he was safe. now, he has developed a new body, and has decided to try to take possession of this world himself. his existence is only known to Raznor, Illianii, Shieren, a few mortals. also, even though he does not realize this, he has been changed by evil gods' remnants that he absorbed, and thus his goals and methods have changed slightly. his basic goal is to gain control of this region, and then the world, and destroy anything that stands in his way or displeases him. he has very few servants right now, due to the annihilation of most of the enemy's forces during and after the last battle, and his decesion to ignore most that remain. he is currently looking to subvert some of the new gods to his service, and lets his very small number of servants that exist in the world do what ever they want as long as it falls within his basic goals. - a few notes on the gods of my region: the surviving old gods are extremely powerful. they are all divine rank 20, no one except another surviving old god can harm them, and their power is in no way attached to their worshipers. they are also the most universally recognized gods, since they have a historical basis. the new gods, in contrast, are dependent on their worshipers for power , are easier to kill, and are much less likely to be universally recognized. none of the gods are able to enter the world anymore. they are basically stuck on their home plane. the only ones that are able to physically enter the world anymore are the surviving old gods, and they must do it through the use of avatars, weaker ( only 1/10th -1/4th of their power level) projections of their power, that they are able to send to the world. each can have a maximum of four in existence at any one time. all gods can communicate with people, but only in specific ways. -- that is all i have for now i will be posting description of the confedration of grenaugh, the rugenfort states, lan illianii, and nortezalia very soon, in addition to expanding my description of helcarion( here is a link (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14385054&postcount=718) to my initial post about hem in case anyone doesn't want to look trhoguh all old posts for it.) and describing some significant items and materials that my region posses. |
| Darth Syntax02-08-08, 04:41 AM | Ok, as my mind has been adrift in the planes (such as they are understood and known to the Ilaroi) I thought it might prove useful to draw up something in the way of a chart. So here is the current draft of the Planes of Ilaros (subject to changes and further development) http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/2249641251_91ebd68c61_b.jpg Planar Chart Deciphered 1. The Material Plane 2. Stýron: The Plane of Illusion and quasi-plane of Shadow 3. Uqohl: Plane of Unreal Possibilities 4. Oneiron: The Plane of Dreams 5-8. The Sublime Paradises: Planes of Respite, Benevolence, Renewal, and Beginning 9. The Crucible: The Gate-Plane to the alchemical realities 10. The Oculus: The Gate-Plane to the bleak, cold realm of the Yugoloths 11-16: The Five Hundred Hells and One Hell: Planes of Desire, Incarceration, Atonement, Purgation, Sorrow, Annihilation, and other unpleasant things 17. The Emporion: The Eternal Marketplace of the Mercane 18-23: The Alchemical Planes: The home of the Rilmani, the great planar alchemists 24-27: The Garden Realms: Home of the mysterious planar race known variously as the Gardeners or the Caretakers. Essentially the origin and/or storage planes for living planar material 28-30. The Bleak and currently Unnamed realms of the Yugoloths, the great planar schemers and plotters. 31. The Whorl: The Plane of underlying patterns, mathematics, music, language, and the abode of the Yónuur, a planar race who seem to be the living embodiment of such systems; the great scholars of these planes. 32. The Numinous Sea: the favored transitive plane of the Ilaroi and their planes. Functions similarly to the Astral. -- I will, of course be devising better names for things as well as hopefully short blurbs on things. I also will be working on explaining the Ring and Arcs that appear on the chart as they too have meaning. |
| Darth Syntax02-11-08, 02:55 AM | here is an update of information for my region. any information that i do not specifically change here is still valid. :whatsthis Well then, lets have a look shall we? Races humans= ordinary humans, i will crate a few broad ethnicities for them. at the moment these are: - helcarion humans - sziget humans (mainly live on the islands) - at least two for the mainland area What distinguishes these groups? How different are their cultures? As regards your mainland groups: do you have any ideas about how you want them to function? Are thinking of drawing from any real-world cultures or will you be creating them from whole cloth? elves= 2 different races, related, but different species. also, each races has sub-groups.: helcarion elves: elves of the helcarion continent group 1= "ice elves", those that still live in cities and other permanent, traditional settlements. group 2= "snow elves", those that have taken up a nomadic, tribal life, changed from the old ways northern elves: elves of the islands and mainland continent group 1= "wild elves" Are the subgroups simple ethnic groups or are they something else? Also, your island elves, are they related to the helcarion or do they have a different point of origin? The reason I ask this because the Ilaroi elves (especially the Jaur) have an ancient tradition of seafaring (dating back well into prehistory) and may have had some contact with them or they might be related. Now this would by no means make them particularly similar as thousands of years of independent development tend to differentiate people. And it is simply a suggestion, feel free to ignore it as you please. dwarves= one race, three groups: group 1= "frost dwarves", dwarves that inhabit the continent of helcarion and were integrated into the grand republic, and are part of many of the various modern states on the continent group 2= "iron dwarves", dwarves that inhabit the mainland continent who advocate staying separate from all other races and following the ancient traditions of their people. adhere strictly to the laws and traditions of the dwarves, dislike any change, let few or no foreigners into their communities, and only do the minimum amount of trading necessary for survival, mainly receiving food in exchange for various metal and metal products. like to pretend that they do not need the help of others, but are no less dependent on it than anyone else in the region. group 3= " steel dwarves", this group advocates changing dwarven society, they are often integrated into the nations of other races, more involved with the rest of the region, details of their beliefs and habits varies depending on the area in which they live. So these are three different cultural groups then? It seems like the iron and steel dwarves might well be the same people, just with differing outlooks. Religon i have the list of the survving old gods finished the old gods -a Raznor(LN), before the wars he was the tyrant, the god of strict law, tyranyy, oppression of the weak to benefit the strong, etc. , and the fallen brother of the god of honor, justice and law. the wars changed him, first by forcing him to work with his brother to defeat the Enemy, and by the his brother's eventual sacrifice. in the last battle, his brother used all his power to protect raznor when the explosion happened, buying him enough time to escape by traveling to another plane. this act touched raznor deeply, and caused him to admit that he had been wrong and his brother had been right. he then decided to take his brother's place.now, he is the patron of all civilized law codes, honor, honorable combat and war, rules, nobles, justice,discipline and orderly retribution. he is now one of the most popular gods in the areas that have gained some degree of stability and in many well-organized groups, particularly military ones Does he have any other aspects as a deity or is he merely a god of war and law? -Shieren(NG),originally patron of metallic dragons, now the general patron of good,in addition to all his old areas of influence, and wisdom. he is the only one of the good deities to survive, and is now one of the two eldest gods. Why did the other good deities kick the bucket? -Erranor(N), patron of nature, respectful hunting and framing, enemy of any who despoil or abuse nature. he was the only god that did not fight in the last battle. he is the eldest god. Any reason why he didn't fight in the war? -Magicon( CN[e])before the wars he was the god of magic. he was a basically uncaring being, his only desire was for magic to exist and for its use to be widespread. he survived the wars, but was terribly scared. the explosion during the last battle injured him badly, physically and mentally. also, since he was connected to all magic, an equivalent hole opened on his body in the area of his heart. his last rational action was to stop any further damage to magic by switching it to his body. this had is intended purpose, but also drove him insane and gave him terrible pain that he could not cure. he is now the god of insanity, entropy,wild vengeance, and patron of those who have been driven mad by grief.[/QUOTE] A deity with interesting potential and all, but the name is just a bit cheesy. -Illianii, basically the same areas of responsibility as before the wars. she is the goddess of love, but not romantic love. the basic emotion of love, along with the emotions of friendship, are her domain.the love of a parent for their child, the bond between close friends, the love of country a soldier displays, these all fall within her domain. she is also the patron of those who fight to defend something,especially something that they care about very much. her followers spoke out against the wars from the beginning, and played an essential role in uniting the people of the region against the Enemy at the end of the wars. currently, she is concentrating on the recovery of the region , the repair of the regional infrastructure, keeping the peace, and in general healing the wounds of the wars and attempting to move the region towards a better future. members of her church are almost universally accepted, in some places they are the only non-natives that are at all trusted. Other than general love and compassion is she associated with any other "things" - a few notes on the gods of my region: the surviving old gods are extremely powerful. they are all divine rank 20, no one except another surviving old god can harm them, and their power is in no way attached to their worshipers. they are also the most universally recognized gods, since they have a historical basis. the new gods, in contrast, are dependent on their worshipers for power , are easier to kill, and are much less likely to be universally recognized. How do you explain the fact that these gods, though so apparently powerful have no influence elsewhere in the world? Are they barred from other lands by some mystic force? none of the gods are able to enter the world anymore. they are basically stuck on their home plane. the only ones that are able to physically enter the world anymore are the surviving old gods, and they must do it through the use of avatars, weaker ( only 1/10th -1/4th of their power level) projections of their power, that they are able to send to the world. each can have a maximum of four in existence at any one time. all gods can communicate with people, but only in specific ways. if none of the gods can enter the world, how are they known to exist at all? Could it simply be that certain powerful outsiders have been using the myths and religious teachings of your peoples as a means of gaining power and influence. This would explain the avatars as well as the conspicuous absence of the deities. |
| dragonoverlord02-11-08, 11:03 AM | Are the subgroups simple ethnic groups or are they something else? Also, your island elves, are they related to the helcarion or do they have a different point of origin? The reason I ask this because the Ilaroi elves (especially the Jaur) have an ancient tradition of seafaring (dating back well into prehistory) and may have had some contact with them or they might be related. The subgroups are mainly ethnic groups. the helcarion elves and the northern/island elves are completely separate species, they are slightly related but no more than a modern human and a Neanderthal, or a panda and a polar bear. they have different origins, different mythologies, and do not recognize any kinship. in fact, some groups of northern elves, the wild elves for example may react very violently to being lumped together with helcarion elves. it is possible that the northern elves are related to the Ilaroi elves So these are three different cultural groups then? It seems like the iron and steel dwarves might well be the same people, just with differing outlooks. The frost dwarves are a completely separate people from the others, but the iron and steel dwarves are , in fact, the same people. the strong distinction between them is a result of the iron dwarves' tendency to prohibit any dissent in their lands. this means that any dissenters are banished from their lands, and the steel dwarves are the result of this. they are a very varied group, and most retain some similarities to the iron dwarves, but what exactly these are varies. Does he have any other aspects as a deity or is he merely a god of war and law? his aspects are war, law, justice, judgment, redemption, and destruction of evil. his main titles are the judge, the warrior, the sorrowful, the penitent and the crusader. he basically advocates the establishment orderly, just,societies and the destruction or redemption of evil as the path to peace and prosperity for the world. Why did the other good deities kick the bucket? i made a slight mistake here, it should have said one of the only good deities to survive, illiani was also one of the good deities. the other good deities, just like all of the other old gods, died in the explosion that marked the end of the last battle. all of the gods except for erranor were physically present in the world during the battle, the survivors all had special reasons for their survival. for example, the sacrifice of raznor's brother protecting him, and flying at a very high altitude for shieren. Any reason why he didn't fight in the war? he did not fight in the war because he was afraid of the what would happen if he did. he had foreseen events unfolding like they did before hand, and foresaw that his participation would only cause more devastation to the world. Other than general love and compassion is she associated with any other "things" yes, she is strongly associated with protection. in the local mythologies about the earliest days of the world, it is said that three items of immense power were created, a sword, a mace, and a shield. these were the first weapons to ever exist, and gave great power to the gods that took them and became bonded to them for eternity. raznor took the mace, his brother took the sword and illiani took the shield. she took the shield because she loved the world, her companions, and the creatures that were coming into existence and desired to protect them from all dangers that she could. she is also aid to have helped forge the first suit of armour ever made. she is considered to be the ultimate defender and it is said that no one can defeat her in combat, though she often does not win battles, she simply ensures that the worst result there can be is a draw. she is popular with garrison troops, the besieged, soldiers and soldier's families, and anyone else who is doing a dangerous task. How do you explain the fact that these gods, though so apparently powerful have no influence elsewhere in the world? Are they barred from other lands by some mystic force? yes, they are barred from other regions. to the inhabitants of this region this is explained by the creation myth, which follows: local mythology says that the world was created by a omnipotent super being, but the super being vanished after the creation, leaving the planet almost completely devoid of life. at this time, a number of somethings arose from the different areas of the world. these things took on many different forms, but they all had one purpose , to create life in their area. each could only affect their own area(at this point the myths cease to have a global scope, and turn to the local ) the thing that arose in this area took the form of the god Erranor he created the basics of life in the world, animals and plants, and then he created the gods of the area, who began their own work. -- this myth may or may not be true. it may be completely made-up by various local factions, or it may true for this specific region and people have expanded it to cover the world. all that is certain is that the gods only affect this region, why exactly is known only to the gods and some outsiders and they are not talking. however, a divine spellcaster of one of the old gods can still cast spells normally anywhere in the world, but the direct powers of the gods or their avatars can not extend beyond this region. the overall truth of the creation myth can be decided by everyone else, the important thing for my region is the localized power of the gods and the fact that people here believe in the myth. if none of the gods can enter the world, how are they known to exist at all? Could it simply be that certain powerful outsiders have been using the myths and religious teachings of your peoples as a means of gaining power and influence. This would explain the avatars as well as the conspicuous absence of the deities. this is very important and interesting topic. the surviving Old Gods are known to exist because they were physically in the world , and some of their followers met with them in their extraplanar homes, in the final years of the wars. those who fought in the last battle saw the death of gods the same as they saw the death of their comrades. they saw the escape of the survivors the same as they saw that of their surviving comrades. thus, everyone knowns that the old gods exist. some may deny their status as divine beings, but no one can deny the fact that they are real, powerful beings. the new gods are a completely different matter. even though many of them are former mortals that ascended, not everyone knew these beings when they were mortal, and no one sees the actual gods themselves or their homes, at least not while they are alive. thus, there are many who deny that that these new gods exist, which is part of the reason why it is hard for their faith to spread, especially if they have no connection towards a former god or gods. in some cases, your idea is completely correct. in other cases, powerful outsiders who have always desired to be a god have used the opportunity to make people think they are a god. this topic is actually one of the most important things separating most of the new gods' faiths from those of the old gods. the new gods have to convince people that they are real. only a few do not, for example the new helcaronii gods or the gods of nortezalia. |
| DonThelonious02-15-08, 08:15 AM | This is just a format and skeleton post, I know its empty but that will change. I just wanted to get this up first. LOGICIAN http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/2266435893_b833730d68_o.gif It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Luma that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains. The stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. A general description of whatever the class is! MAKING A LOGICIAN Quick generalization of what you should focus on when making the class. Abilities: An in detail section on what ability scores are good for the class, and usually in the order of priority. Races: Basically how common is the class in the various core races (and other races if you wish to put information in here about them). Alignment: What alignment they are allowed to be. Starting Gold: How much gold they start with. Pretty explanatory. Starting Age: Starting age of the race, just state "As Another Class" as it's better then creating your own chart. Class Skills The Logician's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: All skills are considered class skills for the Logician Skills Per Day at 1st Level : (8 + int)x4 Skills Per Day at Each Additional Level : 8 + int Hit Dice: d4 BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities 1. +0 +0 +0 +2 Pure Logic Precognition 2. +1 +0 +0 +3 3. +1 +1 +1 +3 4. +2 +1 +1 +4 5. +2 +1 +1 +4 6. +3 +2 +2 +5 7. +3 +2 +2 +5 8. +4 +2 +2 +6 9. +4 +3 +3 +6 10.+5 +3 +3 +7 11.+5 +3 +3 +7 12.+6 +4 +4 +8 13.+6 +4 +4 +8 14.+7 +4 +4 +9 15.+7 +5 +5 +9 16.+8 +5 +5 +10 17.+8 +5 +5 +10 18.+9 +6 +6 +11 19.+9 +6 +6 +11 20.+10 +6 +6 +12 Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies. Pure Logic Precognition (Ex): Logicians are masters at looking at, and seeing, every possible outcome of any specific action, and by focusing their minds they can often predict exactly what will happen in any given situation. To use this ability the Logician must first succeed on a concentration check (DC = Base 20 + Number Of (:confused:Rounds/Minutes/Hours/Days:confused:) To Look Ahead). It takes 1 full round to activate. Using this ability does provoke and AOO. If something happens that interrupts the logicians concentration the attempt fails unless he succeeds on another check equal to original DC + 5. If he took any damage than the DC becomes the damage dealt or the new DC given above, whichever is greater. If the logician succeeds on his check he uses a power similar to a Commune spell. Instead of a deity though the logician speaks to his deeper subconscious, and is able to as himself a number of yes or no questions equal to his Int score. PLAYING A LOGICIAN Brief description on how to play the class you are designing. Religion: A brief description of the different religions that the class commonly follows. It's best to state your sources if you are using non-core gods. Other Classes: An in detail section on how your class interacts with other classes. Best to state your sources if your going to refer to non-core classes. Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat. Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power. LOGICIANS IN THE WORLD A quote of somebody else talking about your class! A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world. Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class. Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class). Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards. NPC Reaction This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class. LOGICIANS IN THE GAME This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically. Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting. Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class. |
| DonThelonious02-18-08, 07:30 AM | I have a bunch of things I got inspired to create while working on the Logician. The templates are roughly based on some stuff from Monty Cook's Arcana Unearthed: Variant Players Handbook. I think they are balanced but I need other opinions. Fallenstar Stuff: Arrows, Goblin: Specially weighted and designed armor piercing arrows that ignore 1 point of targets AC anythime target is denied his Dex bonus to AC and wearing light or medium armor. Otherwise these are treated exactly as regular arrows for damage, critical, and weight. Price: 20gp per quiver Craft DC: 20 Blowgun Darts, Pon-Dajji: These nasty pieces of work are specially designed wooden blowgun darts with a special reservoir channel for delivering poisons. Anytime a poison is applied to the dart and then fired from a blowgun add +2 to the poisons save DC as the dart places the majority of the dose deep under the skin. Price: 250gp (Black Market Contraband); Free for members of the Pown-Dajji tribe. Craft DC: 20 Dire Template: Dire weapons are covered in sharp spikes, spines, jagged blades, and vicious barbed hooks. These weapons are difficult to wield and require the Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Dire) to wield. This covers dire versions of any weapon you are already proficient with. Dire weapons deal an additional +2 regular damage. This template can only be applied to melee weapons. Dire template adds +25% to weapons weight. Price: +300gp Craft DC: +10 Godbone Template: Godbone is a special material used to create many metal objects in the days prior to Starfall. Godbone weapons weigh 1/2 as much as standard weapons of their type. In addition, one handed godbone weapons are treated as light for the purposes of TWF, Weapon Finesse, and similar feats. Godbone weapons are difficult to wield and require EWP(Godbone) to wield. This covers godbone versions of any weapon you are proficient with. Godbone weapons are always of masterwork quality. Dire godbone weapons require wielder be proficient with both dire weapons and godbone (read: must have both EWP feats). Dire godbone weapons deal an additional +2 damage and are treated as having the Wounding special quality. Price: +25,000 gp; Cannot be crafted, only found in the deepest ruins on Fallenstar; Godbone weapons are usually never traded on the open market which is why the price is so high. Craft DC: The secrets of crafting these weapons has been lost since the day the star fell. Leather Coat: Basically a trench coat or duster made with reinforced leather; Armor Bonus +4; Max Dex. +6; Armor Check -2; ASF 10%; Light Armor; No movement penalty Price: 75gp Craft DC: 25 Glass Template, Theralosian: Armors and shields made of this material have most or all of their metal components replaced with a specially treated glass that is as strong as steel but weighs 1/4 the original amount. Max speed in theralosian glass armor is not reduced. Theralosian glass comes in black, blue, clear, green, yellow, and white. Price: No additional cost for members of the Theron Tribe; Market Price: +7,000gp Craft DC: 20 for theralosian crafters; Impossible without special training Godbone Template: Armors and shields made of the godbone alloy weigh 1/2 as much. The max dex bonus for godbone armors is two higher (+2 Max Dex), both have their check penalties reduced by 2, and spell failure reduced by 5%. Godbone sheilds grat +1 higher AC. Godbone armor and shields are always of masterwork quality. Price: +18,000; As godbone weapons. Craft DC: As godbone weapons. |
| Darth Syntax02-18-08, 09:00 PM | Thel, I've thought up a few ideas concerning the Logician, mostly for minor abilities and background flavor. Eidetic Memory (EX): The key to the Logicians' remarkable cognitive abilities lies in their capacity to form memories with surprising clarity. The degree of detail they can recall can appear startling and even supernatural to those unfamiliar with it. This ability essentially functions as a superior memorize (autohypnosis) check which always succeeds in creating the memory. However, the Logician must still successfully recall the memory (a DC 15 check). In addition to the ability to form and recall these memories, a Logician may recall in great detail an event or location for the purposes of reanalysis. Upon completion of a successful concentration check (DC 20?) such a memory may be recalled and a new search, spot, listen, decipher script, or knowledge check be performed with a -5 penalty due to the Logician not being able to manipulate the environment in any constructive manner. The above is, of course, just an outline of the ability, but I think it makes some sense. Plastic Mind: For all their enormous cognitive power and logical ability, Logicians can be said to have the minds of children. Due to training or other factors the mind of the Logician never progresses into complete physical adulthood, a fact that accounts for their ability to rapidly learn new skills and tendency to be immune to "conventional thinking". As such, Logicians are notoriously difficult to fool by enchantment or illusion for they tend to approach all things with skepticism and curiosity and readily find inconsistencies. I'm not entierly sure how to work this out, but I can imagine something like a bonus against enchantment and illusion spells as well as something akin to the able learner feat. At higher levels I can see Logicians working rather like libraries (as described in the research feat in the Eberron campaign setting) allowing themselves and others to gain a bonus to knowledge checks. This, like many Logician abilities, would be an outside of combat ability. Another idea I had was for the Logician to be able to infer information from the previous knowledge. Essentially, a logician would be able to make a series of knowledge checks and for each success be able to progress to a higher and higher DC, as long as the chain of successes remains unbroken, the Logician can attempt to infer more and more arcane information. Finally, I was thinking of an ability I have tentatively called Meta-Sense Motive. This functions like sense motive, but for large groups of people. This ability allows the Logician to predict how a population might react to various events, actions, and the like. This would make them excellent political advisers and general prognosticators. |
| Elldorith02-27-08, 03:20 PM | I'm working on some of the histories of the various races in my neck of the woods and have some questions (mostly for Darth Syntax and Elldorith I think). 1) Darth, you mentioned that the sahaughin evolved from the elven race in this area. How long ago did they take to the seas, and do you think any of them would have made their way to region 4? If so, how long ago do you think that would have been? 2) I believe that there are some darfellans listed in the population of the Esuin League. Were did they come from? Did they originate in that area, or did they migrate in from somewhere else? 3) For Elldorith - you mentioned devilrays somewhere between region 7 and the mainland (which I'm assuming is regions 9, 19, and eventually 16). However there are 2 "betweens" with region 7 being almost on the other side of the world. ;-) So from which direction are the devilrays coming? Would they be near area 4 and something that my civs would have seen and interacted with, or are they restricted to the other side of your continent? Sorry for taking so long to reply. Real life issues creep up on me time to time. The "Devil Rays" mostly inhabit the area between the main continent and the Island (the Island being the Kingdom of Uld). However the can be anywhere I guess. The sea is rather large. I will continue on the Mosters and the Ecology that comes with them in a later post. I promise to post more guys...just trying to read and catch up. |
| Elldorith02-27-08, 03:31 PM | http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/494458984_6d32e48efc_o.jpg The North East Land Mass is the Nation of Uld Realm. Uld Realm is a collection of smaller kingdoms that pay homage to the Uld King. It is a prosperous land of farm and field with the Bone Tusk mountains cutting down the center. It is these mountains that hold the people of Uld. The nation is both underground and above, the major race being Dwarf. The High King is T'Tug Ironfaith. The High King has known a life of peace and his people have not seen war in many a year. The Kingdoms that T'Tug rules over are rather small, each ruled by a Duke, Baron or Marshall. They consist of the Dutchy of Gorguthron, the Kingdon of Riz, the Baronies of Cal, Drieg, and Alturvia. There are shires and Cantons throughtout the realm that are defended by knight protectors. Even though the nation has not seen a great war in many a year, that does not mean there is no danger to be had. The cult of Malice hides within the citires and bergs of the Nations of Uld. The cult whorships forgotten powers and tries to bring the down fall of the dwarven King and his people. The mountains hold lairs to the dangers of Chimera, Griffon and harpy. The worse threat comes from the sea. There the nations of Devil fish reside between the Island nation of Uld Realm and the main continent. The subjects of Dagon by no love the the surface and make frequent raids on the westren Kingdoms of Uld. Orginizations Clan IronFaith- In the Tongue of AuldConon the Word Urguld uf Zar translates to IronFaith. It is the name of the running house of the Nation of Uld and has been so for over 500 years. The Kings of Ironfaith have kept to an isolationist attitude regarding the rest of the known world. The Devil Rays of the sea help with is in their eternal siege of the Island Nations. However, this has recently changed with the new King. T'Tug has ordered the Leage of Wands to create magics that will not transverse the sea, but the air..therefore avoiding the nemisis under the waves altogether. The Clan also trains its own person guards to the Uld King which call themselves the Company of Iron. Leage of Wands- Founded 120 years ago by T'Tug, the leage is now the greatest magical institution within the Island Nations. It supports Wizards, Warlocks, BattleMages and Sorcerers in an academic field that directly protects the island. It is the magical Arm of the Monarchs of the realms. During its creation the Leage has changed the life of commoner and Noble alike. Its success in helping Crop yields, sanitation, roadways and military have given the people of the Kingdoms realative confort. Iron Brigade-The Barony of Cal is ruled by Dav of Caith. Dav's father Talankee, long ago created the structure that many of the Kingdoms use to protect thier borders. To this day that structure is the most respected and feared army upon the battle field. The Iron Brigade of Cal forms the Second Brigade of the Kingdoms of Uld. It is commanded by Sir Valrik of Corv (8th level fighter). It is a colection of Households and Warbands the belong to oath and deed in fealty to Baron Dav. Those warbands conist of the Shieldwall of Dwragfn lead by Sir Haraald, The Raven Brotherhood of Corv, Monks of the Abbey of Lun, Archers of St. Artethus, and The Warriors of the Hospital of Jor Guardians of the High Road- Within the Barony of Alturvia there consist a group of Knights sworn to protect the Highways of the Kingdoms. They are lead by Lord Thorin of Whitemeadow and also consist of the Baroness of the land, the warrior Born Bridgette. The Guardians form her royal guard. Torgeskorg- Great Sword weilding Mercenaries let by the Charismatic Sir Phillipe of the Tournament, The Torgeskorg form a stable fighting force in the Dutchy of Gorgulthron. Although Mercenaries, they have sworn to never cross blades with the High King and are often employed for odd jobs and the occasional underhanded job of..adventuring. The Cult of Malice- Not all Orginizations within the Kingdoms are there to help the people. The Cult is comprised of the followers of Thurslul-Lin the God of Hatred and Revenge. His corrupting nature brings down even the most noble of men. His secret whispering through his Adepts cause distention amoung father and son, knight and squire. His people are truly evil and want nothing more than to bring down the Kingdoms and place their dark God as ruler of the Uld people. The Dread Thing Dagon rules in his dark waters of the Abyss, yet his children can be found in many of the worlds of the Material Plane. They are as bizarre as their master and many a scholar has been driven mad trying to understand these tainted creatures. The Nation of Uld relies mostly on its inner Kingdom Resources and does not carry much on a navy to speak of to protect its waters. The reason being is the Children of Dagon that reside beneath the waves. Continual is thier hatred for all living things, especually those that dwell upon the surface. The Devil Ray is the greatest threat to the Uld shoreline. They are vast in numbers and have no real natural enemy save themselves. Each seeks the glorify itself in the unnatural eyes of Dagon and sends as many soulds to its master as they can. They are large creatures, that are of a drak hugh..from black to a deep green. Their shapes are a diformed versions of the Manta Ray, fangs protrude like rapiers from thier mounths and their stinger is replaced with the tail resembling a scorpion. Many Devil Fish call upon the power of Dagon that flows through their veins and are either adepts or rightful sorcerers in magic. The strongest of these creatures culls others into schools and patrols the waterways searching for the next victum to send to thier master. (if anyone wants to help with the stats I would be in your dept). |
| Elldorith02-27-08, 03:45 PM | Would it be possible for one to contribute input and ideas to the posters with a triangle without actually taking on a part here? It looks like a fun project, but I'm finding myself with little creative insight in the way of world design these days, so I'd be content helping out a little. You can help me with mine...maybe we can catch up with the rest of them |
| dragonoverlord03-07-08, 11:38 AM | a note on alignment in my region: alignment exists, but it is hard for people in my region to identify. everyone has an alignment, but very few people can are able to actually "know" what it is. a being's alignment is shown through its "aura". those who percive this aura are able to see wether a being is good, evil, lawful, or chaotic, and how strong its alignment is. only creatures with an alignment subtype, certain kinds of outsiders and deites, are able to do this automatically. paladins gain this ability at about 10th level, and a cleric who has taken an alignment domain gets this ability as a 5th level spell. thus, the vast majority of people do not know the alignment of others, they have to guess. -- now, for some basic information about some nations: the confederation of grenaugh a confederation of multiple nations on the large island right off of the NE tip of the mainland continent, it was formed about 100 years into the war, when the leaders of these nations realized what was really happening, and decided to band together to try to stop the Enemy. the primary driving forces in this were a LN green dragon who had lost his beloved mate to the enemy's forces, and the local branchs of the clergy of Illiani. it played a key role in showing the other nations the truth, usually through subtle means. now, it is the most powerful nation in the region, it has enough food to feed its population, and can export about 5% of its crop. this is nowhere near enough to feed the entire region, but gives them great economic and political influence. they also are able to maintian a strong navy and army, and their current goal is to keep foreign interference to a minimum while the region rebuilds. their member states include a mountain city-sate of elves, the only surviving gnome village, a theocracy of Raznor, a nation run by a mercantile oligarchy, a LG fuedal kingdom, and various small communities that that pledge alligance to no one except the confederation. the rugenfort states a group of independent city-states that are on the other side of the strait from the grand Republic of Helcarion. they have always been feircly independent, each city with distinct traits, very proud, very strong militarily, and fairly prosperous. this was the region in which the war began. the war devastated this area. enourmus numbers of people died, almost all fertile land was destroyed, and the land became littered with mystical and mundane aftermath of battles, cities were ruined, and economies were shattered. now, the area is shadow of its old self. its people are still independent mined, in fact they are even more so than before, most have reached the point of xenophobia, of not trusting anyone not from their community at all. however, they also are completely dependent on foreigners. they produce no food for themselves, or much of any thing else except weapons and a few other tolls. there are some mines still working, but not much else. many of these city-sates , especially coastal ones, have become dominated by outsiders. some people actually welcome this, since it gives them a chance at survival. others refuse to allow outsiders any closer than designated trading posts. nortezalia this nation had, in the distant past, ruled most of the coast north of the northern mountains of mainland. they were ruled by kings who were also preists of their native pantheon. their pantheon consisted of good, just goods, that wanted to improve mortal life, introduce peace, and generally make the world a better, less violent place. they only used force as a last resort. however, the pantheon's greatest enemy, the demon lord pernanzo, cursed them, turning them into beings that needed mortal blood to survive. this drove some of the gods insane, turned other into vicious monsters, and other into deep depression. the kingdom fell apart during this time, as peranazo's followers and other enemies attacked from within and without. eventually a few of the gods regained enough sanity to restore the situation, but by this time only, the capital and on other city remained in the kingdom's hands. however, the gods had only regained sanity by embracing their curse. they now need mortal sacrifices, mortal blood to survive and to provide their people with power. no preists can cast spells, rain will not fall, fiends will be let in and natural disaster will occur if the gods do not receive enough sacrifices. they other beileifs of the gods have not changed that much, they still want to help mortals, to make the world a better place, and thus they are pained by what must be done in their name. however, they refused to accept any except willing ones. so, the remnant of the kingdom transformed into a society that emphasized the good of the nation, and of self sacrifice for a righteous cause. they had always emphasized the good of the community, but now this increased. for now the survival of their nation and society depend on their willingness to sacrifice, to die horrible painful deaths. they stayed relatively stable until the wars broke out. During the wars, the nation regained much of the territory that they had lost long ago. then, their gods died int he final battle, but almost immediately people from the kingdom ascend to replace them. this was a time of hope and anticipation, that perhaps the curse had died with the olds gods. but, the new gods fell victim to it soon after their ascension, showing that the curse would never go away. they same results will, still occur if the sacrifices do not occur. also, it is thought that the very integrity of magic in their kingdom now depends on the sacrifices. now, the nation works to re integrate the new areas into the nation, and desires only to continue on. they are in a similar economic status to the other nations, but have had a tradition of trade with outside nations, so they merely have had to expand it. they are watchful for foreigners who go too far however, and will not tolerate any political interference. |
| NorthWind03-08-08, 03:35 PM | Is it still possible to add to my region (three, I believe) or has it been taken? I know 'tis been more than thirty days, but if no one has claimed it, I'd still like to be a part of the Project - my time is limited by school a lot, though - being a junior in spring means it's time to start worrying about colleges. |
| Darth Syntax03-10-08, 09:28 PM | Sorry about not posting for a while, I’ve been a bit busy with boring things of late. I have been working on a write-up of the Jauric religions although its taking far longer than I had hoped. But then again it is a religious tradition with thousands of years of history and development involving numerous gods, cosmic forces, reincarnation, spiraling time, and other such things, so I suppose I should not be overly surprised it is taking me so long. Now then, on to some questions and little light slice and dice now, for some basic information about some nations: the confederation of grenaugh a confederation of multiple nations on the large island right off of the NE tip of the mainland continent, it was formed about 100 years into the war, when the leaders of these nations realized what was really happening, and decided to band together to try to stop the Enemy. In looking at the island in question, I note that it is not all that large so I wonder a bit how so many separate states (with quite clearly different cultures) came to call it home. Perhaps the confederation could “eat” some of the nearby islands as the home of some of the member states? This might help to easy the inevitable internal tensions as the constituent powers would have less contested territory. The primary driving forces in this were a LN green dragon who had lost his beloved mate to the enemy's forces, and the local branchs of the clergy of Illiani. it played a key role in showing the other nations the truth, usually through subtle means. Why would a dragon want to help establish a confederation? Also, what purpose would showing the other nations the true background of the war serve? Surely the early members of the confederation would see the chaos as a chance to expand their influence and thus have a very really reason for wanting the war to continue (at least for a while) now, it is the most powerful nation in the region, it has enough food to feed its population, and can export about 5% of its crop. this is nowhere near enough to feed the entire region, but gives them great economic and political influence. they also are able to maintian a strong navy and army, and their current goal is to keep foreign interference to a minimum while the region rebuilds. A 5% agricultural export seem to me to be awfully low to gain the confederation such a standing. Also, it is a mountainous island nation and such places are notorious for having to import their food for larger nations with substantial agrarian output. If they are exporting their food, then they are going to need a crop which does well in the mountains, takes up very little space, and is prolific. Some sort of root might do well (possibly potatoes) but even if there were to be such a crop, the fairly limited space on the island would greatly hamper production. their member states include a mountain city-sate of elves, the only surviving gnome village, a theocracy of Raznor, a nation run by a mercantile oligarchy, a LG fuedal kingdom, and various small communities that that pledge alligance to no one except the confederation. How do these communities get along, and what sort of government does the confederation possess that helps them work together? I would imagine that such a collection of nations would not exactly have a broad array of overlapping interests. the rugenfort states a group of independent city-states that are on the other side of the strait from the grand Republic of Helcarion. they have always been feircly independent, each city with distinct traits, very proud, very strong militarily, and fairly prosperous. this was the region in which the war began. the war devastated this area. enourmus numbers of people died, almost all fertile land was destroyed, and the land became littered with mystical and mundane aftermath of battles, cities were ruined, and economies were shattered. now, the area is shadow of its old self. its people are still independent mined, in fact they are even more so than before, most have reached the point of xenophobia, of not trusting anyone not from their community at all. however, they also are completely dependent on foreigners. How do these people function if they are both xenophobic and dependant upon foreigners? Also, if the region is so devastated, what reason would foreign powers have for taking over? Are there resources of note or is it simply their location that provides them with some appeal? they produce no food for themselves, or much of any thing else except weapons and a few other tolls. there are some mines still working, but not much else. They would have to produce some food even if it is not enough to support the whole population. Considering they are coastal they would at least have some form of fishing and probably a bit of aquaculture. many of these city-sates , especially coastal ones, have become dominated by outsiders. some people actually welcome this, since it gives them a chance at survival. others refuse to allow outsiders any closer than designated trading posts. I know that we discussed earlier about having some of my colonial powers having holdings in your region, and from what you wrote here am I correct in assuming this is still an option? Concerning foreign enclaves I had the following idea: let us assume there is an enclave in the city of X controlled by The Serpentine and South Seas Trading Company (under Parliamentary Charter from the Republic of Orothos). Within this enclave the Company has its head quarters and along with it are several banking houses, various import-export concerns, a marketplace (probably functioning as the ele, the civic market, for the local Orothoi community), and numerous shops, dwellings, shrines, offices, and other such things that would be found back home. Considering the economic devastation of this region, the enclave in question might well become one of the more upscale communities as a direct result of the foreigners not being allowed to live outside proscribed grounds and thus keeping their wealth among themselves. It would be entirely possible for such an enclave (originally created to keep the foreigners in check) to become a major source of political power in the city, which is exactly what it was designed to prevent. As far as foreign interference goes, let me know what you want, I can draw up some colonial enclaves, prefects, and other such things. nortezalia this nation had, in the distant past, ruled most of the coast north of the northern mountains of mainland. they were ruled by kings who were also preists of their native pantheon. their pantheon consisted of good, just goods, that wanted to improve mortal life, introduce peace, and generally make the world a better, less violent place. they only used force as a last resort. however, the pantheon's greatest enemy, the demon lord pernanzo, cursed them, turning them into beings that needed mortal blood to survive. Well, that certainly is an interesting development. this drove some of the gods insane, turned other into vicious monsters, and other into deep depression. the kingdom fell apart during this time, as peranazo's followers and other enemies attacked from within and without. eventually a few of the gods regained enough sanity to restore the situation, but by this time only, the capital and on other city remained in the kingdom's hands. however, the gods had only regained sanity by embracing their curse. they now need mortal sacrifices, mortal blood to survive and to provide their people with power. no preists can cast spells, rain will not fall, fiends will be let in and natural disaster will occur if the gods do not receive enough sacrifices. I am getting a strong Aztec vibe here what with the “sacrifice required for the continuation of cosmic order” sort of thing. they other beileifs of the gods have not changed that much, they still want to help mortals, to make the world a better place, and thus they are pained by what must be done in their name. however, they refused to accept any except willing ones. so, the remnant of the kingdom transformed into a society that emphasized the good of the nation, and of self sacrifice for a righteous cause. they had always emphasized the good of the community, but now this increased. for now the survival of their nation and society depend on their willingness to sacrifice, to die horrible painful deaths. So a culture of martyrdom and sacrifice. Interesting. What for do the sacrifices take? they stayed relatively stable until the wars broke out. During the wars, the nation regained much of the territory that they had lost long ago. then, their gods died int he final battle, but almost immediately people from the kingdom ascend to replace them. this was a time of hope and anticipation, that perhaps the curse had died with the olds gods. but, the new gods fell victim to it soon after their ascension, showing that the curse would never go away. they same results will, still occur if the sacrifices do not occur. also, it is thought that the very integrity of magic in their kingdom now depends on the sacrifices. I can see there being a theory (perhaps even a popular one) that the curse was not placed upon the gods, but upon the worshipers and that the gods were made impotent to act on behalf of their followers unless the sacrifices were performed. It certainly would make for a potentially interesting religious sect. now, the nation works to re integrate the new areas into the nation, and desires only to continue on. they are in a similar economic status to the other nations, but have had a tradition of trade with outside nations, so they merely have had to expand it. they are watchful for foreigners who go too far however, and will not tolerate any political interference. How do these newly annexed regions feel about the requirements of the sacrifices? Also, does this tradition have much of an effect upon their foreign relations? What sort of people are likely to deal with them ? |
| SovietCanuck03-11-08, 04:11 AM | Sweet Prophets of God...long time, no post eh? Well, real life can be a bugger like that sometimes... but I have not been idle during the moves, getting settled into a new city, and getting into the swing of post-secondary...nope! I've got quite a bit to show for right now...so expect a flurry of posts from me in the next three or so weeks! And the first mega-post of mine: The Caelen Faith! The keystone of my entire region! The most powerful religious body in Caelea, and some would argue the world, the Caelen Church counts its membership in the millions. These faithful turn their prayers towards the immortal God-Emperor, Cael, for guidance and protection, hoping that they will achieve purity in this live and ascended beyond the endless cycles of reincarnation to live among the angels and saints in Paradise. From zealous paladins to insidious inquisitors, from fiery preachers to corrupt officials, to the countless scores of peasants and townsfolk who pray to the God-Emperor every day, Cael's faithful are a vast and varied lot. History Though some would argue the Caelen faith was started only with the foundation of Şalath under the faithful nomads of the Qaliz deserts which sparked the rise of the Qalitz Empire and the solidification of Caelen beliefs, most scholars now agree the true foundations of the faith lay in the philosophical cults of the first Caelean Empire. Under the reign of the Immortal Emperor, who, despite what Caelen mythology states, never claimed divinity, cults promoting the virtue of logic and reason flourished. Cael promoted science and knowledge over religious fervor and myth, and worked hard at suppressing what he saw as the “primitive and limiting beliefs” of the pre-Imperial deities. Cael never encouraged worship in himself, and though he rarely shied away from giving lectures in enlightenment and breaking the cycle of reincarnation, they never possessed any real religious overtones, being far more philosophical and ethical. However, after he retreated into seclusion, his children quietly promoted his divinity to give themselves a greater air of mystique and reverence. After Cael's death at the hands of The Warrior, his followers were convinced of his final assertion. Divinity cults spread, and soon outnumbered the older Philosophical cults. Though the Horselander Empire had limited success at suppressing these cults in southern and central Caelea, the cults flourished in Castillia and Alstan. Finally, after Cael's resurrection, and his Exodus, the Caelen church had established a base mythology and belief, though it lacked any true sense of cohesion. This mythology spread like wildfire through the former Imperial dominions, and in little over a century after the Exodus, belief in the Living God became the largest religion on Caelea, though the pagan faiths continued to persist, especially in Horselander-controlled Kaliz and on the isle of Great Flans. Warlords and dukes used fabricated connections to the Living God to tighten their grip on their populace, while preachers wandered the countryside, proclaiming the days of reckoning were at hand. However, the faithful were not united in any way, shape or form, and oftentimes communities would come to blows over divergent interpretations of the Caelen faith. Heresies were common during these days, as were attempted fusions of the Caelen faith with other religions. It was not until Şah, a decedent of Cael, united the nomadic tribes of Kaliz in the sacred city of Şalath, now Tbris, that a truly united Caelen faith began to emerge. Şah would be the first of the Patriachs of the church, and under his Qalitz Empire, the Dictum Sollemnis, the Sacred Words, were collected form the writings and teaching of Cael for the first time. However, despite the acts of Şah, and other Patriarchs such as Abdullah and Petros, a unified Qalic Church was never had much success in converting over members willingly, often having to rely on force and intimidation to convert others to their philosophies. It wasn't until Richardo del Collina, better known as the the First Prelate, received a copy of the book, that the Church as it is known today truly began to form. Richardo translated the Dictum Sollemnis from Qalic to Imperial, and removed some of the more controversial or unappealing portions, such as the belief that all mankind had to be united under a descendant of Cael before the God-Emperor would return, or the requirement of self-flagellation on the day of Cael's death. Though Richardo was an intelligent man, his greatest skill was finding uses for the talents of others. Thus, Richardo was able to direct his growing church expertly, and the solid foundation of work he offered appealed greatly to many commoners who had been bullied by priests and inquisitors who spun folk tails and lies to keep their congregations in line. However, his greatest act was the appointment of Antonio di Vandé to the post of Head of Inquisition. di Vandé was able to unite the fractious inquisitors of the central Toren River Valley under Richardo, and with the backing of these inquisitors, the Caelen church solidified it's base, and began a period of great expansion. Though it would take another 400 years to convert the entire continent, the Caelen Church, which adopted the Imperial moniker in 544, eventually managed to become the dominant faith across all of Caelea and Rimegaard, though areas under Qalitz rule continued to maintain their orthodox and imperialistic faith, known in the other regions of Caelea as the Church of Qalitz. However, the Church of Qalitz still believed in much the same thing as the Imperial Caeleans, and though Qalitz and Imperial nations did come into conflict often, it was more over the Qalitz's imperial ambitions and steady expansion than over an actual conflict in doctrine. Essentially, all indigenous Caelean faiths had been wiped out, or reduced to just a handful of worshipers, by the end of the sixth century. Only the Horselanders, Ithu-Kut, and the nomadic Kith really resisted conversion, though the Kith often supported Caelen missions with supplies and funding to maintain the Imperial Church's tendency to turn a blind eye to or hand wave their worship of the Traveler. It wasn't until the Great Hersey of Harold Jarlsburg in the seventh century that a significant threat to Imperial hegemony rose. The Flansh of Great Flans were extremely resistant to conversion, and kept their faith in the Living Gods alive through the rise of the Caelen kingdoms. The Flansh had traditionally been ruled by foreigners, either by the Roenic Highlanders, the Holts to the southeast, the Izzard dwarves of the southwest, and even the Kith of the north. Harold Jarlsburg, a Roen from Bardrim, apparently received a vision from the God-Emperor himself, telling him to travel to Great Flans, where he would be gifted with a new message to bring to his followers. Now, Harold belonged to the orthodox wing of the Imperial Church, and resented greatly the reforms being instituted by the central Church to appease the western regions, and so being a pious man, believed that Cael was going to give him a message that would tell the Caelen church to return to it's roots. So Harold gathered a great number of like minded individuals, and they set out on a great voyage from Roensburg to Great Flans. It is believed nearly a thousand men, women and children followed him on this voyage, and this number only grew as they stopped in the many ports along the way. When Harold reached Great Flans, his followers had swelled to over five thousand in number, and it was widely believed among his followers that he was a prophet, come to renew the Imperial Doctrine. Harold took a few of his most loyal followers deep into the isle, lead only by his visions, and eventually reached a small grotto, where the sleeping form of the Lady of the Chalice lay. Harold then fell into a fit, and for three days was cared for by his companions. When he awoke, he apparently took the chalice out of Lady's hands, and said to his followers “This is the Chalice in which the world was made.” This sparked the beginning of the Chalicite faith, and the Great Hersey. Though several crusades were launched against the Chalicites, they only succeeded in turning more and more Flansh to the Chalice. One of the most dismal failures was in the Second Crusade, when Crusaders from Portoro and Istan succeeded in pillaging raising the kith nation of Avagne, one of the Church's last stable allies on the isles. By the end of the century, worship of the Chalice had supplanted the tenuous grasp the Living Emperor had on Great Flans, and the Chalicites began launching raids against the Holtish kingdoms. Though initially the Holts were supported by the Imperial church, internal divisions and politics eventually lead to the Lowland kingdoms being essentially abandoned to the Chalicites by the other nations. The Holts however resisted this invasion, and in the process became a major naval, and eventually industrial power. However, another unforeseen consequence of this was a feeling of abandonment among many of the Holts. Though they were no less Caelen, they found themselves questioning the Imperial church, who expected them to serve at their beck and call, but turned and fled when it came to protecting their flock. Many among the Holtish clergy began ignoring Church decrees, especially some of their reforms to bring the church more in line with the orthodox branches so as to no encourage another Harold Jarlsburg. The Holts, and well as their Izzard and Vestrian neighbors, and the Alstanics to the south of them, were in favor of a more liberal interpretation of the Sacred Texts, one that placed more emphasis on science, magic, and knowledge, and less on mysticism and tradition. Finally, once a group of rebel cardinals established a second Archprelacy in Navinne, under the claim that the current Archprelate had become a mouthpiece for the rulers of Stillia-Portoro, who ruled the Holy City at the time, the decision was made. In 731, under the leadership of charismatic preacher Johan Braden, the churches of the Holtlands declared their independence from the fractious Imperial Church. The Imperial Church immediately capitulated to the demands of the reformers, and the Collegium Scholaris, the governing body of the Imperial Church, immediately began issuing reformist proclamations. Of course, this set the eastern reaches off, and they began to threaten independence. The Imperial Church flopped once again, it's divided bureaucracy in chaos, and as it did so, Edward Hale issued his decrees in Neidrig St. Peter, which soon cumulated in the founding of the Halen Reform churches. The Imperial Church then completely disintegrated, loosing all internal cohesion, as the eastern and western regions broke off. War followed, and the Caelen region was wracked by religious conflicts for almost two decades. It was during this time that Qalitz reached it's maximum extent, reaching from the Sea of Blades in the west, to Cittia Sulla Collina in the north, to the far reaches of the Horselands in the south and east. Finally, after the chaos had died down, the Imperial church began the long, slow process of rebuilding itself. It had lost almost all of the Castillian Peninsula, Rimegaard, the Western Vales, Alstan, the Red Mountains, and Holtland, in addition to Cittia Sulla Collina. These years were known as the Navinne years, as the church was based in the city of Navinne in Gallia, which remained one of two fully sovereign Imperial nations, the other being the poor Castillian state of San Rillo. The largest new church to spring out of the period of the Great Schism was the Roenic Orthodox. Based out of Roensburg, this new church hearkened back to the original scriptures of the Patriarchs, and rejected many of the reforms instituted by the Imperial church over the previous centuries, though they didn't regress to the level of the Qalic church. Other peoples that followed their example were the Andarians and Oresni of southern Castillia, the Marxians of Rimegaard, and the Dorens. Going in the opposite direction were the Reformers. These churches were lead most often by charismatic leaders, who made ample use of the populace's frustration with the Imperial church. It was seen as too bureaucratic, too stuck in the past to successfully cater to the new, mercantile society emerging in the west. Some of the most influential preachers of this time were Edward Hale, Johan Braden, Morgrad Thurdain, Ingrid Kristen, and Adisa Noyo. Over the next hundred years, the Imperial Church returned to dominance, successfully reclaiming Cálon, most of Caelea, and Stillia-Portoro. The Knights of the Church, under orders from the Archprelacy, conquered Cittia Sulla Collina from the Qalitz, and placed the region around the city under their direct rule. The Knightly States would survive 200 years, until 1022, when they would become amalgamated into a new, Holy Caelean empire. As the years past, and the power of the Qalitz and Chalicites wained, the Imperial church found itself regaining it's dominance once again. The Archprelacy was returned to the Great Basilica in 843, and the bureaucracy has been restored. An understanding has been reached among the churches, and though missionaries are common, no more forced conversions are supposed to take place, though what goes on behind closed doors is often handwaved. Though wars no longer take place solely because of creed, they do occasionally still contribute to one nations dealings with another, which is why Stillia-Portoro was more eager to contribute to fellow-Imperialists Gallia's defense against the elves than Vestria, who were Gallia's neighbors. The modern era is a time of great change for the Caelen faith. The growth of empires, and the unity of the Caelen nations against the greatest threat in a thousand years, a resurgent Elven Empire, has brought unprecedented stability to the region. Even Castillia is mostly at peace, something that was once humorously dismissed as a sign of the apocalypse. The Caelen nations are turning their collective focuses outwards, to the rest of the world, seeking new ways to fund their war, new technologies and goods they could profit from, and new allies beyond their borders. This new outwards focus has processed into the religious sphere as well, and no church has quite responded to this change as the Imperial church. The Imperials have made it their mission to convert the world, and their missionaries and preachers can be found across the world, in cities, towns, and wandering the countryside, spreading the message of the Immortal Emperor, and the promise of breaking the bonds of reincarnation to achieve final paradise. Of course, the Imperial church's goals are a little more complex than that, as they not only desire to save the souls of the pagans, but also to gain the funding and resources needed to topple the reformist, orthodox, and Qalic churches, and become the most powerful organization in the world. Key Tenants of the Caelen Faith The following are beliefs shared, in large, by those that describe themselves as followers of the Caelen faith. The Divinity of the Emperor Cael- whether or not he was always divine, or only achieved divinity after his death at the hands of The Warrior is debated however Monotheism- Cael is the only true deity. All others are but powerful spirits, some loyal to him, others loyal to the Pentacle. Revelation- Cael revealed his message to his citizens through revelation, and this revelation continued on through the Patriarchs, who helped convey Cael's message even after he left. Good and Evil- Just as Cael represents the ultimate good in the universe, so does the Pentacle represent all that is evil. A linear concept of history- Cael(or the Creator, as this aspect of him is known) created the universe, and continues to work in it as the ages pass. Ultimate truth of the Dictum Sollemnis The Patriarchs The Patriarchs are those that helped establish the Caelen faith, living before, during, and after the reign of Cael. There are a few dozen Patriarchs widely known, but it is commonly accepted that there may have been many more who have been forgotten, or the records of them lost through time. Though the term patriarch indicates a male, there were several women who also rose to this rank and are honored as such. Arguably the most famous Patriarch is Roens the Great, the king who lead his people to Caelea, and established the Roenic Kingdom. Others patriarchs hold similar places to Roens, such as Oluwafunmilayo, a legendary Alstanic king who had revelations about a Living God five hundred years before Cael's birth, Kilithen Thoras, a revered Valic dwarfven leader, and Paramonos Theodosius, founder of the Andarian empire and ancestor of Cael. Another group of Patriarchs are Cael's companions, such as Manuel, Oreaon, and Brutus, who are seen as righteous men who helped Cael complete his mission of founding an empire, and were privy to the Living God's deepest thoughts and beliefs. Some of their writings, believed to have been inspired by these revelations, form the core of the Dictum Sollemnis. Occasionally counted among these patriarchs are Cael's thirteen children, though this is still a fractious and controversial issue, as many of the current Caelean monarchs claim their position by their linage tracing back to Cael's offspring, and the Qalic church believes that only a descendant of Cael can unite the world in worship of Cael, and bring about the final end-times. Finally come those Patriarchs who came after Cael, and helped found the modern church. It is through the work of these individuals, in assembling the teachings of Cael and the other patriarchs, that the Caelen faith exists as we know it today. These individuals include the likes of Şah, Abdullah, Petros, Sarah, Roberto, and Dominique, and the sum of their work is seen today in the Dictum Sollemnis, the Sacred Words of Cael. Saints Compared to the Patriarchs, the Saints are of much less importance historically, but much more reverence spiritually. The Patriarchs may have laid the foundation for the Caelen faith, but it is the Saints that fulfilled it's promise. Saints are those who have lived lives of such purity and devotion, they have broken the cycle of reincarnation and have ascended to the High Heavens. The era of the Saints started in 274, when the Primarch Ricardo proclaimed that the ascetic monk, Jules Patris, had succeeded in ending his lives on this plane, and had ascended into High Heaven. Subsequently, new Saints were approved on almost a yearly basis, as faithful brought countless stories of holy individuals who they believed met the criteria of Sainthood. As the church spread to areas where the pagan faiths remained strong, they began affiliating saints with the pre-Caelen deities, such as St. Ivan the Wise with the head of the Roenic pantheon, Tybold, and St. Aven the Wanderer with the kith's god The Traveler. Now, there are several hundred saints approved by the all three Northern branches of the Church, and dozens more who are accepted by only one. (the Qalics refuse to believe anyone but Cael's decedents will ascend to the High Heavens before the End Times). Many Saints were philosophers, ascetics, and martyrs, though in recent years this is changing, as both monarchs and missionaries have been Ascended since then. Almost all Caelens are given a patron saint depending on the date, location, and circumstances of their initial baptism, and those who convert are given one in much the same manner. Faithful Caelens take this Saint's name as a given name, and though most Caeleans choose the name their parents chose for them upon birth for day-to-day activities, converts may use their Blessed name as a symbol of pride in their new faith. It is believed that this patron saint serves as a guide and protector through this individual's life, and as a mentor in their quest to Ascend too. Churches, monasteries, ships, weapons, organizations, even islands, mountains, and new settlements are named in much the same way, after receiving a blessing from a priest. Though these inanimate objects cannot benefit from a patron's guidance and protection, the people who make use of them, or name the object after them, may very well. Thus, many Caelean colonies have a location, be it a mountain, lake, river, bay, or the like named after Sts. Aven the Wanderer, Laurence, Gurdwen, Peter of Drandel, Istraph, and Fatima the Wise, all patrons of adventurers, travelers, or those seeking to start a new life. Prominent Caelean Saints, and their patronages Abd-al-Malik- farmers, herdsmen, Qalitz Alexander- Soldiers and men-at-arms Alva- Winter, woodsmen, Rimegaard Amadeus IV- Soldiers, astronomers, Caelean Empire Aven the Wanderer- Adventurers, travelers, kith Benedict the Black- Mages, scholars, Alstanics Clement- Artists, sculptors, Erdone Cyrdwyn- Tanners, leaterworkers, Flansh Domenic the Younger- Horsemen, scouts, husbandry Dimitri- Smiths, metalworkers Duran- Kings, leadership, Durnics, Khazad Roens Elanea- Queens, diplomats Gregory the Martyr- Crusaders, knights, Holtland Gurdwen- Undead hunters, Jarlsholme Fatima the Wise- Travelers, preachers, teachers Hebert- Bards, storytellers, Deraille Iago- Sailors, traders, Stillia-Portoro Istraph- Adventurers, knights, humans Ithal- rangers, woodsmen, halflings Ivan the Bold- Thunder, rain, weather, Roenics John Ricardo- Diviners, prophecy, newspapers Joseph of Dorello- Guardsmen, enforcers Jules- Elders, ascetics, clergy Laurence- Sailors, cartographers, Hala Maria of Uxóls- Soldiers, infantrymen, Cálon Murdan of Galverg- chemists, alchemists Nicolai- Thieves, spies, rebels Our Lady of Olome- Healers, midwives, childbirth Quinn- Farmers, shepherds, halflings Peter of Drandel- Traveling craftsmen, explorers René- Healers, hospitals Ronald-San Rilo, miners and masons Sillan- Mechanists, tinkerers, elves Thard of the Three Hammers- Judges, guardsmen, dwarves Therese- Politicians, bureaucrats, gnomes Urban II- Students, universities Vincent of Volenza- comedians, entertainers Wolfgang- Masons, carpenters, Vestria The One, True God Followers of the Caelen faith worship the founding emperor of the First Caelean Empire, Cael, as the only true deity, the Immortal Emperor, the Creator and Preserver of the universe, and the Path to the High Heavens. Faithful believe that the Creator was cast down by his traitorous lieutenants after creation, and forced to reincarnate a million times before he would reattain his divine form. The last form before the Creator's reascension was that of the God-Emperor, Cael, who liberated Caelea from the elves, and created the First Caelean Empire, which united the Caelean region against elven hostilities and internal divisions. Once Cael was slain at the hands of The Warrior, the Living God of war and conflict (seen in Caelean texts as an avatar of Zertal), he ascended to divinity and reclaimed his throne, chaining the Pentacle and their minions to the deepest pits of the Abyss. Contrary to the common outsider belief that Caelens warship a mortal man, Caelens insist that Cael was simply an incarnation of the entity which created the multiverse, the ultimate source of energy, light, and life. This belief is summarized in the Creed of Şah “Cael is creation, He is eternal and everlasting, He was never created, and His existence will never end. He is One, the Absolute Truth, and there are none equal to Him.”. Caelens continue to call their God Cael, however, as they believe Cael is the closest to the True Divinity a mortal can comprehend, His true form being too glorious to be quantifiable. Caelens believe that all other gods are merely powerful spirits, manifestations of the Pentacle, or, in rare cases, Patriarchs or Saints of Cael. They believe that most other belief systems have been twisted by the machinations of the dark entities, or misinterpretation (whether accidental or intentional) of Cael's primal teachings, and though they will concede that many pagan faiths contain elements of truth, Caelens will state that the Caelen faith is true in it's entirety. Cael, as the final incarnation of the Creator before glorious divinity, was the Speaker of Truth, and His faith is the first and last True Faith for all of humanity. Scriptures The Caelen faith relies heavily upon it's sacred body of scriptures, believed to be the unquestionable and ultimate words of the Emperor, to maintain a uniform core of beliefs and traditions among it's myriad of faithful. The most important of these works, the Dictum Sollemnis, is the consolidated text of the most important of Cael's teachings, parables, and works during his reign as emperor. The Dictum Sollemnis is divided up into 12 Chapters, and an addition 142 poems and prayers of enlightenment. The Dictum Sollemnis is solely the work of the Emperor, and traditionally no writings from anyone else are allowed to be bound within the same covers as the Dictums. The text of the Dictum Sollemnis is considered sacred, and every word is copied with painstaking care, as to deviate or manipulate the writings would be to commit a great sin against the God Emperor. The Imperial Church even resisted translating the works from Imperial to local faiths until after the Great Schism. Orthodox Churches, as well as the Church of Qalitz, still forbid translations from the liturgical languages of their communions. In addition come the Traditions, the teachings of the Patriarchs and Prophets. These function as supplements to the Dictum Sollemnis, and are considered divinely inspired by the faithful. Afterlife Caelens believe that every being in existence consists of two parts: the body and the soul. After death, the body dies and decomposes, it's wealth, possessions, memories and possessions along with it. However, the soul is condemned to endlessly reincarnate into new bodies, to undergo an eternal cycle of life and death filled with pain, sorrow, and loss, unless they can break the bonds that bind them to the moral coil. There are several ways to do this, the most common during the years before Cael was pledging oneself to the Pentacle, turning one's soul over to these dark entities after one's death, to what horrible fate is best left untold, though it is widely thought that these heathens simply trade one mortality with another, becoming one of the Pentacle's vast multitude of devils and beasts. However, the preferable ending for Caelens is to head the other way, away from the Pits of the Abyss and into the High Heavens, Paradise where suffering fades to bliss, and one's actions in life are rewarded justly and honestly. To achieve this ascension, one must remove oneself from the evils of the world that keep their soul chained in the cycle of death and rebirth, so that when one dies the angels of Cael may guide one's soul to eternal paradise. Cael has left instructions on how to do so in his teachings, and continues to provide advice to his faithful through revelations. Despite the vivid descriptions of the Fiery Pits of Hell in Caelen literature, Paradise is left vague, it's exact rewards almost a taboo topic in Caelen cultures. This stems from the Caelen belief that expecting a reward for one's actions is an evil that only condemns one to reincarnation. Instead, Caelens focus on this life, and how to live in a manner pleasing to the Living God. Still, some features of the High Heavens are described, such as it's multiple layers, each a paradice for a specific type of soul... an eternal battlefeild for warriors, an endless library for scholars, and a land of fantastic sights for wanderers and adventurers. Caelen teachings say that eventually, every soul will reach heaven, as every soul will reincarnate over time into more and more righteous lives. Only those who have removed themselves from the cycle early, whether through undeath, pledging oneself to the Pentacle, or via other means, will never reach the High Heavens. Worship Worship is normally conducted once every tenday, related to the old Illast tradition that creation took ten days (Caelen faith never describes the exact length of time, though thanks to the influence of Illasts on the early church, it is commonly interpreted to be a tenday, the tenth being the day of Cael's betrayal at the hands of the Pentacle). Caelen faithful are expected to pray three times daily, during rising, at noon, and before sleep. Churches may hold masses at these times, particularly in rural areas where church attendance is high, though normally these prayers are individual affairs. Only on the Tenthday and on High Holy Days do communities typically gather to worship as one to celebrate their faith. Sacrifices are seen as pagan rituals, and are not a part of Caelen worship. Instead, offerings to the poor, and self-sacrifice (fasting, humility, penance) are considered to be appeasing to Cael, as it is not He is needs bettering, but those around one, and one's own self. Pilgrimages are also common, and though traditional, they are not prescribed in the Dictum Sollemnis (though several Patriarchs' works consist of details of recommended pilgrimages) Dietary Restrictions The only real food restriction is the Caelen religion is the prohibition against eating those that survive off rot and carrion, the “body of the Thousand”. This means many fungi, as well as carrion eaters such as insects, many raptors, and, most surprisingly, pigs are off limits. Besides that, however, the Caelen faith is extremely liberal in what one can and cannot consume, and both alcohol and certain drugs such as tobacco are acceptable in modern Caelen societies. Proselytism One of the defining traits of the Caelen faith is it's evangelism. Caelens believe that it is their duty to convert as many souls as possible to the worship of the God Emperor, to save their souls both from the Pentacle and from the cycle of reincarnation. Caelen missionaries can be found the world over, teaching the Caelen faith to any who many listen, in a battle for both potential converts' souls. The Caelen faith bars forced conversions, but it tends to turn a blind eye to these acctivities... as their bodies may come in use in any potential conflicts between the churches. There ya go! 100% fluff, no crunch! I'm still working on my new classes...though I've settled on a skill-based system here. That, and I've got the picture all done... http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2330/2325150941_6d9b7c118c.jpg RESONANCE MAGI Okay, there's the teaser :P As you can see, I did a little fiddling around with the elves there, changing some racial "roles" around...so right now I'm thinking my races will divy up like so... Humans-Leaders, imperialists, wizards Dwarves- Warriors, craftsmen, inventors Elves- Inventors, scholars, mechanists Gnomes- Rogues, diplomats, magicians Halflings- Farmers, rangers, foresters Kobolds- Miners, religious fanatics, craftsmen Kith- Traders, merchants, scoundrels Maenads- Warriors, mercenaries, sailors Xephs- Herdsmen, mystics, thieves I'm prolly gonna nix the other races here (rilkans, skarns, spellscales, half-giants, et al), as I don't really have a "role" or a stereotype for them here, and I don't want to use any books others might not have any acess to (so no Incarnium, Blade Magic, etc). I think I'll keep Illumians and Raptorians, but they'll just be small, isolated populations And ofcourse there are Imperial Elves, but they'll be antagonists/monsters, not PCs (fey type, large number of spell-like abilities, etc), and half-elves are going to be a template that can be added to any race (still working on the exact logistics of that as well...) Hope this proves I'm not dead et al... hopefully we can kickstart The Project once again here folks! |
| dragonoverlord03-12-08, 12:00 PM | In looking at the island in question, I note that it is not all that large so I wonder a bit how so many separate states (with quite clearly different cultures) came to call it home. Perhaps the confederation could “eat” some of the nearby islands as the home of some of the member states? This might help to easy the inevitable internal tensions as the constituent powers would have less contested territory. the confederation also includes the tip of the mainland continent directly across from it, and and delta of the river. it is still a little small, so think that it should include the island to its NE and the one directly to the east.this would alos help ease the tensions that you mentioned. Why would a dragon want to help establish a confederation? Also, what purpose would showing the other nations the true background of the war serve? Surely the early members of the confederation would see the chaos as a chance to expand their influence and thus have a very really reason for wanting the war to continue (at least for a while) the dragon wanted to establish the confederation because he really really hated the Enemy. he had been following its plots for a long time, and knew that he did not have the power to stop the Enemy alone, so he decided that he would have to find a way to unite many, maybe all or most of the mortal nations as this was the only way that he saw having nay chance of stopping the enemy. he choose the location of the confederation because he lived on the island, and because there was a group of priests of illiani who had figured out the enemy's plans on their own based in the area. he met with them, and together they figured out how they would create the confederation. in the early years, the confedration's actions were those that this group wanted. they manipulated the leaders into forming alliances with each other, and then showed them bit by bit the reality of the situation. they also worked very hard to ensure that the next generation of leaders/ important figures in the nations of the confederation were strongly committed to the goals that they had for. starting with the second generation of leaders, the confederation members accomplished the group's goals with little to no urging. there were some conflicts in the early years, but those were successfully resolved. the members also began to develop a sense of commonality, of some shared identity, and of being somewhat superior to the rest of the region's nations. this sense has only been strengthened in modern times, and is [part of the reason that they do not try to expand the confederation, they do not think that other people would be able to cooperate in the way that they do, that they are special, better than the others. also, they wanted to stop the wars to defeat the Enemy, and because they were afraid that the wars could completely destroy the region. they see themselves as the protectors of the region, which is an attitude that the dragon and its allies intentionally encouraged, and thus they wanted there to be peace in the region and wish to restore it to prosperity because they all see this as their responsibility and/or as something that would benefit them, whether through increased commerce, lessened threat to their security, various religious reasons, or simply because it made them fell good. A 5% agricultural export seem to me to be awfully low to gain the confederation such a standing. Also, it is a mountainous island nation and such places are notorious for having to import their food for larger nations with substantial agrarian output. If they are exporting their food, then they are going to need a crop which does well in the mountains, takes up very little space, and is prolific. Some sort of root might do well (possibly potatoes) but even if there were to be such a crop, the fairly limited space on the island would greatly hamper production. most agriculture is done on the portion on the mainland continent, this land has been part of the confederation from the beginning, when they secured it from the rest of the content through various means, this area has been made very fertile by the confederation, so that it could serve as their "breadbasket". some is done on the islands, but very little of this exported. the amount of export is intentionally very low for a couple of reasons. first, it is to show just how terrible the situation in the region is, no one can export any more food than the confederation does, and they can not export much. food is one of the most important resources in the region. a number of region have figure out way to feed their population, but no other nation can export as much as the confederation, and even if they could, they most likely could not spare the people to transport it. How do these communities get along, and what sort of government does the confederation possess that helps them work together? I would imagine that such a collection of nations would not exactly have a broad array of overlapping interests. the communities mostly get along well in the present . there was some initial tension, but has disipated overtime. there are still some disagreements, especially between the theocracy ad/or the feudal kingdom and the merchant state, the gnomes do not completely trust anyone except certain officals, the elves tend to act some what aloof still, and the independent communities sometimes complain about encrouchements by other members, but they share a sense of common identity, a sense that they are a group. they are actually one of the most strongly nationalist nations in the region, even though they are not exactly one nation. the government of the confederation is made up of representatives sent by each member. each member gets one representative, regardless of size or power, and the representatives form a kind of pariliment that decides certain issues. they control foreign policy, trade,and warfare, settle disputes between members, collect funds from each member, and make a small set of laws that pertain to all members. these laws are mostly designed to prevent any variances on major issues, but leave most decsions up to the members. the members each control their internal affairs, and can do what ever they want, up to a point. the point, the line they can not cross is established by the parliamentary laws. the thin that most keeps them together is their sense that they share some sort of link with the other members that they do not share with other nations. despite their occasional disputes, any member will defnd any other member if they are attacked/threatened by a foreigner. How do these people function if they are both xenophobic and dependant upon foreigners? Also, if the region is so devastated, what reason would foreign powers have for taking over? Are there resources of note or is it simply their location that provides them with some appeal? the region does have a lot of non-edible resources, some of which are very area and hard to find in other places. the combination of their dependency and xenophobia causes problems in these people's lives. some accept the dependency as a necessary evil that will be eliminated a s soon as possible, others try to find ways around it, other try to find a foriegn group to join, to become part of , and thus no longer be dependent on someone not part of their group, others are not sure what to do. this is one of the major issues facing this region. They would have to produce some food even if it is not enough to support the whole population. Considering they are coastal they would at least have some form of fishing and probably a bit of aquaculture. you are right. they will have to produce some food. it would vary by community. coastal communities would be able to fish to some extent, and some communities could engage in very limited agriculture, but these things would not be able to provide much food, most only 10-20% of their requirement, maybe about 30% for the coastal places. the most improtant thing with this is that they will not able to make anywhere near what they need. I know that we discussed earlier about having some of my colonial powers having holdings in your region, and from what you wrote here am I correct in assuming this is still an option? Concerning foreign enclaves I had the following idea: let us assume there is an enclave in the city of X controlled by The Serpentine and South Seas Trading Company (under Parliamentary Charter from the Republic of Orothos). Within this enclave the Company has its head quarters and along with it are several banking houses, various import-export concerns, a marketplace (probably functioning as the ele, the civic market, for the local Orothoi community), and numerous shops, dwellings, shrines, offices, and other such things that would be found back home. Considering the economic devastation of this region, the enclave in question might well become one of the more upscale communities as a direct result of the foreigners not being allowed to live outside proscribed grounds and thus keeping their wealth among themselves. It would be entirely possible for such an enclave (originally created to keep the foreigners in check) to become a major source of political power in the city, which is exactly what it was designed to prevent. As far as foreign interference goes, let me know what you want, I can draw up some colonial enclaves, prefects, and other such things. What you have outlined here sounds like a good idea, i also want some enclaves where the foreigners have established a prescene throughout the community, and maybe some where they have set up puppet goverment so that the locals think they are in control, but they really are not. Well, that certainly is an interesting development. I am getting a strong Aztec vibe here what with the “sacrifice required for the continuation of cosmic order” sort of thing.[QUOTE=Darth Syntax;15309230] yes, their inspiration is partly aztec, but also draws from some other sources, they are not exactly like the aztecs, the gods that they sacrifice to do not want the sacrifices, but they need them, they hunger for them, but regret it. [QUOTE=Darth Syntax;15309230]So a culture of martyrdom and sacrifice. Interesting. What for do the sacrifices take? the sacrifices take a number of forms. in the more minor rituals, they only consist of some bleeding onto a special altar, sometimes by the priest and sometimes by worshipers, but for major things, like the change of seasons, to ward of a storm or other disaster, and on certain holy days, they consists of actual killing of a person, usually in way that causes a lot of bleeding. except in very rare cases, the person is unconscious during the ritual, and the ritual is always done in a special place, where the local community watches. attendance at these rituals is mandatory. the particpant has always volunteered beforehand, and been prepared for it in the preceding few days. this is considered a great honor among these people, and a way of repenting for a number of crimes. it is bieleived that a special fate awaits the person in the afterlife. I can see there being a theory (perhaps even a popular one) that the curse was not placed upon the gods, but upon the worshipers and that the gods were made impotent to act on behalf of their followers unless the sacrifices were performed. It certainly would make for a potentially interesting religious sect. How do these newly annexed regions feel about the requirements of the sacrifices? Also, does this tradition have much of an effect upon their foreign relations? What sort of people are likely to deal with them ? the attitudes of the newly annexed regions are confused/complicated. the nortzelian officals have worked to make these poeple's lives better, have rebulit cities and infrastructure, but they have brought their unusual religious requirements with them. the people are thankful for the first set of things, but are not sure about the others, some do not bilieve that the nortezelian gods are benevolent, that it is some sort of trick. also, the nortzelians have an attitude that these ares have always been theirs, since they were part of their old empire, and thus these people are the same as them, which causes some resentment as it odes not recognize cultural differences. -- another thing: - one of the new nortezalian gods gave in completely to the lust for sacrifices, for mortal blood, and now pursues this above all else. he has allied with demons, ands has formed a secret cult in the region that sacrifices poeple to him, he does not care whether they are willing or not. he is considered the greatest enemy by the nation and by the other gods, and destroying him and his cultists is one thier major prioritizes. |
| Darth Syntax03-14-08, 06:24 AM | Soviet, I've read over your description of the Caelean religion and, surprise surprise, I've got just a few questions. The most powerful religious body in Caelea, and some would argue the world, the Caelen Church counts its membership in the millions. These faithful turn their prayers towards the immortal God-Emperor, Cael, for guidance and protection, hoping that they will achieve purity in this live and ascended beyond the endless cycles of reincarnation to live among the angels and saints in Paradise. From zealous paladins to insidious inquisitors, from fiery preachers to corrupt officials, to the countless scores of peasants and townsfolk who pray to the God-Emperor every day, Cael's faithful are a vast and varied lot. And after a very fine introduction, let’s get down to the meat of things shall we? History Though some would argue the Caelen faith was started only with the foundation of Şalath under the faithful nomads of the Qaliz deserts which sparked the rise of the Qalitz Empire and the solidification of Caelen beliefs, most scholars now agree the true foundations of the faith lay in the philosophical cults of the first Caelean Empire. Under the reign of the Immortal Emperor, who, despite what Caelen mythology states, never claimed divinity, cults promoting the virtue of logic and reason flourished. Cael promoted science and knowledge over religious fervor and myth, and worked hard at suppressing what he saw as the “primitive and limiting beliefs” of the pre-Imperial deities. A rather nice irony there although it raises some very fundamental questions about the Caelean religions. Given that there are extant writings attributed to Cael which, presumably, would contain passages that point out the “folly of religion” and all the rest, why do the modern Caeleans consider him to be a religious figure? Would it not make slightly more sense for him to be viewed as more of a great sage (like Confucius or Socrates) rather than as a god incarnate? If there were no surviving writings attributed to Cael then his transformation from anti-religious or skeptical philosopher to god emperor might make a bit more sense. These philosophical schools and cults, what where they like? I can imagine something like the various Hellenistic schools or possibly the Hundred Schools of Thought period in China but that only gives me an idea as to the form rather than the function. What where the prevailing philosophies and how have they effected the modern modes of thinking. Also, how did Cael end up as emperor anyway? Further, how do you pronounce Cael? I’ve been pronouncing it as something like [kajl] (sort of a monosyllabic version of Kyle), but I could be completely out to lunch here. Cael never encouraged worship in himself, and though he rarely shied away from giving lectures in enlightenment and breaking the cycle of reincarnation, they never possessed any real religious overtones, being far more philosophical and ethical. However, after he retreated into seclusion, his children quietly promoted his divinity to give themselves a greater air of mystique and reverence. Sort of a Siddhartha-like figure then? Or possibly Confucius-esque? Also, why did Cael hold that reincarnation was inherently a bad thing? After Cael's death at the hands of The Warrior, his followers were convinced of his final assertion. Divinity cults spread, and soon outnumbered the older Philosophical cults. Though the Horselander Empire had limited success at suppressing these cults in southern and central Caelea, the cults flourished in Castillia and Alstan. Finally, after Cael's resurrection, and his Exodus, the Caelen church had established a base mythology and belief, though it lacked any true sense of cohesion. “Final assertion”, do you mean assention? Why did his death (a mundane occurance considering death is one of those constants for ordinary beings) make people believe he was a god? Now the whole ressureaction thing makes a bit more sense, but it sounds like he was considered divine before that. I’d be interested in knowing why Cael left your region after coming back from the dead. Was he fleeing his worshipers (like Brian) or was there something else afoot? This mythology spread like wildfire through the former Imperial dominions, and in little over a century after the Exodus, belief in the Living God became the largest religion on Caelea, though the pagan faiths continued to persist, especially in Horselander-controlled Kaliz and on the isle of Great Flans. Warlords and dukes used fabricated connections to the Living God to tighten their grip on their populace, while preachers wandered the countryside, proclaiming the days of reckoning were at hand. However, the faithful were not united in any way, shape or form, and oftentimes communities would come to blows over divergent interpretations of the Caelen faith. Heresies were common during these days, as were attempted fusions of the Caelen faith with other religions. What is the significance of the whole “day of reckoning” concept? Also, how can one have heresies when there is no orthodoxy? Is this simply the modern interpretation of things or is there some historical bit I am missing? I would be interested in hearing about the syncretic religions and how (as I am sure they must) they have effect the modern religions. It was not until Şah, a decedent of Cael, united the nomadic tribes of Kaliz in the sacred city of Şalath, now Tbris, that a truly united Caelen faith began to emerge. Şah would be the first of the Patriachs of the church, and under his Qalitz Empire, the Dictum Sollemnis, the Sacred Words, were collected form the writings and teaching of Cael for the first time. However, despite the acts of Şah, and other Patriarchs such as Abdullah and Petros, a unified Qalic Church was never had much success in converting over members willingly, often having to rely on force and intimidation to convert others to their philosophies. It wasn't until Richardo del Collina, better known as the the First Prelate, received a copy of the book, that the Church as it is known today truly began to form. Richardo translated the Dictum Sollemnis from Qalic to Imperial, and removed some of the more controversial or unappealing portions, such as the belief that all mankind had to be united under a descendant of Cael before the God-Emperor would return, or the requirement of self-flagellation on the day of Cael's death. From the sound of things, the Caelean religion(s) is/are decidedly human-centric (for example the reference to the need to unite mankind and all that). Did this belief contribute to the difficulties in spreading the so called orthodox version of the religion? How did they deal with the non-human sentients, were they considered outsiders who where inherently “unsavable”? What is the current opinion regarding non-humans? You say the Şah collected the writings of Cael, did he edit out those passages that might impede the growth of a religious movement or do they remain? Also, on the subject of the writings: what language where they originally in and where was Cael himself from? Though Richardo was an intelligent man, his greatest skill was finding uses for the talents of others. Thus, Richardo was able to direct his growing church expertly, and the solid foundation of work he offered appealed greatly to many commoners who had been bullied by priests and inquisitors who spun folk tails and lies to keep their congregations in line. However, his greatest act was the appointment of Antonio di Vandé to the post of Head of Inquisition. di Vandé was able to unite the fractious inquisitors of the central Toren River Valley under Richardo, and with the backing of these inquisitors, the Caelen church solidified it's base, and began a period of great expansion. How solidified was the dogma at this time? An inquisition presupposes, to me at any rate, an orthodox dogma; when did this come about, and through what means? Though it would take another 400 years to convert the entire continent, the Caelen Church, which adopted the Imperial moniker in 544, eventually managed to become the dominant faith across all of Caelea and Rimegaard, though areas under Qalitz rule continued to maintain their orthodox and imperialistic faith, known in the other regions of Caelea as the Church of Qalitz. However, the Church of Qalitz still believed in much the same thing as the Imperial Caeleans, and though Qalitz and Imperial nations did come into conflict often, it was more over the Qalitz's imperial ambitions and steady expansion than over an actual conflict in doctrine. Essentially, all indigenous Caelean faiths had been wiped out, or reduced to just a handful of worshipers, by the end of the sixth century. Only the Horselanders, Ithu-Kut, and the nomadic Kith really resisted conversion, though the Kith often supported Caelen missions with supplies and funding to maintain the Imperial Church's tendency to turn a blind eye to or hand wave their worship of the Traveler. I would be very interested in hearing about these other religions (even in brief) and how they interacted with the Caelean faith at the time and in the present. Further, why were these groups successful in resisting conversion? It wasn't until the Great Hersey of Harold Jarlsburg in the seventh century that a significant threat to Imperial hegemony rose. . . When Harold reached Great Flans, his followers had swelled to over five thousand in number, and it was widely believed among his followers that he was a prophet, come to renew the Imperial Doctrine. Harold took a few of his most loyal followers deep into the isle, lead only by his visions, and eventually reached a small grotto, where the sleeping form of the Lady of the Chalice lay. Harold then fell into a fit, and for three days was cared for by his companions. When he awoke, he apparently took the chalice out of Lady's hands, and said to his followers “This is the Chalice in which the world was made.” This sparked the beginning of the Chalicite faith, and the Great Hersey. Who is this Lady of the Chalice and why was she laying about in a cave? How divergent from the Caelean mainline are the Chalicites? Though several crusades were launched against the Chalicites, they only succeeded in turning more and more Flansh to the Chalice. One of the most dismal failures was in the Second Crusade, when Crusaders from Portoro and Istan succeeded in pillaging raising the kith nation of Avagne, one of the Church's last stable allies on the isles. Shades of the fourth crusade here. Nothing like using the sack of Constantinople for inspiration eh? By the end of the century, worship of the Chalice had supplanted the tenuous grasp the Living Emperor had on Great Flans, and the Chalicites began launching raids against the Holtish kingdoms. Though initially the Holts were supported by the Imperial church, internal divisions and politics eventually lead to the Lowland kingdoms being essentially abandoned to the Chalicites by the other nations. The Holts however resisted this invasion, and in the process became a major naval, and eventually industrial power. However, another unforeseen consequence of this was a feeling of abandonment among many of the Holts. Though they were no less Caelen, they found themselves questioning the Imperial church, who expected them to serve at their beck and call, but turned and fled when it came to protecting their flock. Many among the Holtish clergy began ignoring Church decrees, especially some of their reforms to bring the church more in line with the orthodox branches so as to no encourage another Harold Jarlsburg. The Holts, and well as their Izzard and Vestrian neighbors, and the Alstanics to the south of them, were in favor of a more liberal interpretation of the Sacred Texts, one that placed more emphasis on science, magic, and knowledge, and less on mysticism and tradition. Finally, once a group of rebel cardinals established a second Archprelacy in Navinne, under the claim that the current Archprelate had become a mouthpiece for the rulers of Stillia-Portoro, who ruled the Holy City at the time, the decision was made. It sounds to me as though this branch of the faith could well claim to be “reclaiming” some of the original intent of Cael’s teachings, something that could make them a very real theological threat to the more orthodox sects. In 731, under the leadership of charismatic preacher Johan Braden, the churches of the Holtlands declared their independence from the fractious Imperial Church. The Imperial Church immediately capitulated to the demands of the reformers, and the Collegium Scholaris, the governing body of the Imperial Church, immediately began issuing reformist proclamations. Of course, this set the eastern reaches off, and they began to threaten independence. The Imperial Church flopped once again, it's divided bureaucracy in chaos, and as it did so, Edward Hale issued his decrees in Neidrig St. Peter, which soon cumulated in the founding of the Halen Reform churches. The Imperial Church then completely disintegrated, loosing all internal cohesion, as the eastern and western regions broke off. War followed, and the Caelen region was wracked by religious conflicts for almost two decades. It was during this time that Qalitz reached it's maximum extent, reaching from the Sea of Blades in the west, to Cittia Sulla Collina in the north, to the far reaches of the Horselands in the south and east. Why was the church so ready to appease those who would go against it? Why not declare them heretics instead and use the inquisition to bring them in line? The modern era is a time of great change for the Caelen faith. The growth of empires, and the unity of the Caelen nations against the greatest threat in a thousand years, a resurgent Elven Empire, has brought unprecedented stability to the region. Even Castillia is mostly at peace, something that was once humorously dismissed as a sign of the apocalypse. The Caelen nations are turning their collective focuses outwards, to the rest of the world, seeking new ways to fund their war, new technologies and goods they could profit from, and new allies beyond their borders. This new outwards focus has processed into the religious sphere as well, and no church has quite responded to this change as the Imperial church. The Imperials have made it their mission to convert the world, and their missionaries and preachers can be found across the world, in cities, towns, and wandering the countryside, spreading the message of the Immortal Emperor, and the promise of breaking the bonds of reincarnation to achieve final paradise. Of course, the Imperial church's goals are a little more complex than that, as they not only desire to save the souls of the pagans, but also to gain the funding and resources needed to topple the reformist, orthodox, and Qalic churches, and become the most powerful organization in the world. On the issue of foreign contact: How far back would you imagine that relations of any sort go between the Caelans and the Ilaroi? I was thinking initial contact several hundred years ago, possibly shortly after the religious wars in the eighth century by your calendar, but I am certainly open to other possibilities. I can see the missionaries of the Imperial Church running into conflicts with the priests of the Bifurcating Path as both organizations tend to have a religiously expansionist bent. Moreover they would certainly clash on theological grounds as the Adherents of the Path are dystheistic, believing the creator to be unworthy of worship. Other religious conflicts are no doubt likely, but I can see there being a few Caelean enclaves here and there in the more “progressive” nations, although I can’t yet imagine how well they would do at converting the people. Key Tenants of the Caelen Faith The following are beliefs shared, in large, by those that describe themselves as followers of the Caelen faith. • The Divinity of the Emperor Cael- whether or not he was always divine, or only achieved divinity after his death at the hands of The Warrior is debated however • Monotheism- Cael is the only true deity. All others are but powerful spirits, some loyal to him, others loyal to the Pentacle. • Revelation- Cael revealed his message to his citizens through revelation, and this revelation continued on through the Patriarchs, who helped convey Cael's message even after he left. • Good and Evil- Just as Cael represents the ultimate good in the universe, so does the Pentacle represent all that is evil. • A linear concept of history- Cael(or the Creator, as this aspect of him is known) created the universe, and continues to work in it as the ages pass. • Ultimate truth of the Dictum Sollemnis Are they really monotheistic or are they more monolatrist (they worship only one god among several and hold that their god is the only one worthy of worship)? The Patriarchs The Patriarchs are those that helped establish the Caelen faith, living before, during, and after the reign of Cael. There are a few dozen Patriarchs widely known, but it is commonly accepted that there may have been many more who have been forgotten, or the records of them lost through time. Though the term patriarch indicates a male, there were several women who also rose to this rank and are honored as such. Arguably the most famous Patriarch is Roens the Great, the king who lead his people to Caelea, and established the Roenic Kingdom. Others patriarchs hold similar places to Roens, such as Oluwafunmilayo, a legendary Alstanic king who had revelations about a Living God five hundred years before Cael's birth, Kilithen Thoras, a revered Valic dwarfven leader, and Paramonos Theodosius, founder of the Andarian empire and ancestor of Cael. These visions and the like would seem to indicate the existence of pre-caelean anticipatory religions (or at least that is how they would be current viewed). I can see opponents of the Caeleans pointing these out as the real source of the Caelean faith, with Cael himself merely putting on the right face as it were to appear to fulfill these predictions. Saints Compared to the Patriarchs, the Saints are of much less importance historically, but much more reverence spiritually. The Patriarchs may have laid the foundation for the Caelen faith, but it is the Saints that fulfilled it's promise. Saints are those who have lived lives of such purity and devotion, they have broken the cycle of reincarnation and have ascended to the High Heavens. The era of the Saints started in 274, when the Primarch Ricardo proclaimed that the ascetic monk, Jules Patris, had succeeded in ending his lives on this plane, and had ascended into High Heaven. Subsequently, new Saints were approved on almost a yearly basis, as faithful brought countless stories of holy individuals who they believed met the criteria of Sainthood. As the church spread to areas where the pagan faiths remained strong, they began affiliating saints with the pre-Caelen deities, such as St. Ivan the Wise with the head of the Roenic pantheon, Tybold, and St. Aven the Wanderer with the kith's god The Traveler. Now, there are several hundred saints approved by the all three Northern branches of the Church, and dozens more who are accepted by only one. (the Qalics refuse to believe anyone but Cael's decedents will ascend to the High Heavens before the End Times). Many Saints were philosophers, ascetics, and martyrs, though in recent years this is changing, as both monarchs and missionaries have been Ascended since then. The appropriation of foreign gods and other religious figures as saints certainly would be an effective tool for conversion, although it might do little more than put a new coat of paint on the old religions. I can defiantly see the nyezza and Tlónists in general interpreting these saints as some kind of strange barbarian meorai who, for some unaccountable reason, no longer guide and protect the dreams of their people but function is some other mysterious way. I imagine this would be very confusing for both sides. The One, True God Caelens believe that all other gods are merely powerful spirits, manifestations of the Pentacle, or, in rare cases, Patriarchs or Saints of Cael. They believe that most other belief systems have been twisted by the machinations of the dark entities, or misinterpretation (whether accidental or intentional) of Cael's primal teachings, and though they will concede that many pagan faiths contain elements of truth, Caelens will state that the Caelen faith is true in it's entirety. Cael, as the final incarnation of the Creator before glorious divinity, was the Speaker of Truth, and His faith is the first and last True Faith for all of humanity. Once again we have the primacy of humanity here, I sense a theme here and I can imagine it would be very confusing among more, shall we say, cosmopolitan peoples. Scriptures The Caelen faith relies heavily upon it's sacred body of scriptures, believed to be the unquestionable and ultimate words of the Emperor, to maintain a uniform core of beliefs and traditions among it's myriad of faithful. The most important of these works, the Dictum Sollemnis, is the consolidated text of the most important of Cael's teachings, parables, and works during his reign as emperor. The Dictum Sollemnis is divided up into 12 Chapters, and an addition 142 poems and prayers of enlightenment. The Dictum Sollemnis is solely the work of the Emperor, and traditionally no writings from anyone else are allowed to be bound within the same covers as the Dictums. The text of the Dictum Sollemnis is considered sacred, and every word is copied with painstaking care, as to deviate or manipulate the writings would be to commit a great sin against the God Emperor. The Imperial Church even resisted translating the works from Imperial to local faiths until after the Great Schism. Orthodox Churches, as well as the Church of Qalitz, still forbid translations from the liturgical languages of their communions. In addition come the Traditions, the teachings of the Patriarchs and Prophets. These function as supplements to the Dictum Sollemnis, and are considered divinely inspired by the faithful. How do the Caeleans feel about printed copies of their holy books? Are there any acts of reverence that involve the book itself? For example, the Jauric poet-priests when they begin their training in the perfect recollection of the Shaurja (the ancient book of poems, hymns, and tales that forms the core of the Jauric religions) are made to undergo a complex ritual at the end of which they eat a copy of the text to symbolize it becoming an integral part of their being. Now I doubt that the Caeleans eat their holy books, but might there be some rituals, perhaps involving the copying of the texts themselves? Afterlife Despite the vivid descriptions of the Fiery Pits of Hell in Caelen literature, Paradise is left vague, it's exact rewards almost a taboo topic in Caelen cultures. This stems from the Caelen belief that expecting a reward for one's actions is an evil that only condemns one to reincarnation. Instead, Caelens focus on this life, and how to live in a manner pleasing to the Living God. Still, some features of the High Heavens are described, such as it's multiple layers, each a paradice for a specific type of soul... an eternal battlefeild for warriors, an endless library for scholars, and a land of fantastic sights for wanderers and adventurers. (Emphasis mine) I really like this idea, it certainly creates a far more “living” sort of religion rather than one focused upon the afterlife. Worship Worship is normally conducted once every tenday, related to the old Illast tradition that creation took ten days (Caelen faith never describes the exact length of time, though thanks to the influence of Illasts on the early church, it is commonly interpreted to be a tenday, the tenth being the day of Cael's betrayal at the hands of the Pentacle). Caelen faithful are expected to pray three times daily, during rising, at noon, and before sleep. Churches may hold masses at these times, particularly in rural areas where church attendance is high, though normally these prayers are individual affairs. Only on the Tenthday and on High Holy Days do communities typically gather to worship as one to celebrate their faith. What is the content of these masses? What is the role of priest or priests and what is the role of the worshipers? Sacrifices are seen as pagan rituals, and are not a part of Caelen worship. Instead, offerings to the poor, and self-sacrifice (fasting, humility, penance) are considered to be appeasing to Cael, as it is not He is needs bettering, but those around one, and one's own self. Pilgrimages are also common, and though traditional, they are not prescribed in the Dictum Sollemnis (though several Patriarchs' works consist of details of recommended pilgrimages) I know you mentioned flagellation as a pratice among the Qalitz. What is the origin of this practice? Why is the infliction of self-suffering considered good? Dietary Restrictions The only real food restriction is the Caelen religion is the prohibition against eating those that survive off rot and carrion, the “body of the Thousand”. This means many fungi, as well as carrion eaters such as insects, many raptors, and, most surprisingly, pigs are off limits. Besides that, however, the Caelen faith is extremely liberal in what one can and cannot consume, and both alcohol and certain drugs such as tobacco are acceptable in modern Caelen societies. The Caelens are going to have a devil of a time trying to eat in the Maritime Republics or the Jauric nations such as the Ejantuli Empire. Shellfish (both mollusk and crustacean) is ubiquitous, especially in broth, sauces, as well as in more obvious places. This would be especially bad among the Jaur who consider fully terrestrial animals to be unfit for consumption and thus will not eat chicken, most mammals, and the like. Do they have any restrictions on the eating of rodents? How about duck? How do they feel about consuming blood such as in sauces, blood sausages, as a binding agent, and so on? Somehow I get the idea that about the only thing these peoples could agree on would be fish. Proselytism One of the defining traits of the Caelen faith is it's evangelism. Caelens believe that it is their duty to convert as many souls as possible to the worship of the God Emperor, to save their souls both from the Pentacle and from the cycle of reincarnation. Caelen missionaries can be found the world over, teaching the Caelen faith to any who many listen, in a battle for both potential converts' souls. The Caelen faith bars forced conversions, but it tends to turn a blind eye to these acctivities... as their bodies may come in use in any potential conflicts between the churches. How do they feel about split religious devotion such as being a public Caelean but keeping the ancestral religion at home? I can’t imagine they would take kindly to this, especially if the ancestral religion required sacrifices. I look forward to the ensuing discussion. Have a pleasant day. |
| SovietCanuck03-17-08, 06:17 AM | Soviet, I've read over your description of the Caelean religion and, surprise surprise, I've got just a few questions. Now the surprise would be if you didn't :D A rather nice irony there although it raises some very fundamental questions about the Caelean religions. Given that there are extant writings attributed to Cael which, presumably, would contain passages that point out the “folly of religion” and all the rest, why do the modern Caeleans consider him to be a religious figure? Would it not make slightly more sense for him to be viewed as more of a great sage (like Confucius or Socrates) rather than as a god incarnate? If there were no surviving writings attributed to Cael then his transformation from anti-religious or skeptical philosopher to god emperor might make a bit more sense. Well, yes...if he had only lived to 100 or so years of age, died a natural death, et al...but he didn't. Cael lived and reigned nearly 1200 years, his eldest child was 1168 at his death, Cael preformed miracles (raising mountains, rerouting rivers, the like)...he was a mythological figure, a light bringer. Despite the fact that he never claimed divinity, Cael also never offered an explanation for his abilities, and as the years passed, it became far easier to think of him as a god then as a mortal man (because apparently he wasn't). Also, Cael never really pointed out the follies of religion, just of the ancient belief systems that sought to explain the universe through stories instead of science. These philosophical schools and cults, what where they like? I can imagine something like the various Hellenistic schools or possibly the Hundred Schools of Thought period in China but that only gives me an idea as to the form rather than the function. What where the prevailing philosophies and how have they effected the modern modes of thinking. The ones that I'm thinking of using for real-world inspiration are the Graeco-Buddhist traditions. Ergo, much of their belief was centred around reincarnation, and how one could attain an end to it by living a life filled with reason and virtue. The earlier traditions were very much like Pyrrhonian Scepticism, Stoicism, Nyaya and Vaisheshika, while in the later years Neoplatonism-like philosophies began to become more and more popular, and these philosophies were the most important on influencing the modern Caelean faith. For example, the Five Great Evils (Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Murder and Tyranny [as in, unjust use of Imperial Law]) became personified in the Pentacle (the Lady of the Mists, the Destroyer, the Thousand, the Frozen One, and the Iron Lord respectively), the solidification of the idea of a 'Creator' (which was later identified with Cael), the belief in planes as origins of universal forces (Heaven-good, hell-evil, fire-heat/kinetic energy, faerie-chaos/chance, etc.) Also, how did Cael end up as emperor anyway? Further, how do you pronounce Cael? I’ve been pronouncing it as something like [kajl] (sort of a monosyllabic version of Kyle), but I could be completely out to lunch here. He was a military commander who lead a stunning uprising against the Imperial Elves who ruled the entirety of Caelea at the time. Though he was not personally responsible for the majority of victories, he became a figurehead, and was popularly elected as leader by the other commanders, who saw him as a unifying force. Cael then enforced this unity by military means, and his legions proved both extremely skilled, and extremely lucky in maintaining Imperial Cohesion. Well, I can't say your wrong, as Cael is worshipped across a huge number of languages and dialects. Some pronounce it polysyllabic (Portoran: Kay-la; Imperial: Kal-lo), others monosylabic (Qaliz: Kal; Gallic: Chal). Probably the best bet would the Holtish Kale (like the veggie), as it's the closest language to English (as the Chalicite pronunciation sounds something like Thee False Gawd) Sort of a Siddhartha-like figure then? Or possibly Confucius-esque? Definitely Siddharta, yes Also, why did Cael hold that reincarnation was inherently a bad thing? Prolongs suffering, needless existence, etc. Better to leave the evils of this reality and move onto the perfection of the next. “Final assertion”, do you mean assention? Actually, I meant ascension...dear Lord, I hate spellcheck sometimes :P Why did his death (a mundane occurance considering death is one of those constants for ordinary beings) make people believe he was a god? Now the whole ressureaction thing makes a bit more sense, but it sounds like he was considered divine before that. Because he died at the vital young age of 1200 years old, fighting for the empire he founded, at the hands of a flaming entity that was the incarnation of 10000 years of elvish anger and war...oh, and in his dying breath, he transformed the Inner Sea into the Varfel Mountains, drowning the entire elven army while saving his entire forces, and almost all major cities that would have been destroyed by the deluge (though aftershocks afterwards more than took care of them...) Yeah, doing that last act was really icing on the cake... I’d be interested in knowing why Cael left your region after coming back from the dead. Was he fleeing his worshipers (like Brian) or was there something else afoot? It's a mystery. Let's leave it at that... What is the significance of the whole “day of reckoning” concept? Oh, after Cael died, the empire went to the crapper...so people began longing for the return of their Emperor. This translated into one of the core concepts of the Caelean faith...the return of Cael, who will refound his empire and bring around a new golden era. However in this context, it was pagan interpretations, such as Ragnarok, the Rise of the Dead, etc. Also, how can one have heresies when there is no orthodoxy? Is this simply the modern interpretation of things or is there some historical bit I am missing? Aye, your first hypothesis is correct. It is the modern interpretation that brands them as heresies, much like the Gnostic traditions were not considered heresies until the Nicene Creed was drawn up in 325. So Gnosticism, Montanism et al were not really heresies for nearly 250 years. I would be interested in hearing about the syncretic religions and how (as I am sure they must) they have effect the modern religions. I'll get around to it sometime...though I did do a little bit of one with the Worship of the Pentacle, as their faiths undoubtedly came from this period From the sound of things, the Caelean religion(s) is/are decidedly human-centric (for example the reference to the need to unite mankind and all that). Did this belief contribute to the difficulties in spreading the so called orthodox version of the religion? How did they deal with the non-human sentients, were they considered outsiders who where inherently “unsavable”? What is the current opinion regarding non-humans? Oh no...I'm using humanity here in a very broad manner...since humanodity seemed a little awkward, and not what I wanted. I'm assuming Caelean languages would have developed a word for this concept, but since English hasn't had to deal with multiple intelligent races, we really only have humanity to fall back on. But for Caeleans, the term would include all sentient humanoid races that have shown the capability of ascending to the High Heavens (becoming a saint). Thus humans, dwarves, gnomes, elves, halflings, xeph, maenads, kobolds and (depending on what one sees St. Aven's race as) kith are all contained in the term humanity...and possibly a few more, depending on what other races have members among the Communion of Saints. Those races who are not members of the "humanity" bracket can be 'saved', but they would only reincarnate as a higher form of humanoid, such as a dwarf or elf, and from there be able to ascend. You say the Şah collected the writings of Cael, did he edit out those passages that might impede the growth of a religious movement or do they remain? Also, on the subject of the writings: what language where they originally in and where was Cael himself from? Oh, Şah did more than his share of editing, yes, though largely he kept his ancestor's words as they were...because Cael talked much about the righteousness of the Empire and the Community...and those were ideas Şah could use to validate his attempt at rebuilding the Caelean empire. Originally, the works were in Qalitz, though that was considered the 'rough draft' for the other Churches aside from the Qalic Church...it's normally the Imperial-language version that is seen throughout Caelea. Cael was Andarian, the "Greece" or my region (first human Empire in the region, around -4000 AD) How solidified was the dogma at this time? An inquisition presupposes, to me at any rate, an orthodox dogma; when did this come about, and through what means? The inquisition was a holdover from the Imperial era...they were the police of the Empire's institutions, Cael's personal enforcers. After Cael died, they continued their practise of rooting out corruption, but after a time their beliefs became influenced by the religious fever sweeping the land...particularly the ones that talked about the return of the Emperor, so they began hunting down and killing those whose beliefs didn't mesh with their own, either hoping to bring about the return of the Emperor by killing all those who they deemed corrupt, or to gain personal power and influence. Here's a quick quote from my earlier article on the Inquisition... Originally, the Inquisition was an order dedicated to rooting out secular corruption within the Caelean government, but as time went on they expanded their focus to the universities, then the military, then the populace as a whole. During the dying days of the empire, the Inquisition sought out and destroyed numerous cults, secret societies, and criminal organizations which reveled in the growing decadence. However, the Inquisition was still largely a benign body, focused more on the ills of society than than ills of the individual. However, following the collapse of the empire under the influence of 'heathens, heretics, and blasphemers', the Inquisition grew in power. They turned their attention away from the temporal sins, and focused on the spiritual aspects of society. The Inquisition believed that if they were able to purge the land of the evils caused by the unfaithful, the Emperor would return and bring an age of peace and stability once again. Thus began their reign of terror. Any who disagreed with the Inquisition's interpretation of holy dogma was branded an infidel, and their deaths were turned into public affairs. The common people turned on each other, accusing one another of being demon-worshipers. It has been estimated nearly one in twenty Caelens met their death at the hands of the Inquisition in the two centuries following the collapse of the Empire. However, at the time the Inquisition was little more than a fanatical group of priests and knights in loose communion with each other. It was not until Father Antonio di Vandé united the Inquisitors of Caelea, Volenza, Bascillica, Devandi, San Rillo, Toreno, Bosborda, and the Church States under his leadership that the modern inquisition took shape. Under Antonio's direction the Inquisition transitioned from a bunch of zealous bullies, to an organized network of informants, infiltrators, and scholars. Public trials didn't exactly stop, but they became far less common, and the entire process became much more civilized. By the time Father Antonio passed away in 264, he had lain the groundwork for the Inquisition to become the shadowy guardian of sacred doctrine it is today. I would be very interested in hearing about these other religions (even in brief) and how they interacted with the Caelean faith at the time and in the present. Further, why were these groups successful in resisting conversion? I'll work on them later, aye...though that's more backstory and lore then actual game-relevant material. Though it is good stuff for dungeons, yes :D Why were the conversions so successful? Because, they played on the reverence for Cael that already existed, and typically missionaries had the money and power to make conversions very appealing. Who is this Lady of the Chalice and why was she laying about in a cave? Again, mystery. My lips, they be sealed! How divergent from the Caelean mainline are the Chalicites? About as far as Islam is from Chrisitanity...we're talking completely different religion here, despite many common beliefs. Shades of the fourth crusade here. Nothing like using the sack of Constantinople for inspiration eh? Oh aye... the Crusades are always fun to read/write about... though I would't want to have lived them, despite the fact that my ancestors were on the winning side :P It sounds to me as though this branch of the faith could well claim to be “reclaiming” some of the original intent of Cael’s teachings, something that could make them a very real theological threat to the more orthodox sects. Yes, they can claim that... not that most orthodox followers would care though. They believe that the Caelean faith should be followed according to the ways of old, and Cael-damn-it, that's how they're going to do it! Why was the church so ready to appease those who would go against it? Why not declare them heretics instead and use the inquisition to bring them in line? Normally, yes, but there were two problems with that A) The Imperial Church at this time was divided between Citta Sulla Collina and Navinne, with the Inquisitors busy serving their Church masters and killing each other than focusing on what's going on outside, and B) The numbers where huge...we're talking about a hundred thousand in most of these cases...the church couldn't handle those even if they were to sick the Church Knights on them! On the issue of foreign contact: How far back would you imagine that relations of any sort go between the Caelans and the Ilaroi? I was thinking initial contact several hundred years ago, possibly shortly after the religious wars in the eighth century by your calendar, but I am certainly open to other possibilities. Well, seeing as how Ilaros is on the far side of the world, early Imperial contact would likely have not happened. Likely contact happened in the 900s (current year 1121), as expansionism and exploration really began to take off. Likely Gallish, Holts or Vestrians were the first to reach Ilaros... though if the Caeleans were unlucky, it would've been the Chalicites. I can see the missionaries of the Imperial Church running into conflicts with the priests of the Bifurcating Path as both organizations tend to have a religiously expansionist bent. Moreover they would certainly clash on theological grounds as the Adherents of the Path are dystheistic, believing the creator to be unworthy of worship. Other religious conflicts are no doubt likely, but I can see there being a few Caelean enclaves here and there in the more “progressive” nations, although I can’t yet imagine how well they would do at converting the people. Same goes for your faiths in Caelea...though Ordo Haereticus will likely put a quash on all large scale conversions. Yes...being a missionary in Caelea is a very, very dangerous business. Are they really monotheistic or are they more monolatrist (they worship only one god among several and hold that their god is the only one worthy of worship)? Monolatrist...good term, yes. Never heard of it before, but yes it fits the Caelean religion best, particularly considering their belief in the Pentacle et al. Though they do try to associate positive gods with Saints, and wicked gods with the Pentacle and their demons, so...slight dichotomy there These visions and the like would seem to indicate the existence of pre-caelean anticipatory religions (or at least that is how they would be current viewed). I can see opponents of the Caeleans pointing these out as the real source of the Caelean faith, with Cael himself merely putting on the right face as it were to appear to fulfill these predictions. The bolded part is very much true. And yes, opponents could very well point out that fact, but then Caeleans would simply rebuke that those angels loyal to Cael have always tried to steer humanity in the right direction, though without Cael, their messages were often misinterpreted. Just because they have had their meanings twisted, however, doesn't negate the fact that at each of these faiths have at their core a kernel of truth. The appropriation of foreign gods and other religious figures as saints certainly would be an effective tool for conversion, although it might do little more than put a new coat of paint on the old religions. That's why it's done next to nothing for the kith, because many see St. Aven as a mockery of the Traveller, and thus an insult to the kith. Of course, some see it the other way, but the fact that over 90% of the kith maintain their ancestral faith goes to show you that these appropriation attempts can backfire spectacularly. I can defiantly see the nyezza and Tlónists in general interpreting these saints as some kind of strange barbarian meorai who, for some unaccountable reason, no longer guide and protect the dreams of their people but function is some other mysterious way. I imagine this would be very confusing for both sides. Oh aye...but arn't religious interactions always like this. And though Saints don't normally guide the dreams of the faithful, it has been reported in the past...though most of the time saintly intervention comes in a burst of inspiration, typically during or after prayer. Once again we have the primacy of humanity here, I sense a theme here and I can imagine it would be very confusing among more, shall we say, cosmopolitan peoples. See above for confusion regarding the term humanity :D How do the Caeleans feel about printed copies of their holy books? Are there any acts of reverence that involve the book itself? For example, the Jauric poet-priests when they begin their training in the perfect recollection of the Shaurja (the ancient book of poems, hymns, and tales that forms the core of the Jauric religions) are made to undergo a complex ritual at the end of which they eat a copy of the text to symbolize it becoming an integral part of their being. Now I doubt that the Caeleans eat their holy books, but might there be some rituals, perhaps involving the copying of the texts themselves? There's much less emphasis placed on the sacredness of the Dictum Sollemnis, particularly now in the age of the Printing Press, with hundreds of copies produced in dozens of languages every day. Though the Dictum Sollemnis is considered a book to be shown respect, and not treated casually, and modifying the words within is considered one of the most grievous sins in the Caelean faith, they don't go anywhere the lengths of your Jaruic people there. I really like this idea, it certainly creates a far more “living” sort of religion rather than one focused upon the afterlife. Indeed...didn't wand just another Crystal Dragon Jesus here What is the content of these masses? What is the role of priest or priests and what is the role of the worshipers? Largely masses are just communal prayrs...the community gathers to praise Cael as one. It's normally a simple prayer, lead by the priests, that normally takes less then half an hour to complete, including the priest's sermon before the prayer. The sermon is simply the priest's attempt at applying Caelean teachings to everyday life. I know you mentioned flagellation as a pratice among the Qalitz. What is the origin of this practice? Why is the infliction of self-suffering considered good? An old reference in one of Cael's works, when his first wife died, he was said to have torn his clothing in sorrow, and beat himself with his sword, because she had rejected his teachings and would not be ascending to Heaven in this life. Ergo, this practise is seen as mourning not only for the death of Cael, but also for those loved ones who died without ascending to the High Heavens. It is used to remind the faithful of the pain and suffering caused by existence, and the enforce their desire to live pure lives so they may ascend. The Caelens are going to have a devil of a time trying to eat in the Maritime Republics or the Jauric nations such as the Ejantuli Empire. Shellfish (both mollusk and crustacean) is ubiquitous, especially in broth, sauces, as well as in more obvious places. This would be especially bad among the Jaur who consider fully terrestrial animals to be unfit for consumption and thus will not eat chicken, most mammals, and the like. Eh, don't know where you got that from... Caeleans wouldn't consider shellfish unclean, because they live in the sea, and normally the sea is considered free of the Thousand's taint. Shellfish are good...or else the entire million-strong population of Hala would find themselves starving to death :P Do they have any restrictions on the eating of rodents? How about duck? How do they feel about consuming blood such as in sauces, blood sausages, as a binding agent, and so on? Rodents? Not forbidden, but likely not widely eaten, seen as beggars food and the like. Rabbits on the other hand...goes excellent with duck at a banquet or feast! Blood is not a problem, though it would likely be found in Holt/Caelen/Rimegaardir dishes then in those of the more southern nations, who favour lighter dishes. Somehow I get the idea that about the only thing these peoples could agree on would be fish. Maybe...but then there's the kith, who largely dislike fish, so there's another problem :P How do they feel about split religious devotion such as being a public Caelean but keeping the ancestral religion at home? I can’t imagine they would take kindly to this, especially if the ancestral religion required sacrifices. Definitely not...that is considered being False, and is again another one of those Vile sins, enough in some areas to condemn oneself to death, in hopes that your sins in this life haven't tainted you so much that your next would be unable to attain ascension. (yes, the Caeleans justify the death penalty by the old 'it's good for you' excuse..."your damning your soul...if we kill you now, maybe you're next life will be better than if you continue to sin" And thar we go! HUZAH! :D |
| Darth Syntax03-24-08, 02:00 AM | Well, I've got some responses to your responses. Joy! Rapture! Confetti! Now the surprise would be if you didn't :D True true. I do tend to ask questions. Well then, let’s get down to the business at hand. Well, yes...if he had only lived to 100 or so years of age, died a natural death, et al...but he didn't. Cael lived and reigned nearly 1200 years, his eldest child was 1168 at his death, Cael preformed miracles (raising mountains, rerouting rivers, the like)...he was a mythological figure, a light bringer. Despite the fact that he never claimed divinity, Cael also never offered an explanation for his abilities, and as the years passed, it became far easier to think of him as a god then as a mortal man (because apparently he wasn't). This is a rather important point to make and should probably appear either in the writeup or in a separate (but linked) article on Cael. Without this information regarding his rather extraordinary nature, he becomes a less likely “god-emperor” figure. Also, Cael never really pointed out the follies of religion, just of the ancient belief systems that sought to explain the universe through stories instead of science. So more of a “down with these old practices” sort of fellow? Also, if Cael was wise and intelligence (as I assume he was) how did he not see that by doing these strange and miraculous things (with no explanation) that he was setting himself up to become a god was essentially creating a new set of superstitions? If he has explained his powers then his position might make more sense, but keeping them unexplained clearly contributed to his deification. The ones that I'm thinking of using for real-world inspiration are the Graeco-Buddhist traditions. Ergo, much of their belief was centred around reincarnation, and how one could attain an end to it by living a life filled with reason and virtue. The earlier traditions were very much like Pyrrhonian Scepticism, Stoicism, Nyaya and Vaisheshika, while in the later years Neoplatonism-like philosophies began to become more and more popular, and these philosophies were the most important on influencing the modern Caelean faith. Being somewhat familiar with graeco-buddhism (especially its influence on the Mahayana schools) I can see where you are going here. I’ve also been making use of some of these same ideas (combined with radical skepticism and Gnostic elements) in designing the religions of Ilaros, although the final result is clearly quite different. For example, the Five Great Evils (Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Murder and Tyranny [as in, unjust use of Imperial Law]) became personified in the Pentacle (the Lady of the Mists, the Destroyer, the Thousand, the Frozen One, and the Iron Lord respectively), the solidification of the idea of a 'Creator' (which was later identified with Cael), the belief in planes as origins of universal forces (Heaven-good, hell-evil, fire-heat/kinetic energy, faerie-chaos/chance, etc.) Speaking of planes and reincarnation: Do the Caelens hold that one can be reborn as an outsider or other non-ordinary being or are their cycles of reincarnation limited to more mundane mortals? I ask because the Jaur hold that all living beings go through cycles of reincarnation, including their numerous gods, and I wanted to know how similar the views on reincarnation would be. He was a military commander who lead a stunning uprising against the Imperial Elves who ruled the entirety of Caelea at the time. Though he was not personally responsible for the majority of victories, he became a figurehead, and was popularly elected as leader by the other commanders, who saw him as a unifying force. Cael then enforced this unity by military means, and his legions proved both extremely skilled, and extremely lucky in maintaining Imperial Cohesion. I know you have referred to the reign of the Imperial Elves several times; when was this and what, more or less, happened? Well, I can't say your wrong, as Cael is worshipped across a huge number of languages and dialects. Some pronounce it polysyllabic (Portoran: Kay-la; Imperial: Kal-lo), others monosylabic (Qaliz: Kal; Gallic: Chal). Probably the best bet would the Holtish Kale (like the veggie), as it's the closest language to English (as the Chalicite pronunciation sounds something like Thee False Gawd) Alright. I’m trying to figure out how the various people of my region would pronounce the name (although this would also depend upon who they first heard use the name). Also, is “Qaliz” and so forth derived from Cael or is it of separate origin? Definitely Siddharta, yes Good old Siddhartha, always a useful guy to help build interesting characters. [Reincarnation]Prolongs suffering, needless existence, etc. Better to leave the evils of this reality and move onto the perfection of the next. But existence also involves joy, happiness, and so on, why focus on the evils and forget the good? Also, why posit a perfected world when existence seems to be the source of all these ills? Would it not be better to simply cease to be at all? Actually, I meant ascension...dear Lord, I hate spellcheck sometimes :P Me too. Because he died at the vital young age of 1200 years old, fighting for the empire he founded, at the hands of a flaming entity that was the incarnation of 10000 years of elvish anger and war...oh, and in his dying breath, he transformed the Inner Sea into the Varfel Mountains, drowning the entire elven army while saving his entire forces, and almost all major cities that would have been destroyed by the deluge (though aftershocks afterwards more than took care of them...) Also something that should be mentioned in the write up, as it would be important. Oh, after Cael died, the empire went to the crapper...so people began longing for the return of their Emperor. This translated into one of the core concepts of the Caelean faith...the return of Cael, who will refound his empire and bring around a new golden era. However in this context, it was pagan interpretations, such as Ragnarok, the Rise of the Dead, etc. It occurs to me that there might be some in the modern era who hold that Cael’s glorious and refounded empire might be found elsewhere (perhaps his death could be interpreted as a result of the Caelen peoples not living up to the God-Emperor). This could help explain the expansionism and colonialism, and it gives the world a chance to have its very own “Search for the Kingdom of Prester John” bit. Just a thought. Aye, your first hypothesis is correct. It is the modern interpretation that brands them as heresies, much like the Gnostic traditions were not considered heresies until the Nicene Creed was drawn up in 325. So Gnosticism, Montanism et al were not really heresies for nearly 250 years. Right right. Just wanted to make sure I was understanding things correctly. I'll get around to it sometime...though I did do a little bit of one with the Worship of the Pentacle, as their faiths undoubtedly came from this period I look forward to reading about this. Oh no...I'm using humanity here in a very broad manner...since humanodity seemed a little awkward, and not what I wanted. I'm assuming Caelean languages would have developed a word for this concept, but since English hasn't had to deal with multiple intelligent races, we really only have humanity to fall back on. But for Caeleans, the term would include all sentient humanoid races that have shown the capability of ascending to the High Heavens (becoming a saint). Thus humans, dwarves, gnomes, elves, halflings, xeph, maenads, kobolds and (depending on what one sees St. Aven's race as) kith are all contained in the term humanity...and possibly a few more, depending on what other races have members among the Communion of Saints. Ok, I see what you mean here. I’m just a bit overly sensitive to human dominance in things, probably due to the fact that I tend to find it difficult to identify with my own species in works of fantasy and science fiction. The whole, yay for humans bit makes me nervous. Those races who are not members of the "humanity" bracket can be 'saved', but they would only reincarnate as a higher form of humanoid, such as a dwarf or elf, and from there be able to ascend. Interesting; now I can see this causing problems among various populations and lead to all manner of unrest. For example: if goblinoids are considered outside the scope of immediate salvation (let us assume this for the sake of argument) then I can see there being people who use this as an excuse to kill them without much though, justifying it through the belief that they will reincarnate as some “higher” being. Oh, Şah did more than his share of editing, yes, though largely he kept his ancestor's words as they were...because Cael talked much about the righteousness of the Empire and the Community...and those were ideas Şah could use to validate his attempt at rebuilding the Caelean empire. Makes sense. What then did Şah (how are you pronouncing this? Something like [ʂa] or Sha?) edit out? Originally, the works were in Qalitz, though that was considered the 'rough draft' for the other Churches aside from the Qalic Church...it's normally the Imperial-language version that is seen throughout Caelea. Ok. So, what elements of the original were, shall we say, lost in translation? Cael was Andarian, the "Greece" or my region (first human Empire in the region, around -4000 AD) -4000 AD? What does the AD stand for? Would this be 4,000 years before the year zero of the current calendar (roughly 5,100 years ago)? The inquisition was a holdover from the Imperial era...they were the police of the Empire's institutions, Cael's personal enforcers. After Cael died, they continued their practise of rooting out corruption, but after a time their beliefs became influenced by the religious fever sweeping the land...particularly the ones that talked about the return of the Emperor, so they began hunting down and killing those whose beliefs didn't mesh with their own, either hoping to bring about the return of the Emperor by killing all those who they deemed corrupt, or to gain personal power and influence. Good to note. And thanks for the refresher. Again, mystery. My lips, they be sealed! Mysteries are all very well and good, but the people of the world would have to have some idea (perhaps a bit of folklore) about who she is and why she is there. I’m not asking for the dark of things, just the chant (ah planar cant . . . ). About as far as Islam is from Chrisitanity...we're talking completely different religion here, despite many common beliefs. So clearly the same family of religions, but with notable differences. Good to get the broad outline in my head. Oh aye... the Crusades are always fun to read/write about... though I would't want to have lived them, despite the fact that my ancestors were on the winning side :P I don’t think many people would have wanted to live during them anymore. Although I would have liked to have a chat with Saladin. He seemed like an interesting and spiffy fellow. Yes, they can claim that... not that most orthodox followers would care though. They believe that the Caelean faith should be followed according to the ways of old, and Cael-damn-it, that's how they're going to do it! Of course there is no doubt considerable difference of opinion of what the age old ways are . . . Normally, yes, but there were two problems with that A) The Imperial Church at this time was divided between Citta Sulla Collina and Navinne, with the Inquisitors busy serving their Church masters and killing each other than focusing on what's going on outside, and B) The numbers where huge...we're talking about a hundred thousand in most of these cases...the church couldn't handle those even if they were to sick the Church Knights on them! So it was simply impractical, and rather than lose power they decided to compromise, how delightfully pragmatic of them. Well, seeing as how Ilaros is on the far side of the world, early Imperial contact would likely have not happened. Likely contact happened in the 900s (current year 1121), as expansionism and exploration really began to take off. Likely Gallish, Holts or Vestrians were the first to reach Ilaros... though if the Caeleans were unlucky, it would've been the Chalicites. Considering the Ilaroi (or at least some of them, such as the Ejantuli, the Orothoi, and others) have a long and glorious tradition of seafaring and maritime trade they might have made contact Caelea sometime before, perhaps in the thirteenth or fourteenth century of the republic (roughly in your eighth or ninth century). Ilaros may be on the far side of the world, but given the sheer size of the supercontinent, it would not be too difficult to locate it and contact the people there. As to who the first contacted, I would imagine it would be one of the more western nations, so the Chalicites are certainly a possibility. It certainly would be a good idea to work this out, and figure out a rough idea of political relations. Same goes for your faiths in Caelea...though Ordo Haereticus will likely put a quash on all large scale conversions. Yes...being a missionary in Caelea is a very, very dangerous business. So I would imagine, although it could certainly make for an interesting line of work. Monolatrist...good term, yes. Never heard of it before, but yes it fits the Caelean religion best, particularly considering their belief in the Pentacle et al. Though they do try to associate positive gods with Saints, and wicked gods with the Pentacle and their demons, so...slight dichotomy there Ah monolatry, the absolutists henotheism. Regarding the “association of positive gods with Saints” and so on, I could imagine that the Caeleans would have a devil of time working out he Jauric gods as they all rather complicated beings. Take Hvarja (or Vadyu in the parlance of the Orations of Sacred Ur) who is the god of inspiration, poetry, creativity, sorrow, wrath, destruction, atonement, medicine, storms, orchards, floods, and certain aspects of fertility; he is widely worshiped (being a member of the Nine Auspicious Ones, the major divinities of Civilization and Culture), and deeply respected, but he is also amoral in the traditional sense and has aspects that are both beneficial and destructive, and which are seen as being essential to his position in the cosmos. How might they deal with a religion that is full of such figures who partake of a very different sense of ethics? That's why it's done next to nothing for the kith, because many see St. Aven as a mockery of the Traveller, and thus an insult to the kith. Of course, some see it the other way, but the fact that over 90% of the kith maintain their ancestral faith goes to show you that these appropriation attempts can backfire spectacularly. I can see a similar thing happening with the nyezza as they would view the appropriation of the meorai as a violation of their community and an insult to good order. For them, it would be like some odd form of conversion, which is considered to be a terrible thing (especially having people convert to the nyezzai religions) and highly unwise. There's much less emphasis placed on the sacredness of the Dictum Sollemnis, particularly now in the age of the Printing Press, with hundreds of copies produced in dozens of languages every day. Though the Dictum Sollemnis is considered a book to be shown respect, and not treated casually, and modifying the words within is considered one of the most grievous sins in the Caelean faith, they don't go anywhere the lengths of your Jaruic people there. Makes sense. I just didn’t know if they required their holy books to be hand copied or bound in such and such a fashion or blessed in a particular way, or served only with soft boiled eggs. . . or what have you. Largely masses are just communal prayrs...the community gathers to praise Cael as one. It's normally a simple prayer, lead by the priests, that normally takes less then half an hour to complete, including the priest's sermon before the prayer. The sermon is simply the priest's attempt at applying Caelean teachings to everyday life. So, not a lot of complex liturgy then? An old reference in one of Cael's works, when his first wife died, he was said to have torn his clothing in sorrow, and beat himself with his sword, because she had rejected his teachings and would not be ascending to Heaven in this life. Ergo, this practise is seen as mourning not only for the death of Cael, but also for those loved ones who died without ascending to the High Heavens. It is used to remind the faithful of the pain and suffering caused by existence, and the enforce their desire to live pure lives so they may ascend. Ah. An interesting tradition. I like that is has a basis in the mythos as well. Eh, don't know where you got that from... Caeleans wouldn't consider shellfish unclean, because they live in the sea, and normally the sea is considered free of the Thousand's taint. Shellfish are good...or else the entire million-strong population of Hala would find themselves starving to death :P I assumed that most shellfish (both arthropod and mollusk) were forbidden because they are largely scavengers. Crabs and the like eat all manner of dead and decaying things and bivalves are filter feeders who ingest detritus (which would include all manner of bits of decayed creatures). However, if sea food is permitted then they should have a much easier time eating in coastal Ilaros, although most of theses cultures consider insects and the like to be a vital part of the diet. Fried termite paste is a popular street food, and beetle larva are often served in a variety of ways . Rodents? Not forbidden, but likely not widely eaten, seen as beggars food and the like. Rabbits on the other hand...goes excellent with duck at a banquet or feast! *Orothoi Chef* Ah, but have you tried the braised capybara with ginger and pear? Or the grilled cuy stuffed with lobster? I tell you, you have not lived until you have tried it! Blood is not a problem, though it would likely be found in Holt/Caelen/Rimegaardir dishes then in those of the more southern nations, who favour lighter dishes. Good to know, as that clears up a possible diplomatic problem. The Ejantuli drink black tea that is pressed into brinks with duck blood as the binding agent, and they believe it is necessary to have a cup of this tea before beginning negotiations as it allows all parties to collect their thoughts and shows that there is no hostile intent. Definitely not...that is considered being False, and is again another one of those Vile sins, enough in some areas to condemn oneself to death, in hopes that your sins in this life haven't tainted you so much that your next would be unable to attain ascension. (yes, the Caeleans justify the death penalty by the old 'it's good for you' excuse..."your damning your soul...if we kill you now, maybe you're next life will be better than if you continue to sin" Then I can imagine that the nyezza (who are apt to have split religious identities in certain environments) would probably avoid conversion outright as it would invite far more trouble than it is worth, especially sense their native religion is nearly inseparable from their civic culture. Well, thanks for your response, sorry I was so long in putting up my own. |
| eue03-27-08, 12:24 PM | Sorry for not posting anything for a long time. Life's been kinda hectic lately. I am close to graduation and therefore I have a boatload of projects and stuff like that in my hands right now, and more are coming as we speak. I am hereby announcing I am going to be off The Project for a while, like two or three months...:weep: I hope everything is still standing by then.:eek: I might check the thread from time to time to see how things are going, but don't expect me to post anything for a long, long time... |
| Darth Syntax03-28-08, 04:30 AM | the confederation also includes the tip of the mainland continent directly across from it, and and delta of the river. it is still a little small, so think that it should include the island to its NE and the one directly to the east.this would alos help ease the tensions that you mentioned. That would certainly help ease the potential tensions and the like. -- As a self confessed gnome enthusiast I am curious about the gnomish settlement you referred to in your original posting about the confederation. How did this settlement survive the general destruction of gnomes in your region (and what cause said destruction again? I have forgotten)? Also, how might the devastated gnome population react to several of the colonizing foreign powers having gnome-dominated cultures and large numbers of that species? the dragon wanted to establish the confederation because he really really hated the Enemy. he had been following its plots for a long time, and knew that he did not have the power to stop the Enemy alone, so he decided that he would have to find a way to unite many, maybe all or most of the mortal nations as this was the only way that he saw having nay chance of stopping the enemy. he choose the location of the confederation because he lived on the island, and because there was a group of priests of illiani who had figured out the enemy's plans on their own based in the area. he met with them, and together they figured out how they would create the confederation. in the early years, the confedration's actions were those that this group wanted. they manipulated the leaders into forming alliances with each other, and then showed them bit by bit the reality of the situation. they also worked very hard to ensure that the next generation of leaders/ important figures in the nations of the confederation were strongly committed to the goals that they had for. starting with the second generation of leaders, the confederation members accomplished the group's goals with little to no urging. there were some conflicts in the early years, but those were successfully resolved. the members also began to develop a sense of commonality, of some shared identity, and of being somewhat superior to the rest of the region's nations. this sense has only been strengthened in modern times, and is [part of the reason that they do not try to expand the confederation, they do not think that other people would be able to cooperate in the way that they do, that they are special, better than the others. also, they wanted to stop the wars to defeat the Enemy, and because they were afraid that the wars could completely destroy the region. they see themselves as the protectors of the region, which is an attitude that the dragon and its allies intentionally encouraged, and thus they wanted there to be peace in the region and wish to restore it to prosperity because they all see this as their responsibility and/or as something that would benefit them, whether through increased commerce, lessened threat to their security, various religious reasons, or simply because it made them fell good. Given how the Confederation exists solely because of the now defeated "Enemy" I can't see the place being too stable. You have several very different cultures and societies that worked together towards a common goal, but now this is gone and they no longer are as "necessary" what is to prevent them from dissolving and becoming a number of small powers again. The potential for conflict here is enormous. most agriculture is done on the portion on the mainland continent, this land has been part of the confederation from the beginning, when they secured it from the rest of the content through various means, this area has been made very fertile by the confederation, so that it could serve as their "breadbasket". some is done on the islands, but very little of this exported. Even so, the mainland portion is rather small so unless it is almost solely turned over to agricultural production (which is not likely considering the location) it would still not provide enough food. With the general expansion of the size of the nation however, there should be enough space to at least produce adequate food to feed the nation itself. Now, if the population is fairly small and the degree of urbanization low that would go a long way toward making the Confederation feasible. the amount of export is intentionally very low for a couple of reasons. first, it is to show just how terrible the situation in the region is, no one can export any more food than the confederation does, and they can not export much. food is one of the most important resources in the region. a number of region have figure out way to feed their population, but no other nation can export as much as the confederation, and even if they could, they most likely could not spare the people to transport it. What about the large and probably very fertile river valleys? Could not the nations there produce more food for export? the communities mostly get along well in the present . there was some initial tension, but has disipated overtime. there are still some disagreements, especially between the theocracy ad/or the feudal kingdom and the merchant state, the gnomes do not completely trust anyone except certain officals, the elves tend to act some what aloof still, and the independent communities sometimes complain about encrouchements by other members, but they share a sense of common identity, a sense that they are a group. they are actually one of the most strongly nationalist nations in the region, even though they are not exactly one nation. I'm just not sure that such a state could really have much sense of national identity with the high degree of diversity and political autonomy. Without a strong central power (something a confederation inherently lacks) enforcing order and uniformity tensions are likely to be high. the region does have a lot of non-edible resources, some of which are very area and hard to find in other places. the combination of their dependency and xenophobia causes problems in these people's lives. some accept the dependency as a necessary evil that will be eliminated a s soon as possible, others try to find ways around it, other try to find a foriegn group to join, to become part of , and thus no longer be dependent on someone not part of their group, others are not sure what to do. this is one of the major issues facing this region. I can see there being a fairly high level of unrest and sporadic violence in the region both against foreign powers and other local groups. And of course this general unrest makes it easier for foreigners to slip in . . . you are right. they will have to produce some food. it would vary by community. coastal communities would be able to fish to some extent, and some communities could engage in very limited agriculture, but these things would not be able to provide much food, most only 10-20% of their requirement, maybe about 30% for the coastal places. the most improtant thing with this is that they will not able to make anywhere near what they need. That is far more reasonable I think as it still makes them dependent upon trade but not to such a degree as to make them powerless to keep at least some of their population alive. What you have outlined here sounds like a good idea, i also want some enclaves where the foreigners have established a prescene throughout the community, and maybe some where they have set up puppet goverment so that the locals think they are in control, but they really are not. The Orothoi are rather likely to set up puppet governments or run things through their ambassadors and diplomatic missions or through their Trading Consortia. They might also, through general skulduggery, get some of their own people into "legitimate" positions of power such as ruling councils of cities, finance ministers, and the like. They might also construct towns and fortresses from which they can keep an eye on things and rule more directly. This would be especially likely at the strait, as they would be very keen of controlling as much of that as possible. The Ejantuli, by contrast, would probably either directly control their possession or set up a provisional puppet government which is beholden to an Imperial Prefect or Regional Governor. yes, their inspiration is partly aztec, but also draws from some other sources, they are not exactly like the aztecs, the gods that they sacrifice to do not want the sacrifices, but they need them, they hunger for them, but regret it. Makes sense. I was mostly thinking of the Aztec belief that stopping the sacrifices would not only bring about ill fortune but great cataclysms and possibly the end of the world. the sacrifices take a number of forms. in the more minor rituals, they only consist of some bleeding onto a special altar, sometimes by the priest and sometimes by worshipers, but for major things, like the change of seasons, to ward of a storm or other disaster, and on certain holy days, they consists of actual killing of a person, usually in way that causes a lot of bleeding. except in very rare cases, the person is unconscious during the ritual, and the ritual is always done in a special place, where the local community watches. attendance at these rituals is mandatory. the particpant has always volunteered beforehand, and been prepared for it in the preceding few days. this is considered a great honor among these people, and a way of repenting for a number of crimes. it is bieleived that a special fate awaits the person in the afterlife. Interesting. So they do not offer captives or criminals then? Also, I wonder how often people are volunteered rather than chosing to be sacrificed. the attitudes of the newly annexed regions are confused/complicated. the nortzelian officals have worked to make these poeple's lives better, have rebulit cities and infrastructure, but they have brought their unusual religious requirements with them. the people are thankful for the first set of things, but are not sure about the others, some do not bilieve that the nortezelian gods are benevolent, that it is some sort of trick. also, the nortzelians have an attitude that these ares have always been theirs, since they were part of their old empire, and thus these people are the same as them, which causes some resentment as it odes not recognize cultural differences. :plotting: Hmm, certainly another region ripe for internal conflict. It sounds to be as if your whole region is on the brink of a rather long and bloody period of internal conflict and strife. Sure, the major war is over, but with so little left people are going to be desperate and act in appropriately rash ways. |
| DonThelonious03-29-08, 12:58 AM | Hey guys! Sorry its been so long with no post, RL and other responsibilities keep demanding my attention. -- Dragon: I really like how your region is shaping up. It has the feel of Europe just after WW1, with different countries struggling to remain afloat and fending off foreign influence. -- Soviet: The doctrines of Cael are neat. I like the allegory for several modern day religions. -- I remember D_S mentioned something about... Ah here it is: Oh, after Cael died, the empire went to the crapper...so people began longing for the return of their Emperor. This translated into one of the core concepts of the Caelean faith...the return of Cael, who will refound his empire and bring around a new golden era. However in this context, it was pagan interpretations, such as Ragnarok, the Rise of the Dead, etc. It occurs to me that there might be some in the modern era who hold that Cael’s glorious and refounded empire might be found elsewhere (perhaps his death could be interpreted as a result of the Caelen peoples not living up to the God-Emperor). This could help explain the expansionism and colonialism, and it gives the world a chance to have its very own “Search for the Kingdom of Prester John” bit. Just a thought. Don't we have something like this going on in Fallenstar? Since Cael is present in my region and by default all his clerics can still get spells and what not. I agree this is a powerful religious/political motivation for their colonial presence. -- Will get more posted on my slice of pie here in the next week or so. Oh and am I the only one who noticed the impending 1 year anniversary of this project? Its coming up in about 2 1/2 weeks! |
| Darth Syntax04-02-08, 04:40 AM | So, as I have been working on religions in my region,I thought it might be a good idea to get at least something up for comment. What follows is a very brief overview of some of the major religious traditions of Ilaros. I will describe them more in depth later. The religious landscape of Ilaros is extremely diverse, lacking the religious unity of regions such as Caelea or the obvious typological similarities of the regions of Fallenstar (Asteriothe). Ilaros is home to traditions as outwardly diverse as the panetheistic polytheism of the Jaur, the dystheistic religion of the Bifurcating Path, the theistic monism of the Orations of Sacred Ur, the atheistic religion of Tlónism, and numerous other traditions. The high degree of outward dissimilarity of these religions obscures the underlying features that form the very essence of religious thought in Ilaros: underlying monism, lack of a distinct soul concept, central belief in an all pervasive cosmic order, oneiromancy, a strong tradition of esoteric practice, and certain elements of iconography. These elements are present to such a degree and with such strength that they become impossible to ignore to any serious student of comparative religion. Indeed, it has been proposed by more than one scholar that the combination of these features, and their curiously similar manner of expression point to some primordial ur-religion from which the modern traditional are all unthinkingly drawing. The truth, however, remains unknown. Concerning Magic Although most cultures of Ilaros possess a strong tradition of arcane magic and psionics, none of them possess that form of magic known to many as divine. This is not merely a kind of cultural oversight for the people of Ilaros are incapable of performing such feats. The reasons for this are not wholly understood and studies of the phenomenon are ongoing. The primary reason the lack of divine magic is so poorly understood is that, until widespread contact with other continents in the past four hundred years there was never any reason to believe that there was something “lacking”. What is known is that the lack of divine magic has nothing whatever to do with the content of the religions of Ilaros. Native born Ilaroi who convert to foreign religions (such as Tavan Yoisha, a Caelean priest from the Esuin League) remain unable to perform divine magic despite deep and abiding convictions while foreigners who convert to one of the Ilaroi religions are perfectly capable of working divine magic. The key to whole mystery must surely lie with Ilaros itself, for the inability to perform divine magic is directly tied to being born upon that continent. Despite not having divine magic, the priests of the religions of Ilaros are not without strange and remarkable powers. Many a priest learns to master the rituals of the arcane, and most Ilaroi religions hold the arcane arts in high regard believing that these traditions draw upon the all pervasive cosmic order that is so much a part of Ilaroi religion. The psion is also not without a home within the religions of the great southern continent; in many traditions the mental powers of the psion are intimately tied into the very heart of belief and practice. Nowhere is this connection more pronounced than in the various oneiromantic traditions found in the traditional religions of the nyezza and the Jaur. Both of these peoples hold that it is through dreams that the auspicious forces which guide them (the meorai and the gods respectively) communicate. There are, of course, numerous other uses of “psi- priests” throughout Ilaros ranging from oracles to mystics who use their gifts to explore the inner worlds of their own minds, bring new knowledge and revelation. Major Religious Traditions of Ilaros The major religions listed here are those that are the most widespread and influential and thus are the most familiar to the Ilaroi as a whole and to foreigners. Tlónism and Nyezzai Traditional religions Tlónism is a nyezzai philosophical-religious tradition that developed alongside the folk religion although it developed in a more esoteric and philosophical direction. The concept of Tlón itself (the universal order of all things) is an ancient one whose origins lie in far prehistory but the philosophical and religious traditions of the modern world began to be developed in the seventh century before the Republic (c. 600 PR or about 2200 years ago). Tlónism focuses upon living in accordance with cosmic order and natural law in all things as well as cultivating a rational and mystic connection with the Tlón itself. Tlónist practice can be quite straightforward (as is the case in the civic form) or highly esoteric and philosophically demanding (as is the case with the monastic and academic Tlónism). Both forms however, focus on teaching how to understand the cosmic order through elaborate riddles, paradoxes, and highly opaque and symbolic stories meant to cultivate new and more novel ways of thinking. Both the folk religion and Tlónism are atheistic traditions as they recognize no gods and find the concept to be counter to good order and cosmic harmony. If one is to venerate a being then let it be a meorai, a philosopher-saint or other figure of great worth whose actions and thoughts in life make them worthy of emulation rather than some distant and logically incongruous figure (or figures). Indeed, the nyezza have often had difficulty wrapping their minds around the concept of gods and tend to find them to be unnecessary and vaguely worrisome. Veneration of ancestors forms a key component of the folk religion and the rituals and practices of such worship are largely kept within each family group. It would be unseemly and against good sense to openly share these rituals with non family members and might even be dangerous. The Traditional Jauric Religions The Jauric religions cover a broad spectrum of related belief systems that originated on the Nyeran Archipelago but have spread throughout southern Ilaros along with the Jauric peoples. These religions are usually polytheistic in some fashion or another although they also tend to posit that the numerous deities are aspects of a single divine essence. Over their long history, the rituals and traditions of these religions have interwoven themselves so deeply into the fabric of the Jauric peoples that it is effectively impossible to separate the two. The major sects generally worship a large and diverse pantheon of hundreds of gods , some presiding over cosmic forces and civilization itself, and others who are gods of a single place or profession. The nine gods most widely worshiped among the Ejantuli and their cousins in Nyera and known as the Nine Auspicious Ones; they are the gods of civilization and many of the natural forces that effect all people. These gods are the following: Inuc: a trickster and solar deity (who acquired the sun by stealing it from its maker Gwaltšn) he is the current lord of the deities. Also a fertility deity associated with plant growth, livestock, virility, audacity and joy. Hvarja: the poet-god of inspiration as well as the god of retribution and atonement. Associated with oceanic storms, lightening, and waves as well as with fruit trees, music, mystical experience, and transcendence. Čalan: god of old age, transformation, time, fate, as well as the god of marshes, agriculture, wise council, enigmas, and wry humor. Nlu: goddess of reason, leaning, alchemy, wine making, brewing, distilling, as well as a patron of music, medicine, and serenity. Lanug: goddess of contracts, rituals, etiquette, property, education, homes, community, doors, stern correction, and hospitality. Patron of hosts and guests as well as gathering places, law courts, judges, and petitioners before the law. Aujmig: goddess of pottery, woodcarving, rivers, industry, invention, and artifice. She is also associated with festivals, joy, conviviality, comfort, and (like her sister Lanug) hospitality and communities. Svarwoč: the blind god of weaving, knowledge, deception, manipulation, logic, magic, fate, writing, and language. Also the divine oracle and the subtlest of schemers. Malwoč: the vibrant goddess of messengers, heralds, travelers, athletes, warriors, cross roads, strife, and competition. Also a goddess of beauty, aesthetics, art, passion (all sorts), and hedonism. Jein: the dour god of memory, inevitability, the dead, ferrymen, cynicism, and indifference. Also the guide of the newly dead and lost, the solver of mysteries, and the keeper of public order. Worship of the gods involves numerous rituals, offerings, and sacrifices as well as the singing of songs and the recitation of prayers; these acts of worship are performed by hereditary priests. These priests are divided into three rather loose classes lan (the performers of rituals and sacrifices), hvalgo (the singers of songs and the keepers of the texts and poems), and šn (the caretakers of the shrines and temples as well as of communities), each with their own duties, restrictions, and roles in the religious life. The Bifurcating Path The Path is a prophetic revealed religion of Adosian origin which is built around the teachings of Toriuz Laszcaru, a temple scribe who lived about thirteen hundred years ago. The religion is generally characterized as dystheistic as adherents of the Path believe that the creator (who they name Arhu) is unworthy of worship due to the inherently flawed nature of the creation. The creator warped and twisted the perfection of the original monistic cosmos by imposing an unnatural dualism upon all things. Arhu did not simply divide light from dark or female from male, he created these oppositions and thus created a cosmos that is inherently in conflict with itself. Followers of the path believe that only by learning to conquer the false dualism of existence can they hope to return themselves and their world to the original monistic state which was lost in the act of creation. Monasticism is an important part of the Path and most adherents are expected to spend at least some portion of their lives within the confines of a monastery. This usually coincides with the education of children as the monasteries are widely famed for their excellent schools. The monks of the Path do not generally live in isolation, but make their homes in monasteries within larger settlements; the better to serve the community. All priests of the Path (as opposed to lay prelates) are trained by the monastic schools and take the vows of their respective orders. The Orations of Sacred Ur The Orations are a collection of laudatory hymn to the god Vadyu (cognate with the traditional Jauric god Hvarja) composed by Urja Bau Cülang Gí which form the core of one of the two revealed prophetic traditions of Ilaros. Urja was a river-Jaur hvalgo (bard or poet priest) who lived in the Ora river valley (in what is now the far west of the Ejantuli Empire) nearly two thousand years ago. The religious traditions of the river-Jaur have always had a very strong panentheist streak and the Orations grew out of this belief in an all pervasive and transcendent god. The composition of the Orations is believed to have occurred over the course of twenty years during which Urja was sent dreams by Vadyu telling him of the true nature of the eminent deity of which Vadyu was the voice and vehicle of revelation. Vadyu commissioned Urja to travel, spreading the divine music and the sacred songs, but only to speak of the divine truth to those who asked the origin of the music. The revelation of divine bliss could only be given to those who heard the music without knowing from whence it came. Urja traveled the river-valleys with his companion and chronicler Auchyawantwi singing the songs he had heard in his dreams; songs of such beauty and harmony that those who heard them asked the bard where he had learned them. When he told them of the dreams sent to him by Vadyu and the great bliss he felt upon awakening and of the glorious music he heard they sat enthralled. He taught them the songs and played for them the music and with the spread f the songs came the spread of the devotion to the god Vadyu and to the divine essence of which he was the voice. The Orations spread steadily and proved especially popular among the Esh and many Pentagja as well as the river-Jaur. The message of divine bliss and underlying universal harmony was undeniably appealing and within three centuries of Urja’s death, the Orations had spread throughout the south-east of Ilaros. |
| SovietCanuck04-05-08, 05:40 PM | Right-o! Replies, responses, and an attempted analysis here! This is a rather important point to make and should probably appear either in the writeup or in a separate (but linked) article on Cael. Without this information regarding his rather extraordinary nature, he becomes a less likely “god-emperor” figure. Sorry about the confusion... I was fairly certain I had posted a timeline earlier that detailed some of his 'miracles', but you're right, I've never really detailed the man. Something on my to-do list, I see! So more of a “down with these old practises” sort of fellow? Aye. As I said, he claimed that that old practises were limiting, particularly myth and superstition. He never directly spoke against the ideal of faith , however. Also, if Cael was wise and intelligence (as I assume he was) how did he not see that by doing these strange and miraculous things (with no explanation) that he was setting himself up to become a god was essentially creating a new set of superstitions? If he has explained his powers then his position might make more sense, but keeping them unexplained clearly contributed to his deification. He might have, but all records of any such explanations have been lost. Or he may not have, knowing that the religions that sprung from this belief would serve his purposes. Any number of possible explanations. Speaking of planes and reincarnation: Do the Caelens hold that one can be reborn as an outsider or other non-ordinary being or are their cycles of reincarnation limited to more mundane mortals? I ask because the Jaur hold that all living beings go through cycles of reincarnation, including their numerous gods, and I wanted to know how similar the views on reincarnation would be. Yes and no. Yes, they can be reborn as 'extraordinary beings', such as giants, dragons, or other 'supernatural' creatures (or, more accurately, these beings can be reborn as humanoids). And certain outsiders are the result of humanoids removing themselves from the cycle of resurrection before they have achieved purity (fey from those who embrace the pagan spirits to save them, demons from those who succumbed to the Pentacle's temptation, so forth). However, angels and devils are a different source entirely. It is believed that these beings were created by the Creator separately, as custodians, enforcers, messengers, and the like. Those that sided with the Pentacle (who were their leaders) during their rebellion became devils, while those that remained faithful became angels/archons. These beings are in a separate cycle of ascension from mortal souls. Whole load of theology about the cycle and hierarchies of the transcendent host here. This is also where the division between the Pentacle's minions come in: demons are corrupted mortals, devils are angels who maintained their allegiance to the Pentacle. Where the other outsiders fit in, however, I'm still not certain. Likely along the transcendent host, however (sladdi succumbed to madness, modrons became obsessed with law and logic to prevent themselves from doing the same, so on) I know you have referred to the reign of the Imperial Elves several times; when was this and what, more or less, happened? This was about -2500 AD, after a long and vicious war between the Imperial Elves and their allies (Flansh humans) and the Durnic dwarves and the Gurvan dwarves and their allies (Dasnac humans and the gnomish Iren cities) over dwarven excursions into lands the elves held sacred. These elves held the natural state of the world in great esteem, and attempted to live in as close a communion with the natural world as they could. The Gurvan, however, were entering the iron age, and thus were well on their way to rampart mining, clear cutting, road building, and general civilization-forming. Though the Gurvan held the upper hand in terms of technology, it was still very primitive when compared to the elves druidic and arcane magic, as well as greater numbers, so the dwarven alliance fell after nearly a century of war (though some fled north through halfling lands, and eventually became the Durnic and Hurig dwarves. The Durnics, under the rule of the last Gurvan cheiftan, struck at the elves again, and carved his kingdom out of the northern moors, the land of the Wood (low) elves and Flansh. The Hurig instead settled along the coast, and their loose kingdoms would be conquered by the elves) The elves continued their push into Iren lands, and began to realize that this plague of 'civilization' spread farther then they thought. The gnomish cities were the most developed of the period, but their population was still much smaller then the Andarian Empire (About the same development level as Mycenaean Greace), which the elves struck at next in their increasingly fervent quest to curtail the spread of 'civilization'. Eventually, the elves conquered all of Caelea except the eastern most regions of Andaria/ the northernmost extreme of modern Qalitz, the Roenic states along the northern coast/the Isle of Stromald (which also included the Maenad kingdom), and the Durnic kingdom of Northon. The elves attempted to completely assimilate their subjects cultures into their own (Which resulted in the Ghar dwarven culture, and the loss of the ancient Dasnac stories and histories) No race was harder hit then the Iren, who were forcibly spread throughout the elven empire to prevent them from ever recreating something like the Iren civilization again (this worked spectacularly...for about 3500 years after, gnomes did not form the majority in any nation, nor did they hold any real political power. Only recently have they found themselves gaining power again, via the modern political systems, in Khazad Roens, the Holy Caelean Empire, and Hala, where they now form the majority, despite best efforts of the Knights of Hala and the kith). The empire lasted about 1000 years, though it's enforcement of it's anti-technology doctrine wanned as elven wizards matched the other civilizations advancement via the arcane, creating the great elven cities (some would say they were inspired by the other races, though of course they would deny this). As the elves enforcement wanned, the other races began to stir, and rebellions flared up. Though most were crushed, one proved very, very successful. This one was lead, ironically enough, but several Andarians, both free and Imperial, one of which was Cael. The elves were eventually defeated by the wide scale rebellion (everywhere, including some of their own who wanted to abandon the prohibition on technology), which ended with the elves controlling only the southern shore of the Varafel sea. The free lands that would quickly become the Caelean empire comprised the rest. There ya go! 2000 years of history in 4 paragraphs! And I have maps to go with! http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2292/2389641147_aa839cc293_o.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2390476438_371bfc8bc9_o.jpg Also, is “Qaliz” and so forth derived from Cael or is it of separate origin? Qaliz comes from the Horselander word Kaleesh, meaning from the Kaleed, their name for fertile southern coast of the Iren sea. Nothing to do with Cael, unlike the Caelean Empire :P But existence also involves joy, happiness, and so on, why focus on the evils and forget the good? Also, why posit a perfected world when existence seems to be the source of all these ills? Would it not be better to simply cease to be at all? The Caelean belief is that the world beyond is filled with these positive emotions, with none of the negative. This world has been tainted by the rule of the Pentacle, while the next has been purified and freed of their evil (as Cael could do that, as the only things there were angels, devils, demons and the such, who would survive a purification. As I said, lots of cosmology here). Caeleans don't believe you can simply 'cease to exist' or be unmade... if you try, to will only be succumbing to the evils of this world (Specifically, the Frozen Lord and the Thousand) and end up becoming a demon. Not a pleasant fate, no. It occurs to me that there might be some in the modern era who hold that Cael’s glorious and refounded empire might be found elsewhere (perhaps his death could be interpreted as a result of the Caelen peoples not living up to the God-Emperor). This could help explain the expansionism and colonialism, and it gives the world a chance to have its very own “Search for the Kingdom of Prester John” bit. Just a thought. Ayep...definitely a fuel for explorers and adventurers there. And that is exactly what's going on in Don's region there, with the Theronian tribe. Ok, I see what you mean here. I’m just a bit overly sensitive to human dominance in things, probably due to the fact that I tend to find it difficult to identify with my own species in works of fantasy and science fiction. The whole, yay for humans bit makes me nervous. Well, I can definitely see where you're coming from. I tend to prefer stories and shows where humans are just another one of the races out there, such as Enterprise, Far Scape, Warhammer 40,000, etc. Unfortunately, it is much harder to find fantasy stories with that theme... though Eberron comes fairly close :D The entire reason my region is human dominated (humans are not the majority however...only about 48% at last check) is because humans like to form kingdoms, nations, and empires. Dwarves, maenad and kith are too loyal to their clans to be able to form a united front, the gnomes' civilzation was destroyed by the elves, the elves placed themselves in opposition to the other races and lost, and the halflings and xeph are perfectly happy play a supporting role. Interesting; now I can see this causing problems among various populations and lead to all manner of unrest. For example: if goblinoids are considered outside the scope of immediate salvation (let us assume this for the sake of argument) then I can see there being people who use this as an excuse to kill them without much though, justifying it through the belief that they will reincarnate as some “higher” being. Yes indeed. Gets rid of that rather nasty moral problem caused by 'kill everything and take their stuff' :P Makes sense. What then did Şah (how are you pronouncing this? Something like [ʂa] or Sha?) edit out? Oh, some stuff I'd prefer to leave vague. It was stuff that didn't agree with his world-view as Heir to Cael, let's leave it as that. As for how one pronounces it? I ripped the Qaliz alphabet from the Turkish, so it's ʃa Ok. So, what elements of the original were, shall we say, lost in translation? This one is much easier to determine, as one can compare the Qaliz and Imperial versions of the Dictum Sollemnis. Mostly it is about the return of Cael, the position of Cael's decedents and their role in religion and society, and so on. -4000 AD? What does the AD stand for? Would this be 4,000 years before the year zero of the current calendar (roughly 5,100 years ago)? AD refers to Anno Dynastes, or Year of the Prince/Rulers (the age of mortal kings, essentially) And yes, it would before the year 0, which was when Cael left (ascended to divinity, as common theology claims) Mysteries are all very well and good, but the people of the world would have to have some idea (perhaps a bit of folklore) about who she is and why she is there. I’m not asking for the dark of things, just the chant (ah planar cant . . . ). Caeleans see her as a powerful fey queen, if they recognizes her existence at all. To Chalicites, she is the Creator, not Cael. Cael was simply a messenger that let his power go to his head, and instead of revealing the truth about the Lady, he let himself be seen as the Creator, until he was struck down by a wicked spirit (the Warrior). She is said to be resting, still recovering from the efforts of creating the universe, and in this time the Black Princes(analogous to the Pentacle, but not as defined) whom she entrusted the universe to have ruled the world. But they are not prefect, and have let their own flaws creep into their reign, and these imperfections have twisted them to evil, which was why Cael was created, to reawaken her and bring about her perfect rule (he failed, tempted by power) and why one day another shall come to reawaken her. It is the Chalicites responsibility to wait for that one, and protect the Lady's slumbering form until she wakes. Although I would have liked to have a chat with Saladin. He seemed like an interesting and spiffy fellow. Oh indeed. Him and King Richard both.:D Of course there is no doubt considerable difference of opinion of what the age old ways are . . . Which is why there's a half-dozen Orthodox churches in existence, yes So it was simply impractical, and rather than lose power they decided to compromise, how delightfully pragmatic of them. What are the Imperials if not Pragmatic? That's the entire reason they've not only survived, but thrived, for 850 years Considering the Ilaroi (or at least some of them, such as the Ejantuli, the Orothoi, and others) have a long and glorious tradition of seafaring and maritime trade they might have made contact Caelea sometime before, perhaps in the thirteenth or fourteenth century of the republic (roughly in your eighth or ninth century). Ilaros may be on the far side of the world, but given the sheer size of the supercontinent, it would not be too difficult to locate it and contact the people there. As to who the first contacted, I would imagine it would be one of the more western nations, so the Chalicites are certainly a possibility. It certainly would be a good idea to work this out, and figure out a rough idea of political relations. The Chalicites were the most powerful seafaring nation on that side of the Caelean peninsulas for about 600 years, sice the Great heresy. The other options would be Yhran Republic (a federation of Alstanic maritime cities that was well on it's way to becoming an regional power before the elves crushed it), the Kingdom of Gallia (The most powerful Caelean nation for 300 years, before it was devastated by the elves. They weren't all that focused on maritime power, as they were between Holtland, Yhran, and Vestria, but they were fairly active in exploration, mostly for trade and resources), or the Holtland Union (another major naval power, though they are farther north then the other two, and most of their fleet was naval thanks to their location right next to the Chalicites) The Chalicites were the most aggressive explorers, seeking for allies against the Caeleans, while the other three were less driven in their quest for new land, being more concerned with Caelean politics and conflicts. It wasn't until recently, the industrial revolution in Holtland that spread to Vestria, Gallia, and on to the rest of Caelea that the Chalicites coupled with the Chalicite civil war that made Holtland the west's major maritime power. If, however, you arrived in the East...there's only really three options: Qalitz, Bardrim, and Stillia-Portoro. And seeing as how Stillia-Portoro is the only one that agreesively searched for trade partners, So I would imagine, although it could certainly make for an interesting line of work. One with an uncomfortably high rate of fatality, yes Regarding the “association of positive gods with Saints” and so on, I could imagine that the Caeleans would have a devil of time working out he Jauric gods as they all rather complicated beings. Take Hvarja (or Vadyu in the parlance of the Orations of Sacred Ur) who is the god of inspiration, poetry, creativity, sorrow, wrath, destruction, atonement, medicine, storms, orchards, floods, and certain aspects of fertility; he is widely worshiped (being a member of the Nine Auspicious Ones, the major divinities of Civilization and Culture), and deeply respected, but he is also amoral in the traditional sense and has aspects that are both beneficial and destructive, and which are seen as being essential to his position in the cosmos. How might they deal with a religion that is full of such figures who partake of a very different sense of ethics? Mostly, they would associate those beings with positive saints, because I'm guessing that would be the overall view of these beings. They would also explain the positive aspects of things like destruction (natural destruction allows renewal), wrath (righteous anger stems from knowledge of right and wrong, and drives one to act on the knowledge), etc. I can see a similar thing happening with the nyezza as they would view the appropriation of the meorai as a violation of their community and an insult to good order. For them, it would be like some odd form of conversion, which is considered to be a terrible thing (especially having people convert to the nyezzai religions) and highly unwise. Well, the missionaries would likely learn to adapt, even if it takes them years to build up the understanding needed for them to start gaining authentic converts. They are very persistent people So, not a lot of complex liturgy then? Only at festivals and such. I'm using the Muslim jumu'ah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumu%27ah) as part of the inspiration for the Caelean communal prayer. I assumed that most shellfish (both arthropod and mollusk) were forbidden because they are largely scavengers. Crabs and the like eat all manner of dead and decaying things and bivalves are filter feeders who ingest detritus (which would include all manner of bits of decayed creatures). However, if sea food is permitted then they should have a much easier time eating in coastal Ilaros, although most of theses cultures consider insects and the like to be a vital part of the diet. Fried termite paste is a popular street food, and beetle larva are often served in a variety of ways . Hmm... well, Holts eat the deep-fried stomachs of sheep and cows, so to each their own :P Good to know, as that clears up a possible diplomatic problem. The Ejantuli drink black tea that is pressed into brinks with duck blood as the binding agent, and they believe it is necessary to have a cup of this tea before beginning negotiations as it allows all parties to collect their thoughts and shows that there is no hostile intent. The Qalitz have a similar tradition... though it involves coffee... very, very strong coffee. :P Then I can imagine that the nyezza (who are apt to have split religious identities in certain environments) would probably avoid conversion outright as it would invite far more trouble than it is worth, especially sense their native religion is nearly inseparable from their civic culture. If it was interpreted as atheism, it would be less likely to draw the Caelean's then if it appeared as a pagan faith (though it would not lessen the attempts at conversion... just atheists are normally less likely to preach and attempt to convert than belivers in other religion) Safest bet for ambassadors, however, would likely be agnostic. 'Maybe Cael really is the Creator, maybe he's not. Who are we to know for certain?'... goes over much better than being a Caelean in public and a 'pagan' in private Soviet: The doctrines of Cael are neat. I like the allegory for several modern day religions. ... Don't we have something like this going on in Fallenstar? Since Cael is present in my region and by default all his clerics can still get spells and what not. I agree this is a powerful religious/political motivation for their colonial presence. Thanks Don! And thanks for brining that up as well. Yep... that was an early inspiration for exploration... though that's more driving for the more devout lower classes. The upper classes needed a more... substantial reason. Thankfully (for Caeleans) industrialization and colonization are both very good reasons to send out their ships :D Right-o! Think that's everything. I'll try to get around to your post on Ilarosian (?) faiths before the weekend's out, Darth! That...and I'm fairly happy with the state of Hala now, so I'll get the Sovereign Military Republic up as well! |
| SovietCanuck04-07-08, 09:08 PM | Right-o, Darth! Here's my go at your religions, beliefs, faiths, traditions, et al. The religious landscape of Ilaros is extremely diverse, lacking the religious unity of regions such as Caelea or the obvious typological similarities of the regions of Fallenstar (Asteriothe). Ilaros is home to traditions as outwardly diverse as the panetheistic polytheism of the Jaur, the dystheistic religion of the Bifurcating Path, the theistic monism of the Orations of Sacred Ur, the atheistic religion of Tlónism, and numerous other traditions. The high degree of outward dissimilarity of these religions obscures the underlying features that form the very essence of religious thought in Ilaros: underlying monism, lack of a distinct soul concept, central belief in an all pervasive cosmic order, oneiromancy, a strong tradition of esoteric practice, and certain elements of iconography. These elements are present to such a degree and with such strength that they become impossible to ignore to any serious student of comparative religion. Indeed, it has been proposed by more than one scholar that the combination of these features, and their curiously similar manner of expression point to some primordial ur-religion from which the modern traditional are all unthinkingly drawing. The truth, however, remains unknown. Right... so these faiths all are part of the same religious family, much like the Dharmic faiths then? So, how do these faiths explain their similarities? Also, what kind of esoteric practises are we talking about here? Purely scientific, or does it move in psudo-sciences and mysticism? Although most cultures of Ilaros possess a strong tradition of arcane magic and psionics, none of them possess that form of magic known to many as divine. This is not merely a kind of cultural oversight for the people of Ilaros are incapable of performing such feats. The reasons for this are not wholly understood and studies of the phenomenon are ongoing. The primary reason the lack of divine magic is so poorly understood is that, until widespread contact with other continents in the past four hundred years there was never any reason to believe that there was something “lacking”. What is known is that the lack of divine magic has nothing whatever to do with the content of the religions of Ilaros. Native born Ilaroi who convert to foreign religions (such as Tavan Yoisha, a Caelean priest from the Esuin League) remain unable to perform divine magic despite deep and abiding convictions while foreigners who convert to one of the Ilaroi religions are perfectly capable of working divine magic. The key to whole mystery must surely lie with Ilaros itself, for the inability to perform divine magic is directly tied to being born upon that continent. So this lack of divine applies only to characters born on Ilaros then, and it's not a blanket ban on divine magic for your entire region like Thel's? What about magic items that rely on divine magic? And does this ban apply only to clerics, archivists, and paladins, or does it also apply to druids, rangers, favoured souls, or even other forms of magic that are similar to divine (Incarnum, binding, etc)? Also, it this genetic? As in, if someone of is of Caelean ancestry but born on Ilaros, will they be barred from casting divine magic, while someone of Ilaroi ancestry born in Arron would be able to? Despite not having divine magic, the priests of the religions of Ilaros are not without strange and remarkable powers. Many a priest learns to master the rituals of the arcane, and most Ilaroi religions hold the arcane arts in high regard believing that these traditions draw upon the all pervasive cosmic order that is so much a part of Ilaroi religion. Just a thought here... artifice would fit in well here, creating magic items that mimic the standard divine fare (cures, restores, enhancements, and the like). Also...since arcane magic plays such an important role in the religions, how are the various schools interpreted. I remember you saying something about necromancy being reviled in at least one of the religions for inhibiting peaceful rest. Are there stigmas applied to any other school? And what about the other arcane classes? How do bards, sorcerers, and the other spontaneous classes fit in Ilaroi society? The psion is also not without a home within the religions of the great southern continent; in many traditions the mental powers of the psion are intimately tied into the very heart of belief and practice. Nowhere is this connection more pronounced than in the various oneiromantic traditions found in the traditional religions of the nyezza and the Jaur. Both of these peoples hold that it is through dreams that the auspicious forces which guide them (the meorai and the gods respectively) communicate. There are, of course, numerous other uses of “psi- priests” throughout Ilaros ranging from oracles to mystics who use their gifts to explore the inner worlds of their own minds, bring new knowledge and revelation. So dream magic is considered psionic in Ilaros. Interesting...normally it's divination, though I guess Clairvoyance fits as well. I'm taking it that cerebremancers would be the Ilaroi equivalent of the mystic theurge in other regions? Also, if I can repeat myself, what role to the other manifesting classes have on Ilaros. Likely psychic warriors fill the role of paladins and rangers, and there are no probably Divine Minds or Ardents, but what about wilders, soulblades, lurks and erudites? Both the folk religion and Tlónism are atheistic traditions as they recognize no gods and find the concept to be counter to good order and cosmic harmony. If one is to venerate a being then let it be a meorai, a philosopher-saint or other figure of great worth whose actions and thoughts in life make them worthy of emulation rather than some distant and logically incongruous figure (or figures). Indeed, the nyezza have often had difficulty wrapping their minds around the concept of gods and tend to find them to be unnecessary and vaguely worrisome. Why do the Tlón see deities as being contrary to cosmic order? Many faiths see deities as the one who created the cosmic order, set down the laws and proclaimed what makes right and wrong and so forth. So what is it about these remote entities that the Tlón see as wrong? Also, what about shamanism and spirit worship? How do the Tlón view those entities? Finally, how do the Tlón reason the magic that comes from the Welkin, Arron Gods, or the God-Emperor? Veneration of ancestors forms a key component of the folk religion and the rituals and practices of such worship are largely kept within each family group. It would be unseemly and against good sense to openly share these rituals with non family members and might even be dangerous. I see this as having a slightly stagnating factor in communities here... one would likely stay in communities where there are large numbers of one's family, or those that share practises, as Tlónism seems to be a communal religion. So how would they rationalize not sharing practises? And why would they believe that sharing these practises may even turn out to be dangerous? The major sects generally worship a large and diverse pantheon of hundreds of gods , some presiding over cosmic forces and civilization itself, and others who are gods of a single place or profession. The nine gods most widely worshiped among the Ejantuli and their cousins in Nyera and known as the Nine Auspicious Ones; they are the gods of civilization and many of the natural forces that effect all people. These gods are the following... How did these gods become the most popular/overarching? Is there a hierarchy of these divinities which determine their influence? Also, do the Jauric religions incorporate divinities into their belief system as they encounter new faiths and traditions, or do they just associate other entities with their gods? (or a combination of both?) And how do they view entities that grant divine magic? Worship of the gods involves numerous rituals, offerings, and sacrifices as well as the singing of songs and the recitation of prayers; these acts of worship are performed by hereditary priests. These priests are divided into three rather loose classes lan (the performers of rituals and sacrifices), hvalgo (the singers of songs and the keepers of the texts and poems), and šn (the caretakers of the shrines and temples as well as of communities), each with their own duties, restrictions, and roles in the religious life. These rituals... do they stem from a set mythology, or are they, like the position of priesthood, hereditary, passed down a line a priests? Also, are these classes of priest hereditary as well, or is the specific class chosen by the priests themselves? And when did this tradition of diving priests into classes start? As for mythology... is there an established common set of legends and histories, or does each sect have their own? The Path is a prophetic revealed religion of Adosian origin which is built around the teachings of Toriuz Laszcaru, a temple scribe who lived about thirteen hundred years ago. The religion is generally characterized as dystheistic as adherents of the Path believe that the creator (who they name Arhu) is unworthy of worship due to the inherently flawed nature of the creation. The creator warped and twisted the perfection of the original monistic cosmos by imposing an unnatural dualism upon all things. Arhu did not simply divide light from dark or female from male, he created these oppositions and thus created a cosmos that is inherently in conflict with itself. Followers of the path believe that only by learning to conquer the false dualism of existence can they hope to return themselves and their world to the original monistic state which was lost in the act of creation. Why did the teachings of Toriuz Laszcaru gain enough traction to create it's own religion? And why do they view this dualism as being negative? Because by separating good from evil, didn't Arhu enable good to exist? Why not seek to destroy the negative aspects that Arhu separated out? (/end Caelean) Monasticism is an important part of the Path and most adherents are expected to spend at least some portion of their lives within the confines of a monastery. This usually coincides with the education of children as the monasteries are widely famed for their excellent schools. The monks of the Path do not generally live in isolation, but make their homes in monasteries within larger settlements; the better to serve the community. All priests of the Path (as opposed to lay prelates) are trained by the monastic schools and take the vows of their respective orders. Are the schools all largely controlled by the Path, including the institutions of higher learning? What about rural families who do not live near any major settlement? Do they send their children off to school when they reach a certain age, or are the children allowed to choose when they will go to the monastery? Also, you make it sound like there is a hierarchy of sorts with priests of the path (with the differentiation between lay prelates and priests). How did this come about, and is there an overarching organization that controls most of the clergy? The Orations are a collection of laudatory hymn to the god Vadyu (cognate with the traditional Jauric god Hvarja) composed by Urja Bau Cülang Gí which form the core of one of the two revealed prophetic traditions of Ilaros. Urja was a river-Jaur hvalgo (bard or poet priest) who lived in the Ora river valley (in what is now the far west of the Ejantuli Empire) nearly two thousand years ago. The religious traditions of the river-Jaur have always had a very strong panentheist streak and the Orations grew out of this belief in an all pervasive and transcendent god. The composition of the Orations is believed to have occurred over the course of twenty years during which Urja was sent dreams by Vadyu telling him of the true nature of the eminent deity of which Vadyu was the voice and vehicle of revelation. Vadyu commissioned Urja to travel, spreading the divine music and the sacred songs, but only to speak of the divine truth to those who asked the origin of the music. The revelation of divine bliss could only be given to those who heard the music without knowing from whence it came. Urja traveled the river-valleys with his companion and chronicler Auchyawantwi singing the songs he had heard in his dreams; songs of such beauty and harmony that those who heard them asked the bard where he had learned them. When he told them of the dreams sent to him by Vadyu and the great bliss he felt upon awakening and of the glorious music he heard they sat enthralled. He taught them the songs and played for them the music and with the spread f the songs came the spread of the devotion to the god Vadyu and to the divine essence of which he was the voice. The Orations spread steadily and proved especially popular among the Esh and many Pentagja as well as the river-Jaur. The message of divine bliss and underlying universal harmony was undeniably appealing and within three centuries of Urja’s death, the Orations had spread throughout the south-east of Ilaros. So the priests of the Orations are bards then? Interesting. I'm assuming much of their rights involve sining these songs then. What attitude's do they have about innovation of new songs for worship? What kind of relation do followers of the Orations have with the Jaur? Well...there's my attempt there. Hope it helps, and I await your answers!:D |
| Darth Syntax04-08-08, 06:01 AM | Right-o, Darth! Here's my go at your religions, beliefs, faiths, traditions, et al. Well then, let’s see if I can’t answer your questions and clarify those things which I no doubt left unclear. Right... so these faiths all are part of the same religious family, much like the Dharmic faiths then? So, how do these faiths explain their similarities? The relation of the religions is a little more “distant” than the Dharmic religions of earth. That sort of relation is more like what is going on with the Jauric religions and the Orations. To put it in linguistic terms, the religions of southern Ilaros form a kind of religious sprachbund where in a number of systems with no original connection have come to possess a certain degree of similarity. There might be some very distant historical relation but I think that sort of theory is (in world) considered a bit crackpot Also, what kind of esoteric practises are we talking about here? Purely scientific, or does it move in psudo-sciences and mysticism? There are numerous scientific and mystic practices found throughout the religions. Alchemy, for example is not limited to the mixing of substances but is also considered a vital component of philosophical and mystic growth in Tlónism, the Path, and in the native religion of the Pentagja (the gnomes of the interior river valleys). Among the devotees the Tlón practices of this nature often take the form of meditation, the control of dreams through the use of certain thought-forms, sensory deprivation, and mind altering activities (anything from hypnosis and guided thinking to the use of mind altering chemicals) all designed to allow the mind to understand the illusion of physical existence and be able to leave it behind. Essentially the Tlónist mind-alchemists seek to be consciously pure mind (something rather like an Unbodied). Most people who try to do this are rather monk-like (monastics, not ass-kicking unarmed fighters). So this lack of divine applies only to characters born on Ilaros then, and it's not a blanket ban on divine magic for your entire region like Thel's? What about magic items that rely on divine magic? And does this ban apply only to clerics, archivists, and paladins, or does it also apply to druids, rangers, favoured souls, or even other forms of magic that are similar to divine (Incarnum, binding, etc)? I initially wanted to make all divine magic (even that of foreign orign) impossible upon Ilaros but that seemed a bit like stepping on the toes of foreigners overmuch. I’m currently of the opinion that such magic works there, but only in the hands of foreigners and they might have some problems doing a few things. The lack-of-divine does effect clerics, paladins, rangers, favored souls, shugenja, and the like. Druids and Archivists (both of which I have a certain fondness for) are a bit dicey, especially druids as there is no necessary reason that they need to be considered divine. So I’m not sure. The real point is that faith doesn’t have any magical value but practice, study, and training the mind are all important. Orthopraxis before Orthodoxy. Also, it this genetic? As in, if someone of is of Caelean ancestry but born on Ilaros, will they be barred from casting divine magic, while someone of Ilaroi ancestry born in Arron would be able to? It seems to be largely environmental. Anyone born on Ilaros is incapable of divine magic and those of Ilaroi extraction born abroad might be able to perform divine magic, but it would be more likely in the grandchildren of those who left Ilaros rather than their own children. Just a thought here... artifice would fit in well here, creating magic items that mimic the standard divine fare (cures, restores, enhancements, and the like). Although artifice exists, the whole medical treatment thing is largely the purview of Alchemists, physicians (yes they have actual medical knowledge), and Egoist psions. Also...since arcane magic plays such an important role in the religions, how are the various schools interpreted. I remember you saying something about necromancy being reviled in at least one of the religions for inhibiting peaceful rest. Are there stigmas applied to any other school? The Jaur really don’t like any form of magic that is meant to extend life beyond the natural lifespan of a species as they think this mucks up the cycles of reincarnation by essentially shoving a stick into the gears. They feel the same about bringing back the dead; such magic is considered abhorrent in all its forms and the punishment for performing it is usually very harsh, both in this world and in all future ones. Necromancy, as in divination involving the dead, speaking to ghosts, that sort of thing is actually a respected profession in many places. Many necromancers of this sort are employed as detectives and ‘medical examiners’. Permanent animation of the dead however is generally considered terrible. As for the rest of magic, well its is not actually understood to be magic but rather simply another part of the natural world, and as such is conceptually treated rather like science. Illusion is part of both the study of optics and the psychology of perception, Evocation is clearly important to ontology as well as physics, Enchantment is part of general psychology, and so on. In many places telling someone you are a ‘wizard’ would be about as descriptive as saying ‘I use tools in my job’, or ‘I work with things’. A stigma is usually only attached to the application of magic (or science, or politics, or art) rather than the thing itself. Sort of like saying that medicine is not evil but one might draw the line at vivisection, or some such thing. And what about the other arcane classes? How do bards, sorcerers, and the other spontaneous classes fit in Ilaroi society? Bards are often priests (in nearly every tradition) as well as being artists, teachers, and politicians. The archetypical bard though is generally a highly learned storytelling priest or teacher. This is especially common in the Jauric religions where the poet-priest is an essential figure as it is through them that the stories and the sacred songs are passed down. Sorcerers are often considered to be a bit of a problem especially in the more urbanized nations where they see them as what happens when you fail to properly educated someone with an undeniable gift. They can, however, be interpreted as essentially self-taught arcanists and their skills can certainly give them a leg up in trying to get some of the more unusual jobs (such as being an Illusory Architect or Elemental Engineer). So dream magic is considered psionic in Ilaros. Interesting...normally it's divination, though I guess Clairvoyance fits as well. I'm taking it that cerebremancers would be the Ilaroi equivalent of the mystic theurge in other regions? Also, if I can repeat myself, what role to the other manifesting classes have on Ilaros. Likely psychic warriors fill the role of paladins and rangers, and there are no probably Divine Minds or Ardents, but what about wilders, soulblades, lurks and erudites? As dreams are part of the mind and its mysteries they seemed to fit well inside the psionics umbrella. As to your ideas about other classes, they are spot on. On the issue of soulknives, I can imagine that being a tradition unique to a particular region or people (possibly specially trained assassins of the Ejantuli?). Lurks and erudites I am less familiar with so I can’t really say much about them at the moment. Why do the Tlón see deities as being contrary to cosmic order? Many faiths see deities as the one who created the cosmic order, set down the laws and proclaimed what makes right and wrong and so forth. So what is it about these remote entities that the Tlón see as wrong? Also, what about shamanism and spirit worship? How do the Tlón view those entities? Finally, how do the Tlón reason the magic that comes from the Welkin, Arron Gods, or the God-Emperor? ? The Tlón is understood to be the Idea the is the Cosmos and is believed to have no beginning and no end; it’s a bit like the Tao. Deities were originally something that was simply utterly absent from Tlónist and nyezzai thought in general. This is based on the idea that mortals invent the concept of deities and the like to have someone capable of performing magic (thankyou James Frazier). As gnomes are the only 3x core race to possess inborn magical abilities it seemed to me that they might never have needed to invent a god or gods as they had lived among wizards and magicians all their life. Instead they might come to revere those who performed the best magic and to hold in high esteem the rules which govern the magic. The Tlón (the religious concept) may well have begin as an extension of these rules to include all things. Gods and the like are generally interpreted as a peculiar form of meorai who grew close to understanding the Tlón but who, for whatever reason, wanted to hide this knowledge from others perhaps because they wanted to be worshiped and adored for their accomplishment or because they felt that others were not capable of attaining this sort of understanding. They then proceed to grant those that worship them some small measure of their abilities and power (the divine magic) but deny their followers the ability to directly perform these feats as well as making said magic “easy” by offering it in exchange for devotion rather than making people search for the knowledge themselves. Essentially gods are considered to be some kind of “cheat code magic” and an obstruction to actual understanding. I see this as having a slightly stagnating factor in communities here... one would likely stay in communities where there are large numbers of one's family, or those that share practises, as Tlónism seems to be a communal religion. So how would they rationalize not sharing practises? And why would they believe that sharing these practises may even turn out to be dangerous? I probably didn’t make the distinction between the private and the public religion as clear as I might have and for this I apologize. It is the private, home based religion that tends to be highly insular and secretive as those are considered virtues a family should hold to. The private religion tends to be focused on what might be called a ‘cult of the ancestors’ or a ‘ghost cult’ and as such the figures that are venerated only really have significance to a comparatively small body of people. To share those traditions with outsiders would be considered a breech of the privacy of the dead and liable to make them annoyed and thus disinclined to act as guides and protectors of dreams. Also, too many people offering up prayers to the ghosts of the ancestors is likely to drive them a bit batty and they might even go mad and thus become unquiet ghosts (your standard haunting ghosts) which are generally trouble. Only meorai possess a close enough relation to the Tlón to maintain sanity in the face of so many supplicants and followers. The other reason for the secrecy of family practice is to prepare children for public life where they will need to maintain descression, learn to keep secrets, obfuscate, and generally be deceitful and devious. By learning early how to keep important secrets they are better prepared for nyezzai society. You are right though that there is considerable social pressure to at least maintain contact with one’s family and returning home for important family holidays is quite common. Now, nyezzai families are quite large affairs (nuclear families being essentially unknown) and contain a large number of fictive kin such as close friends and the like and so it is not necessarily difficult to find family and the like. Also, many nyezza are considered to be part of several families (your birth family, the family of your closest friends, the family of your current spouse and so on) so it is not entirely impossible to find a family to join for home worship even abroad. There is also the fact that nyezza, when they travel or immigrate, seldom go alone. Indeed it is very common for siblings to set out together or for close friends to form a ‘family abroad’. As you can image, family gatherings can be highly complex affairs. Tlónism itself though is a more public form of the same religious tradition and generally has a much larger worshiper pool as well as being focused on the veneration of the meorai. There are Tlónist sects which are attached to professions, to regions, to philosophical schools, and (most importantly) to cities. When the nyezza go abroad it is often easy to tell from what city the original settlers came as they bring their traditions with them as well as their meorai, and their festivals. The colony of Kuilnos in Thel’s region was founded mostly by people from Sýrenvo with some from Trokoilon and as such the iconography of the patron meorai of those two cities (Nurian the Sage and Pharon the Navigator respectively) is everywhere and the general outline of civic and religious practice is clearly that of Sýrenvo. How did these gods become the most popular/overarching? Is there a hierarchy of these divinities which determine their influence? The Nine Auspicious Ones are associated with certain aspects of life that became nearly ubiquitous as the Jaur transitioned away from being a farming and fishing people with a pirate elite to a more stable people who relied upon trade, copper items, tea plantations and alchemical goods in addition to their agricultural goods and skill at sea raiding. They were simply worshiped more often, their stories considered more relevant, and their guidance sought more frequently. It is also likely that certain political developments helped things along. The rise in importance of poet-priests probably helped Hvarja into his current position and the need for scribes and logicians probably brought Svarwoč out of the shadows. As to a hierarchy, there is one after a fashion although its precise nature varies among the different sects. In the Empire the gods tend to mirror the structure of the imperial government with Inuc acting as a kind of divine emperor figure, Svarwoč as a stand in for the Grand Vizier, Lanug for the Chamberlain (formerly known as the Mayor of the Palace) and the Master of the Ritual and so on. Kinship among the gods is also an important factor as it can help explain why certain gods are worshiped together or why they have a certain level of power. I’ve done a chart of some of the more major Jauric gods which outlines their relationships. http://img341.imageshack.us/my.php?image=revisedjauricgodscopylv3.jp g The circles represent females The squares males The triangles either sexless, hermaphroditic or androgynous beings A thick solid line means marriage A thick dotted line means an ‘illicit’ relation Arrows indicate the volitionality of the relationships. Two arrows mean the relation is reciprocal, one means it is not. Also, do the Jauric religions incorporate divinities into their belief system as they encounter new faiths and traditions, or do they just associate other entities with their gods? (or a combination of both?) They probably associate them with their own gods, although interpretation varies. For example, Cael might be considered to be an avatar or aspect of Inuc (light bringer, ruler, that sort of thing) who needed to appear in a different guise to Caelens as a shining copper skinned elf like being with blue-black hair dressed in a cloak of kakapo feathers and carrying a lantern would probably not go over all that well. And how do they view entities that grant divine magic? Loosely speaking they are not fans. More technically they are not a fan of the priests who use such magic as they find it to be a form of ‘god-bothering’. One does not ask the gods for petty favors, and certainly one does not speak to the gods without proper the rituals and sacrifices. These rituals... do they stem from a set mythology, or are they, like the position of priesthood, hereditary, passed down a line a priests? Also, are these classes of priest hereditary as well, or is the specific class chosen by the priests themselves? And when did this tradition of diving priests into classes start? Some rituals, like the yearly theft of the solar lamp from the shrine of Gwaltšn upon the winter solstice, are mythically based but others have their roots in the priesthood and the local traditions. Specific temples will have their own body of rituals that they observe that are passed down over time as the same can be said for the rituals of a family, a town, or even an Empire. As for the division of the priests, it is quite old as the training of a Lan or a Hvalgo is quite extensive and involves considerable study and/or instruction. Šn as a separate class of priest in a more recent development as they were originally Lan-in-training. As for mythology... is there an established common set of legends and histories, or does each sect have their own? It’s a little of both really. There are a number of very old myths which have made their way into nearly every sect and others that are peculiar to certain traditions. I would say it is about at unified as ancient Greek mythology with there being several different versions of the same myth or accounts of the birth and death of gods. When the world began, it was all in darkness save for the house of Gwaltšn, the miserly god of craft, wherein there burned a fabulous lantern. Rumors of the lantern spread far and wide, but Gwaltšn jealously guarded it and would permit none to see it. Wily Inuc heard of the lantern and vowed to the other gods that he could steal it from the house of Gwaltšn and so bring light to the cosmos. All the gods laughed at him, for they knew that no thief could enter the house of Gwaltšn for old deity had ten thousand unblinking eyes and they knew that none could best the demon in battle for he had ten thousand arms, each pair stronger than the last. But Inuc was not dissuaded and set off in his boat to the house of Gwaltšn. Upon reaching the shore, Inuc smeared himself in white clay and draped himself in a tattered cloak and so in the guise of a holy beggar, knocked upon the door of the miserly god. Gwaltšn, upon seeing what he thought to be a wise and holy being, brought him into the house and offered him the wine of hospitality. Inuc consumed the first bowl of wine, and was offered another, this one too he drank, but the third and all thereafter he secretly poured upon the floor. Gwaltšn, failing to see this trick, drunk deeply of the wine and, after many bowls, was overcome with it and so fell asleep. Inuc, saw his host sleeping took the great lantern from the house and sailed away with it upon his boat. When Gwaltšn awoke from his stupor he discovered that his lantern was missing and, enraged, set out to retrieve it from the thief. Inuc, knowing that he would be chased, kept the lantern in his boat and sailed across the heavens, only uncovering the lantern when he knew it was safe to let its light shine. So was the light of the sun brought into the world. Why did the teachings of Toriuz Laszcaru gain enough traction to create it's own religion? And why do they view this dualism as being negative? Because by separating good from evil, didn't Arhu enable good to exist? Why not seek to destroy the negative aspects that Arhu separated out? (/end Caelean) Arhu, according to the Path, is an incompetent blind idiot god who destroyed the original perfection of all things. Neither good nor evil existed before Arhu divided the cosmos and neither can exist without its opposite; thus the only way to destroy evil to reconcile it with good and thus do away with the opposition. One cannot have good without evil anymore than one can have light without dark or Up without Down. The only way to end evil is to reconcile it with good and return the cosmos it its perfect original state. Toriuz was able to spread his doctrine of reconciliation of opposites because it explained the apparent absurdity of existence in ways that a more “the deity is good” or “the deity is evil” simply could not. An absurd cosmos is at least neither malicious nor secretly good, it’s just wonky nonsensical and indifferent. He was also rather keen on education and the helping of people because there was no need to undue suffering and the like which also helped. Are the schools all largely controlled by the Path, including the institutions of higher learning? What about rural families who do not live near any major settlement? Do they send their children off to school when they reach a certain age, or are the children allowed to choose when they will go to the monastery? Also, you make it sound like there is a hierarchy of sorts with priests of the path (with the differentiation between lay prelates and priests). How did this come about, and is there an overarching organization that controls most of the clergy? The various orders of the Path do control the schools in a way that is broadly similar to how the Jesuits control their schools. They keep things more or less in line with their doctrine but also are known for their rigorous academic programs. As for rural families, many of them do send their children (or at least one or two of them) off to the monastery schools; usually the one in the nearest largish town or city. The Path does have a hierarchy although it is not nearly as elaborate as, say, the Roman Catholic Church. There are novices, prelates (priests), abbots or abbesses (heads of individual monasteries), and hierophants (a member of a ruling council of and order). There is no figure quite analogous to the pope or the dalai lama, there is only the Speaker of the Conclave of Hierophants who is more or a protocol officer for the assembly where the hierophants meet, argue, and throw pieces of paper about in ineffectual rage as they call their esteemed colleagues heretics and the like. So the priests of the Orations are bards then? Interesting. I'm assuming much of their rights involve sining these songs then. What attitude's do they have about innovation of new songs for worship? What kind of relation do followers of the Orations have with the Jaur? Indeed, the Orators are indeed led by bard-priests which is not all that unusual considering the religion evolved out of the Jauric bard-priest tradition. In regards to new songs, they have a rather nuanced view of these things, they do admit that new songs are composed and can be sent by Vadyu as well as arising spontaneously among worshipers. However, there have been several schisms over these new songs (are the songs genuine, that sort of thing) and it is still a contentious issue as these schismatic groups are still around and indeed hold considerable power. As far as relations with the Jauric traditionalist go, well, they are generally not on particularly good terms. The traditionalists hold that the Orators have abandoned the rituals of the past and have spread their disastrous beliefs far and wide, something which the traditionalists see as a threat. The Orators, on the other hand tend to see the traditionalists as hopelessly mired in their rituals and failing to take any real joy in their religious devotions. The tensions between the groups are high and there is more than a little persecution on both sides. Well, hopefully I answered some of your questions. I know that the questions certainly helped me. |
| taski04-27-08, 09:16 PM | This thread fell to Page 3! Inconceivable! Lately, I've been thinking of adding a second race to my region, the Kallack. I haven't made up their stats yet, but I have a general conception of them. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2368/2447780267_638f263344_o.jpg Kallack Traits The Kallack are little fuzzy folk, about 3 feet high. They look about like Ewoks, but with white to gray fur, and conical heads. Their skin ranges from dark blue, to light blue, to blue-green, and to blue-purple. Kallacks are neither strong nor quick, but they are hardy (+2 con). They are also wise (+2 wis). Their walking speed is slow. Kallacks can turn invisible, and have a natural gift for illusion. They can create very minor images and sounds at will. Kallack Lands Kallacks are very rare, and are fearful of other races. They live high in the mountains of a few specific islands, and rarely show themselves to others. Their rarity has made the Darfellen consider Kallacks legendary creatures. The Kallacks live in shallow caves, which they decorate with artistic carvings. The entrances to the caves are hidden by illusion, allowing the Kallacks to sleep in safety. If spotted, Kallacks turn themselves invisible and try to distract their discoverers with sounds, lights, or images of frightening predators. They then make a hasty retreat or hide in the undergrowth. Kallack Culture Kallacks do not speak any language. Instead, they create illusions to communicate. They've developed a complex system of visual and auditory symbols, to the point that they can "talk" about abstract subjects, such as love and time. Kallacks have not created much technology. They live off the abundant berries and mushrooms on their mountains, and have no need for farming. They also collect eggs and build traps for moths and other large insects. They do not hunt game, preferring to let furry creatures live. Kallack Magic Being naturally gifted at illusion, Kallack Mages have a great depth of knowledge regarding illusory magic. Kallack Shapers study the ways of permanent transmutation, which they use to shape stone, wood, and metal into tools and pieces of art. They can be a valuable source of spells of these kinds, provided an outsider learns how to communicate with them. Kallack Religion I have no idea yet. If I could have a little help with their stats, that would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather they not be above LA +1, if possible. |
| Darth Syntax04-29-08, 02:24 AM | Lately, I've been thinking of adding a second race to my region, the Kallack. I haven't made up their stats yet, but I have a general conception of them. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2368/2447780267_638f263344_o.jpg Kallack Traits The Kallack are little fuzzy folk, about 3 feet high. They look about like Ewoks, but with white to gray fur, and conical heads. Their skin ranges from dark blue, to light blue, to blue-green, and to blue-purple. Fuzzy blue yeti-gnome-esque things; delightful. Other than aesthetic reasons, is there and explanation of why the kallack are blue? Granted there are blue nosed monkeys and the like, but overall blue skin is fairly unusual. Also, considering that they live in an area that is not perpetually ice-bound, stark white fur might make them a bit too easy to spot. Perhaps a broader range of fur colors (although still pale)? Kallacks are neither strong nor quick, but they are hardy (+2 con). They are also wise (+2 wis). Their walking speed is slow. Kallacks can turn invisible, and have a natural gift for illusion. They can create very minor images and sounds at will. What is the scale of these illusions? Considering that you later state that this is their medium of communication I would assume the illusions are smallish yet fairly detailed things that allow for nuanced communication but that still only gives a rough idea of how these illusions might work. Perhaps some examples? Kallack Lands Kallacks are very rare, and are fearful of other races. They live high in the mountains of a few specific islands, and rarely show themselves to others. Their rarity has made the Darfellen consider Kallacks legendary creatures. How to the kallacks feature in Darfellen lore? Do they take the role of "the wild men of the woods" sort of thing, are they more akin to spirits, or something else entirely. The Kallacks live in shallow caves, which they decorate with artistic carvings. The entrances to the caves are hidden by illusion, allowing the Kallacks to sleep in safety. do they modify the cave interiors in any significant way other than decoration? If spotted, Kallacks turn themselves invisible and try to distract their discoverers with sounds, lights, or images of frightening predators. They then make a hasty retreat or hide in the undergrowth. how long can they keep themselves invisible? Kallack Culture Kallacks do not speak any language. Instead, they create illusions to communicate. They've developed a complex system of visual and auditory symbols, to the point that they can "talk" about abstract subjects, such as love and time. do they even possess the ability to vocalize or has their reliance upon illusory communication rendered them mute? As they have no spoken language an interesting problem presents itself: how do they cast spells without voices? Sure there in the metamagic feat Silent Spell but that seems like a boring way out. Perhaps something involving their illusory language . . . . .? Kallacks have not created much technology. They live off the abundant berries and mushrooms on their mountains, and have no need for farming. They also collect eggs and build traps for moths and other large insects. They do not hunt game, preferring to let furry creatures live. So the kallack are sedentary hunter-gatherers then? Ok. Also, considering the relative coldness of their home range, how do they store up enough fat to survive the winter? Do they catch fish in upland steams and lakes or is there some other source of much-needed fat other than moths and the like? Kallack Magic Being naturally gifted at illusion, Kallack Mages have a great depth of knowledge regarding illusory magic. Kallack Shapers study the ways of permanent transmutation, which they use to shape stone, wood, and metal into tools and pieces of art. They can be a valuable source of spells of these kinds, provided an outsider learns how to communicate with them. What exactly are the Shapers? You say they transmute things; how is this done? Kallack Religion I have no idea yet. Hrmm. Without knowing more about their culture it's hard to come up with a belief system that fits their culture or cultures. However, I could imagine their arcane abilities being considered to have religious significance. If I could have a little help with their stats, that would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather they not be above LA +1, if possible. As you know I'm not great with stating, but from a conceptual basis I can see their illusory communication being something like "Absurdly minor silent image" with a range of about 10 feet, and an area of effect of about a cubic foot. -- Well, that's all for now. I like the idea of the kallack and I hope they get fleshed out to be an interesting part of your region. |
| dragonoverlord05-07-08, 02:58 PM | LAN ILLIANNI This nation contained some of the holiest sites for many of the old god's religions, including illianni and raznor and his brother. It has also been the site of some the worst fighting during the wars. the region had always seen periodic religious wars, between the followers of rival religions, or the folowers of different sects fo the same one. around the time that the Grand Republic of Helcarion invaded the rugenfort states and began the wars, a new bunch of conflicts broke out in the region. this fighting would be the most intense that had been ever been seen. it stated with old rivals launching attacks on each other's followers and temples . then, those who had been attacked retailed. then these people attacked those of their own faith who they did not like, that they saw as heretical or unfaithful. Soon it deteriorated into a thousand sided bloodbath, where even clerics and paladins forgot about everything except their desire to destroy heretics, the unfaithful and any other enemies. the only group that not participate were the Wandering shield, the traveling priests and faithful of Illiani. they tried to tell the combatants that they had strayed from the precepts of their faiths, but even the other parts of illaini's church did not listen to them. so, they left. but, not before warning the people of the region that their actions would bring them punishment from the gods. they were correct. it happened after about 70 decades of fighting, when the last taboo was broken. the last taboo was the only restriction that had still been obeyed in the land. this was that they the actual holy sites were not to be attacked, that no one should attempt to harm them. On the first day of sunescor, the 106th day of the year, the punishment of the gods was enacted. On that day,a great circular wall, 2 miles high, was raised around the portion of the land that continued all of the holy sites. every single person person that was within the area at that moment was teleported outside, with nothing but what was in contact with their body at that time. the walls could not be broken by any magic or craft, anything nonliving that came in contact with them was absorbed into them, and anything living was instantly killed. no magic could see or travel into the area bound by the walls. the holiest sites in all of the mainland were now lost to mortals. this did not stop their fighting, though. rather, it intensified it, as each group blamed the other for what had happened. they continued to fight for like this for tow decades, but during this time a new group was gradually forming. this group originated among the faithful of illiani who remembered the warning of the Wandering Shield. they were griefstriken that they had not heeded it. they believed that they had been chosen to protect the people of this land, and they had failed. they deiced to do something to repent for their sins. they decided to stop the fighting, and take control of the region. they did this by slowly showing the followers of each faction how their leaders , their priests, had deviated form the teachings of their faith, and showed them how this was what had lead to the creation of the wall. they then had the followers rebel against their leaders. in this way, they gained the support of all the masses, and thus gained the largest army by far, they then crushed the remaining people who still resisted and took control of the region. They now rule th region. their government is the leadership of the faith of illianii in the region, but they have not actually tried to suppress any other religions. they have, however, instituted strict laws abut things like violence, disputes, and interaction with foreigners and between faiths. they attempt to protect the people from any external or internal force that could harm them, including the people themselves , but not the rulers. they also seek to find a way to become worthy enough for the wall to be removed. they also strongly discourage the adoption of any foreign religion, and are even suspicious of some of the new gods. also, there is one other notable incident that occurred in the nation. on the day of the final battle, when magic exploded, the wall flicked for a few moments. during that time, 70 individuals entered its bounds. the wall soon went back to their normal state. it is not known what happened to these people, and not all of their identities are known, but everyone has their theories. -- i also have a new race to add: the shattered angels The shattered angels are former servants of gods who fought against the Enemy, and were destroyed during the final battle. they are a rare and diverse group, but share a few things in common. first, they were all devastated emotionally by the death of their masters, so much so that they became mortal. they lost their forsoke their status as beings of outer planes, unwillingly to return there without their old masters. for some, this forsaking destroyed their sanity, made them into mindless killers, made them terribly depressed and apathetic about life, or nonsensical, babbling wanderers. for others, it enraged them, and filled them with a desire to kill the enemies of their old master and anyone who they viewed as responsible for their death. others just became broken individuals who search desperately for something new to cling to, some new idea, some new cause. these are simply the most common reaction, there are many more. They all, however, retian some element of their former glory. after their rejection, they became mortals with as many levels in whatever class best reflected their former abilites, at level equal to their old hit dice. they also all gained a similar appearance. scars appeared on their bodies in all of the places that they had ever been injured, and a few more were added over their hearts. their wings were broken, and the feathers torn, tattered, and bloodstained. if they had fur or hair, it became burnt and bloodied, and missing in spots. their weapons and armour retined all of their powers, but become battered, cracked, dirty and bloody.lastly, their eyes took on the appearance of bottomless holes that evoked a felling of terrible sadness in any who looked into them. They are not terribly numerous, but are common enough that the vast majority of people have encountered at least one. their habits vary greatly, but very few of them have settled own, they are mostly lost, wandering, beings in every sense of the word. |
| Ladj05-15-08, 06:34 PM | Is this project still going on? If it is I had some questions. If not maybe some people would like to start a new similar project? |
| taski05-16-08, 06:15 PM | Is this project still going on? If it is I had some questions. If not maybe some people would like to start a new similar project? The project is still going. It seems like quite a few of us have been busy for a while, so the rate of new posts has dropped somewhat. I'm still coming up with stuff for my region, and I know DS is showing no sign of giving up. You're welcome to ask whatever questions you have. :) |
| Ladj05-17-08, 04:36 PM | Where do I sign up? And is there any special program for making the maps or anything? I'm sure I'll have more questions later. |
| Darth Syntax05-19-08, 12:20 AM | The Project will certianly continue, at least as far as I am concerned. The current period of relative inactivity is probably due to, as taski said, people being busy with other things. As to joining the Project, that is relativly simple: just ask. Now, to some matters of business should you wish to join. Considering the current state of things with the world being rather filled up it might be better for you to give some ideas as to what you would like to do with your region before we find a likely location for it. If you want a fair-sized land mass, region 18 is probably your best option as it connects both to the supercontinent and to region 14. If you are thinking of something on a smaller scale, region 1 or region 2 might be a good option. As for mapping, I use photoshop for my mapping and I know Araes does as well. There are many other options as of course, GIMP is a fairly nice (and free) raster-editing program, hand drawing is always nice, and even simple programs like paint can produce good results. I can help you with mapping if you would like, all I need is some kind of sketch or description of what you might want. |
| dragonoverlord05-23-08, 07:33 AM | I will be posting more stuff tomorrow, but i have a few questions. what do I have to do to be able to post images, maps, etc.? and What do I have to do to have my region added to the Wiki? |
| Darth Syntax05-30-08, 02:00 AM | Over the last several days I have been devising the naming conventions of the Nyezza (the gnomes of the maritime republics). Being gnomes these are, of course, quite long and involved. I offer up my preliminary musings on the topic here: The nyezzai languages and dialects have a large body of shared names and similar naming conventions. However due to regional and dialectical variation the same name can have a number of variant forms. Below are listed common nyezzai names with the citation form in classical Lokoiros; dialectical forms and variations will be listed along with these names Given names in the Nyezzai languages are largely semantically transparent, being chiefly derived from various stative verbs, nominalized adjectives, or phrasal verbs. This quality of semantic transparency is considered to be very important and as such the Nyezza are fairly resistant to the borrowing of names from other languages. Their reliance upon the use of the classical form of given names for formal address in another reason why names of non-nyezzai origin are vanishingly rare among them. Common Male Given Names Basailen: (He is) With Foresight Modern Lokoiros (Orothos): Bazilen Variants: Bazin, Ilen, Bazza, Vazza Navarese : Bezalo Variants: Beza, Zalo Lira (Genetian): Wazole Variants: Wazzo, Zole, Azzo Vosalun: Auspicious Aim Modern Lokoiros : Vozilýn Variants : Vozza, Zalýn, Lýnen Navarese : Vozalu Variants : Voza, Zalu, Oza Lira : Vozale Variants : Vozza, Zale, Ale Maron: Sagacious One Modern Lokoiros: Maro Variants: Mar, Marto, Marta, Mazza Navarese: Maru Variants: Maza, Madu, Martu, Lalu Lira: Malo Variants: Mal, Mazza, Marjo, Lalo Pharon: A Traveler in Strange Lands Modern Lokoiros: Pharo Variants: Varo, Phar, Pharzza, Varon Navarese: Faru Variants: Fraza, Aru, Fre Lira: Falo Variants: Fal, Alo, Fla Jaron: He is Cunning Modern Lokoiros: Jaro Variants : Jazza, Jar, Aro, Jajo Navarese : Jaru Variants : Jazu, Jre, Jajun Lira : Jalo Variants : Jal, Jali, Alo Solon: He is Judicious of Thought Modern Lokoiros : Salo Variants : Zalo, Sazzo, Sal, Alo, Salos Navarese : Solu Variants : Sazu, Alu, Salus Lira : Solo Variants : Solos, Ollo, Sýlos: He goes with Song Modern Lokoiros : Sýlo Variants : Ilo, Uli, Sil, Sýl Navarese : Sýlu Variants: Ýlu, Luo Lira : Sulo Variants: Ulo, Sul Viron: He of the Elegant Graces Modern Lokoiros : Viro Variants : Vir, Iro, Vizza, Viros Navarese : Viru Variants : Vir, Iru, Ru, Viza Lira : Vilo Variants: Ilo, Vil, Vizza Mélos: He of the Sweet Voice Modern Lokoiros: Mélo Variants: Melli, Elo, Melosh, Losha Navarese: Melu Variants: Elu, Meli, Lusha Lira: Melo Variants: Mella, Elo Olparkon: He is of Great Merit Modern Lokoiros: Olparko Variants: Parko, Arko, Olpe Navarese: Olparku Variants: Parku, Arku, Olpa Lira: Olparko Variants: Parko, Arko, Olpe Ibudos: He goes with good intentions Modern Lokoiros: Ibudo Variants: Ibudan, Buddo, Ibe, Iban Navarese: Ibudu Variants: Budu, Iba Lira: Ibudo Variants: Budo, Ibu Jadon: He of the Shrewd Mind Modern Lokoiros: Jado Variants: Jazzo, Ado, Ja Navarese: Jadu Variants: Jazu, Adu, Ja Lira: Jado Variants: Ja, Ado, Jazzo Vodalos: He goes with the Blessings of the Wise Modern Lokoiros: Vodalo Variants: Dalo, Dali, Voda, Alos, Oda, Odo Navarese: Vodalu Variants: Dalu, Vodu, Oda, Odu Lira: Wodalo Variants: Woda, Wolo, Dalo, Oda Athelenon: He is like the Great Sea (Profound) Modern Lokoiros: Atheleno Variants: Athele, Leno, Thelen, El, Atha Navarese: Atelenu Variants: Atele, Lenu, Telen Lira: Athelno Variants: Elno, Athel, Athi Iolarnon: he of the crafty words Modern Lokoiros: Iolarno Variants: Iolar, Olan, Larno Navarese: Yolarnu Variants: Yolu, Larnu, Yolar, Olan Lira: Yolalno Variants: Yola, Olan, Lal Urzol: He is Memorious (of great Memory) Modern Lokoiros: Urzzol Variants: Zola, Urzi, Razza, Urza, Zazzo Navarese: Urzu Variants: Zun, Uri, Zuni, Zazu Lira: Ulzo Variants: Lizo, Ulzi, Zazzo Prevon: He is Eloquent Modern Lokoiros: Prevo Variants: Preve, Revo, Pre. Prazzo Navarese: Prevu Variants: Revu, Pre, Evu, Prazu Lira: Plewo Variants : Ewo, Lewo, Ple, Plazzo Common Female Given Names Nennan: She is Just Modern Lokoiros : Nenna Variants : Nen, Nann, Enna, Enni, Nano Navarese : Nene Variants : Ene, Nea, Ne Lira : Nenn Variants : Enn, Neni Nessan: She is of Calm Mind Modern Lokoiros : Nessa Variants : Ness, Nassi, Essa, Nas, Sisa, Essi Navarese : Nese Variants : Nes, Nezi, Ese, Zeze, Nesi Lira : Ness Variants : Ess, Essi Nurian: She is Inquisitive Modern Lokoiros : Nuria Variants : Nuri, Ria, Uri Navarese : Nria Variants : Nri, Ria Lira : Nuria Variants : Nuri, Ria, Uri Eoane: She is like the Sea of Stars Modern Lokoiros : Eoana Variants: Ana, Oan Navarese : Eane Variants: Ea, Ne, Ane Lira : Eo Variants : Oya Yanoile: She is like the Sparrow Modern Lokiros : Ianole Variants : Annle, Nole, Ane Navarese : Yanle Variants : Anle, Yane Lira : Yanoi Variants : Yayan, Ani Ienkasitra: Her Fortune is Favorable Modern Lokoiros: Ienkasstra Variants: Kass, Kassa, Ienni, Enkassa Navarese: Yenkatra Variants: Yeni, Katra, Enka Lira: Yenkasita Variants: Sita, Yeni, Kasi Fanare: She is like the Willow Modern Lokoiros: Fanara Variants: Fanna, Fan, Assa, Fenni Navarese: Fene Variants: Feni, Fena, Ene Lira: Fenna Variants: Enna, Fen Pharian: She who will Travel in Strange Lands (feminine form of Pharon) Modern Lokoiros: Pharia Variants: Phara, Vara, Ari, Ia Navarese: Fare Variants: Fara, Are Lira: Falla Variants: Ali, Fa, Fall, Lale Liviothan: She is subtle like a spider Modern Lokoiros: Liviotha Variants: Livi, Liva, Iotha, Vio, Ivi Navarese: Liviu Variants: Viu, Livi, Livu Lira: Liviote Variants: Liva, Viote, Iote, Vio, Ive Ajribennan: She is Portentous Modern Lokoiros: Ajribenna Variants: Ajri, Benna, Jiri, Aji, Enna, Ibenna Navarese: Ajribene Variants: Ajri, Bene, Ibene Lira: Ajrevenna Variants: Venna, Ajre, Revenna Thasalenne: She is like the Tides Modern Lokoiros : Thazalenna Variants: Thaza, Lenn, Salen, Salenna, Asalenn, Alenna, Nena Navarese: Thasilene Va riants: Thasi, Lene, Alene Lira: Tazalenne Variants: Taza, Zalenne, Alenne, Nene Anthessie: She is like the Greater Moon Modern Lokoiros: Anthessi Variants: Thessi, Thessa, Anthe, Essi Navarese: Anthesi Variants: Thesi, Anthe, Esi Lira: Antesse Variants: Ante, Esse, Tesse, Tessa Talýnanan: She Blazes Brightly Modern Lokoiros: Talýnana Variants: Nana, Tali, Lýna Navarese: Taluna Variants: Luna, Talu, Aluna Lira: Talýne Variants: Lýne, Ine, Alu Nyezzai Naming Conventions Like many gnomish cultures the nyezza place great significance on names and their names tend to be long, complex, and encode a large quantity of information. Nyezzai names not only serve as designations for people but as a quick reference for genealogy, place of origin, and numerous other tidbits of information. Not only are the names of practical importance, whole fields of philosophy have been devoted to the study of names and the secrets and powers they contain. To the nyezza, names are not simply designations, they are the “word-self” of the person and every bit as important a part of someone as their body or their mind. Components of a Nyezzai Name Although Nyezzai names are extremely long and complex, they are composed of a number of discreet parts which make the names much easier to break down and understand. Public Given Name The public given name is the first component of the full name and serves as the primarily means of identification in the public sphere. In its classical mode, the public name is used as a formal mode of address (often combined with honorifics and titles) in much the same way the family names are used in many other cultures. Use of the family name in this fashion is considered to be rude and intrusive and so it is not done. Example of the formal usage: A female doctor with the public name of Nenna would be called Dr. Nennan, just as a male professor with the name Mélo would be Professor Mélos. The public name can also be used in a variety of less formal contexts. In its dialectical form, the public name is what is used by shopkeepers, some business associates, subordinates, repeat clients, and the like. A nickname form of the public name is often used by one’s close friends when out and about and this is considerably less formal than any other useage of the public name. Examples of the dialectical usage: A male with the public name Bazilen will be called this (rather than the classical Basailen) by his associates and subordinates as well as by the newspaper vendor he frequents and the fishmonger from whom he buys his eels. His friends, however, might call him Ilen when out in the market or lounging about in a tea house. Private Given Names The private given names are used by family and friends in a home or other private setting. These names are drawn from the same pool of names as the public ones but they are rarely, if ever, used in the classical mode. Use of a private name by any other than a close friend or relative is generally considered very rude and presumptuous and allowing someone to use the private names is seen as a sign of great trust. Meorai Name Most nyezza are Tlónist and as such are given the names of one (or more) Meorai as part of their naming ceremony. These names are generally suggested by a maro (a kind of community priest and general sage) who performs some acts of divination upon the child. Most Meorai are known by their classical names and it is in this form that the names are given to children. To differentiate them from the form of the public given name, the Meorai names are preceded by the honorific sra meaning “wise”. For a list of Meorai, please see the entry on Tlónism Adjectival Names Adjectival names are generally acquired over the course of ones life and are the portion of the nyezzai name most likely to be altered. Most of these names take the form of adjective phrases such as “the tall”, “the clever”, “the pious”, “the fool” and are often used as a kind of nickname. Performance of notable deeds (be they infamous or praiseworthy) is likely to lead to the creation of an adjectival name. Other adjectival names derive from titles and professions. Common Adjectival Names e Sra: the Wise e Kelo: the Witty e Vaneai: the Praiseworthy e Thane: the Clever e Deoin: the Abhorred e Salnea: the Cheerful e Nule: the Silent e Peyan: the Bald e Vatreassýn: The Navigator e Thaloe: the Civic-Minded e Meo: the Fool e Talune: the pious e Tsutsele: the Stammerer e Baune: the Beautiful e Týreno: the Demanding e Bafan: the Ugly e Jago: The Jovial e Tudrole: The Glum e Saia: the Tall e Tutlene: the Councilor e Ilos: the Daydreamer e Gallen: the Physician e Nyone: the Sweet-voiced e Zathole: the Lucky Locative Name Locative names indicated where someone was born. If one was born in a small town or in the country, a single name is sufficient; those born in large cities generally have more elaborate Locative names which indicate what part of the city they were born in and possibly what street or even building. Locative particles to: of, from fe: within, part of yai: near Kinship Names The kinship names of the nyezza encode ancestry and commonly go back as far as one’s great grandparents. As nyezzai kinship traces both maternal and paternal lines, the kinship names can get quite complex. Generally the name includes the public and adjectival names of each parent and the public names of the grandparents and great grandparents. The reason for the customary length of these names comes from the fact that it is very common for the nyezza to know their great grandparents quite well due to the long lifespan of gnomes. Kinship names also encode birth order by way of prefixing ordinal particles to the words for son or daughter. jen: son nai: daughter eo: first no: second ba: third thra: fourth ral: fifth de: sixth li: seventh phe: eighth za: ninth Generally speaking, one only lists the male relatives on one’s father’s side and the female relatives on one’s mother’s side. Traditionally the mother’s family is listed first on female children and the father’s first on male children. Example simplified kinship name: Mélos e Jago eojen Jaron e Thane dejen Vodalos nojen Viron o Nurian e Sra nonai Liviothe banai Iankasitra Translation of the above name: Mélos the Jovial, first son of Jaron the Clever, sixth son of Vodalos, second son of Viron, and Nurian the Wise, second daughter of Liviothe, third daughter of Iankasitra It is not uncommon for the names of one’s children to be appended to one’s name. These appear after the ancestor names and before the family name. They are generally fairly simple encoding “father of” (nado) or “mother of” (rala). Occasionally grandchildren and great grandchildren are added in a manner similar to the ancestral names. Family Name Family names are inherited through the maternal line and are not altered upon marriage. Most family names are derived from earlier Adjectival or Locative names or from professions. In many instances the family name is not used as it is considered highly informal to address someone by this name. However, within one’s home neighborhood or town, the family name is fairly commonly used as a means of identification. Example Family Names Nyokene Ilos Salneai Iravenno Vatreassýn Thenekai Gaenai Navara Kuklene Jagona Gallen Susvitre Pestheon Jaleto Zatholene Agati Adrazolon Pharenon Example Names The following names are presented in the most common truncated form. Orothoi Male: Basailen Jaro Ibudo Sra Maron e Thane to Palae fe Trokoilon nojen Solon e Gallen thrajen Athelenon nojen Mélos o Nennan e Saia eonai Ajribenne banai Thasalenne Nyokene Orothoi Female: Ienkasitra Nenna Eoa Sra Nurian e Thaloe to Danathe fe Theneka banai Nessan e Vaneai eonai Amarutele ralnai Nennan o Urzol e Kelo eojen Pharon, bajen Vodalos rala Sýlos rala Liviothe Agati Navarese Female: Fanare Nese Ibene Sra Nurian e Talune to Hoiros fe Navar eonai Eoan e Thane banai Ienkasitra ralnai Nessan o Solon e Tudrole nojen Jaron bajen Mélos thrajen Basailen Jaletu Genatian Male: Vodalos Jalo Iolar Sra Ibudos e Jago to Nazro vai Gena eojen Solon e Ilos bajen Jaron nojen Urzol o Fanare e Gallen eonai Nessan nonai Ajribenne Adrazolon Some Implications of the Names The structure of Nyezzai names is quite similar to the structure of sentences and especially to a certain class of children’s song; namely the cumulative song such as “This is the House that Jack Built” or “The Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly”. However, instead of adding more lines of verse, the nyezzai names add more relatives (both ancestors and descendants). This ability to forever add additional elements to the name make them theoretically infinite, a fact that has not been lost on the nyezza. In addition to the potentially infinite length, nyezzai names are believed to be unique to each person such that no two people will ever have the same name. Even using the truncated form given above there are trillions of possible names. For two names to be the same, every listed relative would have to have the same name and even going back only a few generations makes this exceedingly unlikely. Because they possess completely unique names, the nyezza are often surprised that many foreigners can and do possess identical names. They find this to be highly disturbing and are often visibly unsettled when they know of two or more people that possess the same name. Common mistakes Relating to Nyezzai Names Mistakes of Foreigners Misinterpretation of the Public Name: The use of the classical form of the public name as a formal mode of address, alongside the use of the dialectical forms as an informal name causes some confusion. This is especially common among those cultures that use a family name or similar name in formal situations. These people often interpret the classical form of the name as the family name and the dialectical form as the first name. This leads to people being addressed with names like “Ilen Basailen” or “Kass Ienkasitra”; this would be like calling someone “Bess Elizabeth” or “Ted Theodore”. Mistakes of Nyezza Confusion over polite address: When a “Silas Pickwick” is introduced to a nyezza as Mr. Pickwick they are likely to interpret Pickwick to be a formal form of the person’s fist name. If they meet with Mr. Pickwick often they are likely to try to construct an informal name out of the family name (analogous to their own system) and might refer to Mr. Pickwick as “Pazza” or “Vick” or “Pik”. Similarly, upon learning that “Pickwick” is the family name, the nyezza might begin to refer to Silas as “Mr. Silas” in public, assuming this would be acceptable. I appologize for the length of the thing, but like the Nyezzai names my write-up seems to be capable of infinite expansion. -- Dragon, Thel is the wiki-master so you should probably talk to him about that sort of thing. |
| dragonoverlord05-31-08, 12:51 PM | Here is the next piece of information for my region, an explanation of what happened to the Gnomes during the wars. I will be posting information about some religious groups , more details on some of the races,and a few more nations at various times in the next month. Also, if there is anything specific anyone wants me to post more information about, tell me what you want and i will try to post that during the next months as well. -- The Tragedy of the Gnomes The Wars scared all of Mainland and Helcarion deeply. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, cities were destroyed, nations shattered. The fate of the gnomes is only one of the many tragedies of the Wars, but it is one of the worst. Before the Wars, the Gnomes were simply another of the many races of the region. they were distinctive in their own way, with their own gods, a few of their own nations and cities, with others living in the nation of other races. They lived exclusively on Mainland, but they still had a diverse range of cultures. It would take at least a month to explain all of the gnomish cultures that existed on mainland before the wars properly. The variation between communities was great, and their racial identity was relatively unimportant. they mostly identified with their specific culture. However, by the end of the Wars, they were compltely different. they had been shattered as a race. only one community, hidden and xenophobic remained. The handful of survivors of other communities had become bitter, thinking only of living, caring about nothing except the lives of their few remaning comrades. This tragedy started shortly before the wars began, when one of the gnomish gods accidentally discovered the forces of the Enemy putting the finishing touches on their plot. He was not able to tell anyone about this, since he was immediately discovered, but this still made the enemy nervous. Beings similar to the Gnomes had played a key role in his original defeat in his home, and the possiblity that these similar creatures were about to discover his plans, and possibly obstruct them, frightened him, and this was something that noone else had ever done. thus, he told his minions to ensure that this race was annihilated during the conflicts they were creating, before they could do anything to block his plan. this is the ultimate source of the tragic decimation of the gnomish race. -- this is just the first part of this, i will give the details of how this occurred in the next part. |
| Ladj06-02-08, 02:53 AM | Now, to some matters of business should you wish to join. Considering the current state of things with the world being rather filled up it might be better for you to give some ideas as to what you would like to do with your region before we find a likely location for it. If you want a fair-sized land mass, region 18 is probably your best option as it connects both to the supercontinent and to region 14. If you are thinking of something on a smaller scale, region 1 or region 2 might be a good option. Well is there a list of area summaries somewhere? I have some ideas but I want to make sure it's different from the areas that already exist. One I was thinking about was a sort of aristocracy run by half-elfs with the majority of the population being humans rebuilding where an elven nation had been. The population would also include halflings and the some water genasi. Also had a democracy in mind. Mostly human with a large number of dwarfs. Run by the church of a god of democracy. The church would hold elections and back the decisions of anyone elected to lead the nation. The nation would also have a sort of anti-establishment community, basically punk as well as a half-orc population that are treated as second class citizens. The growing towns in the elven ruins could be seen as a threat to the democratic nation. The democracy wants to bring it's system of government to the half-elf led communities but the people are happy with their rulers since the half-elfs have so far put the needs of the people first. I was originally planning it for a campaign when 4e comes out but I'd like to try to expand on it some more. I would have some more nations and things to include into it but I don't think I'd need too much room, maybe a smaller piece of the landmass. I guess it'll be 18 if that's still free. |
| dragonoverlord06-02-08, 09:44 AM | Tragedy of the gnomes part two The destruction of the gnomish race was enacted by a series of manipulations by the Enemy's minions that played on existing tensions, and creating some new ones, just like , and in tandem with, their creating the wars themselves. they lead the people of the region down the paths the Enemy desired. Like the wars themselves, It started with the Attack on the Rugenfort States by The Grand Republic of Helcarion. There had always been groups in the republic that advocated incorporating this area into it, and they had recently gained control of the nation. Many of these people also had a mistrust of Gnomes, because there were none in Helcarion. They believed that this meant that these people had no place in the world, since they did not have a place in helcarion. The Enemy's minions encouraged this view, and strengthened it so that the invaded forces began a genocidal crusade against these people, to wipe them out where ever they found them, as they had no place in the world. This began with an attach on the mighty gnomish ruled state on Forie Rug. They smashed their military after a fierce battle. the Gnomes then tried to surrender, but the forces of helcarion continued to attack, killing all gnomes that they found with means mundane or magical. lastly, they destroyed the city itself, and killed all of the remaining gnomes with a very powerful spell. The ruins of this city became haunted by those killed in this attack, and it still is in current times. This pattern continued throughout the lands that helcarion invaded, and was part of the reason that some other states first joined the war. It also lead to internal strife in Helcarion, as groups in the republic refused to serve people who would do such evil, and tried to force them out of power. In other places it played out in other ways. In places where gnomes were rich merchants, poorer nations were driven to hatred towards them, and attack these places. Some marginal groups inside such nations were also manipulated into attacks on the gnomes. In Lan Illiani, the minions simply made sure that the inter-religious groups was particularly violent against the gnomish religions,and tired to make sure that gnomish members of other religions were on the front lines of the fighting. In other places, fighting between gnomish groups and groups with high numbers of gnomes was made even fiercer than other conflicts. Also, they fequntly made sure that they were the victims of what would seem to be bad luck, something that was not technically directed at the gnomes that the Enemy's minons made sure effected the gnomes. As the wars dragged on, and the gnomes became fewer and fewer, the minions even actually hired assassins to eliminate the few remaining survivors. By the time that most people realized that the enemy was behind the wars, there were only about 19,000 gnomes left in the region, and only about 3,000 of them outside of the city of Regitil in the Confederation of Greenaugh. The tale of the city of Regitil is a unique case, and it is the only hope for the gnomish race in the Mainland. The city was originally a prosperous merchant state that consisted of two cities and a small portion of the island that surrounds them. It engaged in extensive trade with other nations , both in the region and in other parts of the world. When the war began, its merchant fleets suffered attacks from numerous other forces, especially the nearby collection of non-gnomish merchant city-states and increasingly were unable to trade with other nations. this lead to internal problems, that eventually lead to a violent break between the two cities and a violent civil war. when regitil realized that they were losing the war, there leaders asked the most powerful mages in the cities for a way to save their city. These four archmages cast a powerful spell that surronded the city with magical defenses that kept anyone except those the gnomes trusted out. mists in which people would get lost forever, places where gravity was reversed or turned sideways randomly, holes that opened and lead nowhere, magical fire , lightning and other energies, etc. The Archmages created a powerful artifact to control this, that is hidden within a vault under the city. after the spell was cast, the remains of the city's army cleared all enemies out of the city. they then set up a patrol directly outside and inside the barrier. Later, the Dragon that created the confederation of Greenaugh contacts the rulers of the city, through meetings with the patrols directly outside of the barrier. the rulers are wary of the offer to join the Confederation he is building, since the other gnomish city had been aided by some of their neighbors in their attack, and they have heard news of what is happening elsewhere in the region. they do join, eventually, especially since the other city refuses, and is destroyed by the confederation. they participate in the confederation, but they do not fully trust the other members. they only let a very small number of people visit their city, and will kill anyone else who enters, except for gnomes, who they accept into their city. they consciusly act as a refuge for the gnomes of Mainland, most of which trust no one else. -- on another subject, I would have some more nations and things to include into it but I don't think I'd need too much room, maybe a smaller piece of the landmass. I guess it'll be 18 if that's still free. If you choose this region you will be right next to mine. I have a good sized area of land extending from the southern polar region, and you would have to incorporated that. Also, my region had a terrible series of wars going on for a very long time recently, and since i do not have any mountains between my region and region 18, they may have had an effect on your region, unless you would like to create a barrier of some sort in your region between it and mine. |
| Ladj06-02-08, 03:05 PM | If you choose this region you will be right next to mine. I have a good sized area of land extending from the southern polar region, and you would have to incorporated that. Also, my region had a terrible series of wars going on for a very long time recently, and since i do not have any mountains between my region and region 18, they may have had an effect on your region, unless you would like to create a barrier of some sort in your region between it and mine. Is there one big summary of the war somewhere? I'm sure I could integrate it in some ways. Maybe have the war just spill over a bit into 18 and I could have some geographical features to prevent it beyond that. But for sure, I'll be able to build around your material. Are there any universal concepts on how magic or divinity works or anything like that I should know about? |
| Darth Syntax06-03-08, 04:25 AM | Well is there a list of area summaries somewhere? I have some ideas but I want to make sure it's different from the areas that already exist. Currently no such list exists, although it would be a great idea to produce one. However, I can give you a brief rundown of the more established regions of the Project. These summaries reflect my understanding of the regions and thus may contain errors and misconceptions, however I am sure our other authors will be along to correct things. Ilaros (regions 17 and 10, Author: Darth Syntax): Ilaros is a land of strange cultures, pervasive and subtle magic, political intrigue, powerful merchant empires, maritime trade, horrific sea monsters, convoluted history, and general weirdness. Here professional arcanists work as clerks in great labyrinths of paperwork, clerics (and divine magic) are unknown and impossible yet religion thrives, seagoing vessels and innumerable other devices are powered by enchanted clockwork, trade and exploration are vital to prosperity, and political machinations and deception are the order of the day. Here you will find gnome merchants and navigators of amazing skill, elven bureaucrats who can predict the future by knowing the past, dromite doctors and engineers, cities of wicker and bamboo the travel across the grasslands pulled by massive beasts, and a people who go about their whole lives wearing masks, mortally afraid to show their faces. The history of Ilaros is a long one and many powers have called the region home. Today, the great powers of Ilaros are The Ejantuli Empire (an empire of elven origin with a strong central government, and impressive military, and an elaborate and highly ritualized culture), The Republic of Orothos (a cosmopolitan nation of predominantly gnomish cultural origin which controls a vast thalassocratic empire and is one of the most successful trading powers), Adós (a theocratic oligarchy with considerable influence in matters of philosophy as well as being an emerging colonial power), and the Dodjai Protectorate (a fairly recent empire formed by the semi-nomadic Dodjai). Caelea (region 9, Author: Soviet Canuck): Caelea is home to great empires and to a religion that I can only describe as something akin to Mahayana Christianity. Religion features prominently and many of the conflicts that plague the region are born of religious tensions. However, Caelea is also home to great innovation and steam power is being harnessed along with many other developments. Like Ilaros, the great powers of Caelea are interested in expansion and colonization though they are somewhat hampered in their potential for maritime expansion by the power of the Great Elven Empire which once controlled much of the region and which seeks to do so again. Fallenstar (region 13, Author: Don Thelonious):Long ago a great comet smashed into the region leaving behind a great vortex of magical energies and shattering the land. Though the disaster destroyed the old civilizations of the region it also awakened the Welkin, god-like beings who took the scattered and frightened people of the region under their wing and gave them the strength and power necessary to survive in the strange world the impact had created. Today Fallenstar remains a predominantly wild region full of sweltering jungles, parched deserts, and raging seas. The natives of the region are not a very technically advanced lot, but they make up for their relative lack of technology through their mastery of animal training and husbandry, for they alone seem to be able to tame the great beasts of their homeland. Foreign powers have made inroads into the region and a number of colonies now exist to exploit the plentiful natural resources of the region. How these colonial powers will deal with each other and with the natives remains to be seen, though the potential for conflict and war is high. Arron (region 19, Author: Araes): Arron is a very diverse region with a multitude of cultures and people ranging from oddly collectivist gnomes to expansionist colonial powers. As in several other regions (Caelea and Ilaros most notably) Arron possesses an empire of elven origin, but unlike the Ejantuli who rule by sea power, or the Imperial Elves of Caelea who are protected by their strange and powerful magics, the Elves of Arron began as horse-nomads. Theirs is a long history which seems to have passed into myth and poetry. Colonialism also finds its proponents among the people of Arron. The nation of Ekku is a powerful maritime power which is very active in the acquisition of new territories. Covino too is a trading power though I am not yet sure of their overall position in the world. Alm, Izxhe and Jari (region 5, Author: eue): AIJ (as I shall refer to it) is an island region home to several different cultures. Izxhe is a nation of élans (those ‘remade’ psionic people) who survive by trading luma; a plant-derived cognitive enhancer that is also highly addictive. The Balqiza Empire is a highly repressive and somewhat xenophobic state which tightly controls its population and seems to consider contact with outsiders to be unclean. Of the other nations of AIJ I know little. The Blood Sea (region 4, Author: Chimpman): The Blood Sea is a mostly aquatic region and is home to the only documented undersea polities of the world. Down in the depths the great tako emperors rule their cephalopodic subjects while on the surface nations of aranaea (spider-people) ply the waves and make excursions into the depths in silken diving bells. It is from this region that some of the finest silks in the world originate and trade in that precious commodity is no doubt lucrative. Not all the peoples of the Blood Sea are sedentary but the nomads here are giants who escaped slavery at the tentacles of the tako. They make their living as scavengers and herders, though of what I do not know (perhaps fish, or whales?). There are more ‘ordinary’ peoples here as well, though many of them are slaves to the great deep sea powers. -- There are other regions of course, such as Leffer’s (region 16) and of course yellowdingo’s region 12. I need to do so more reading before I can give a descent description of these. As for taski, author of region 15, I’ll let her fill you (and the rest if us) in on her darfellan and kallack peoples. Likewise, I will let dragonoverlord tell you about his (her/it’s/respected androgyn’s?) region simply because the dragon is around. One I was thinking about was a sort of aristocracy run by half-elfs with the majority of the population being humans rebuilding where an elven nation had been. The population would also include halflings and the some water genasi. Sounds like an interesting idea to build from, I don’t think we’ve seen many half-elves in places of power yet. Also had a democracy in mind. Mostly human with a large number of dwarfs. Run by the church of a god of democracy. The church would hold elections and back the decisions of anyone elected to lead the nation. The nation would also have a sort of anti-establishment community, basically punk as well as a half-orc population that are treated as second class citizens. We have several theocratic governments in various regions, so it will be interesting to see what you might come up with, especially the interaction of the religion and the government. The growing towns in the elven ruins could be seen as a threat to the democratic nation. The democracy wants to bring it's system of government to the half-elf led communities but the people are happy with their rulers since the half-elfs have so far put the needs of the people first. What is the origin of these ruins? How old are they? Also, you’ve only spoken of half-elves and elven ruins; are they elves themselves gone? I would have some more nations and things to include into it but I don't think I'd need too much room, maybe a smaller piece of the landmass. I guess it'll be 18 if that's still free. If you want region 18 that’s more than fine. Will you be drawing your own map or would you like me to draw up a couple of draft ideas? -- Welcome to the Project Ladj |
| dragonoverlord06-03-08, 10:01 AM | Is there one big summary of the war somewhere? I'm sure I could integrate it in some ways. Maybe have the war just spill over a bit into 18 and I could have some geographical features to prevent it beyond that. But for sure, I'll be able to build around your material. To summarize the Wars:the Enemy, an extremely powerful evil entity that was banished from his home long ago has been traveling the universe ever since, going from world to world and conquering them. He starts by throwing part of the world into a series of long wars to soften them up and make it easier for him to conquer them. About 120-220 years he chose my region as the starting point for his conquest of this world. His minions instigated the Wars, in various ways. the wars lasted for 100-200 years, devastating the region. During the last half of this time, The Confederation of Grenaugh, along with its draconic creator and was gradually reveled the truth of the situation to the rest of the region and untied most of the region against the Enemy. then, the Enemy attacked, supported by some factions in the region, including some of the evil gods. a great battle was fought between the armies of the two sides, which was ended when magic exploded, and Most of the old gods died in this explosion. The wars have made the region heavily dependent on outside assistance for even essential things like food, and at the same time made them suspicious of foreigners. they mostly are in no condition to fight nay wars, but that does not mean that they do not want to. -- That is a rough summary, if you want to know any more specific, just ask. i think that the war quite likely could have spilled over to your region in a number of ways. First, some of the fighting may have spilled over into your region. the forces bordering your region would mostly have been nomadic tribes, but also included some more advanced peoples, especially on the southern continent and at sea. Extensive clashes at sea for any port cities on the southern sea would be very likely. I also think that the Wars would be a good explanation for the destruction of the elven nation. There may also be a negative impact on magic in the border areas of region similar to that in mine as result of the explosion of magic. basically, higher level spells are rarely cast, as there is a chance that they will open a miniature version of the hole that explosion created, and because people fear that there is a greater danger from them than there is. lastly, i think that there may be a refuge population in your region, from mine. -- -Also I have an other significant fact for my region: The name of the northern continent is now Miarlund. Mainland was just a placeholder name. Here is a link to the map for my region. I have yet to figure out how to actually post that or other images on here. -MAP (http://terullian.deviantart.com/art/Miarlund-and-Helcarion-87564993) |
| dragonoverlord06-04-08, 08:55 AM | A new Religion/organization for my region: The Mask of Hatred This is a religious organization with two sides, the "public" side and the "insider" side. Its public side is as the stereotypical evil organization. It shows them as seeking power for themselves, enjoying inflicting various horrible forms of pain and suffering on people, engaging in various violent and/or distasteful acts, particularly in their religious ceremonies. They seem to intentionally try to violate all of the morals of where ever they are, and They have no specific targets for their actions. Anyone could be a victim. The "insider" side is that they are trying to save the world, to unite all peoples into an ideal, good, virtuous whole. Their leaders are former followers of good religions, who decided that promoting good will never unite people. they saw the terrors of the wars, and how they and others like them were able to do nothing to stop it. They at first despaired of it ever happening, but then they saw how many people united against the Enemy when the truth of the wars came out. After this, they decided that this was the way to make the world a better place, the way to bring the triumph of good. When faced with a powerful evil, most people will attempt to identify it as "other" , as not like them, and they tend to see other people, especilaly ones they did not like before, as friends. It promotes cooperation, and the reform of societies to be unlike the enemy. it promotes actions different from those of the evil. eventually, it can bring the triumph of good through out the world. But, they did not trust evil to do this properly. So they decided to make their own evil movement to accomplish this end. as the culmination of their decision, one fo their group, a Shattered Angel, ascended to divine status. The truth from their motives are only told to the highest ranking members of the chapter. The rank and file believe in the movement's public side. the leaders direct the evil actions of the movement in a way that they think will best lead to people uniting against them , and that is most likely to help improve the area, lead to reforms. They rarely actually want to succeed in a campaign, they want to fail in a way that accomplishes their goals. They only occasionally succeed so that the rank and file of the movement does not grow suspicious. They also have a tendency to have temporary victory that are soon negated by the actions of the targets of the attack. |
| Ladj06-04-08, 05:20 PM | There are other regions of course, such as Leffer’s (region 16) and of course yellowdingo’s region 12. Leffer? You mean dragonoverlord? Sounds like an interesting idea to build from, I don’t think we’ve seen many half-elves in places of power yet. Perfect. I didn't want to just have a clone nation. We have several theocratic governments in various regions, so it will be interesting to see what you might come up with, especially the interaction of the religion and the government. The idea isn't for the religion to actually run the government or make any executive decisions. They view it as their god's will for them to promote democracy and sustain it. So they play a sort of bureaucratic role. What is the origin of these ruins? How old are they? Also, you’ve only spoken of half-elves and elven ruins; are they elves themselves gone? Well actually, I really havn't thought about it. I don't want them to have a significant presence. Maybe I'll have them isolate themselves locally or say they were originally from someone else's area and have them return there. The half-elfs are the important part. As far as I've thought so far the elves play no real part in the politics of the region. If you want region 18 that’s more than fine. Will you be drawing your own map or would you like me to draw up a couple of draft ideas? Some draft maps would be great. Don't bother putting too much time into it though, I'd hate for you to make some super detailed map that I might not use. All I had in mind for features was some sort of moutrain range or whatever you can come up with to prevent the war from spilling into my whole region. Welcome to the Project Ladj Thanks. As for the wiki, do I have to get invited to that? That is a rough summary, if you want to know any more specific, just ask. i think that the war quite likely could have spilled over to your region in a number of ways. First, some of the fighting may have spilled over into your region. the forces bordering your region would mostly have been nomadic tribes, but also included some more advanced peoples, especially on the southern continent and at sea. Extensive clashes at sea for any port cities on the southern sea would be very likely. I also think that the Wars would be a good explanation for the destruction of the elven nation. There may also be a negative impact on magic in the border areas of region similar to that in mine as result of the explosion of magic. basically, higher level spells are rarely cast, as there is a chance that they will open a miniature version of the hole that explosion created, and because people fear that there is a greater danger from them than there is. lastly, i think that there may be a refuge population in your region, from mine. So what exactly are his minions? Demons, humanoid thugs or some sort of alien monster? When you said I should have some nomadic tribes did you mean that's what was near the border on your side? Anything you can tell me about what's near our border on your side would help. The same goes for the refugees you said would have migrated my way. |
| Darth Syntax06-05-08, 04:31 AM | Leffer? You mean dragonoverlord? Leffer has region 16, directly to the north, dragon has region 14, to the east. The idea isn't for the religion to actually run the government or make any executive decisions. They view it as their god's will for them to promote democracy and sustain it. So they play a sort of bureaucratic role. So the civil servants and the like are priests then? Clerics as clerks how etymologically accurate. Well actually, I really havn't thought about it. I don't want them to have a significant presence. Maybe I'll have them isolate themselves locally or say they were originally from someone else's area and have them return there. The half-elfs are the important part. As far as I've thought so far the elves play no real part in the politics of the region. If they did come from elsewhere, their are several options. The Helcarion of elves of region 14 (dragonoverlord's) are right next door and so that makes some sense. They would have likely come up from the south and their influence would likely be in the colder areas. There are, of course, other options; the Jaur of Ilaros (my region) are known to have had various far-flung colonies both in the present and in the far distant past. If the elven ruins are rather ancient (say 5-7 thousand years old) they might be from the time of the Jauric trading Empire however if they are more recent (say in the past three thousand odd years) they might be the remains of an Ejantuli colony that either collapsed or possibly was destroyed in a failed revolt. This would likely place the ruins in a costal area, probably in a more temperate zone. There are the Caelean elves as well, although they are on the other side of the world, so there is that. These are simply some ideas, feel free to do as you please. Some draft maps would be great. Don't bother putting too much time into it though, I'd hate for you to make some super detailed map that I might not use. All I had in mind for features was some sort of moutrain range or whatever you can come up with to prevent the war from spilling into my whole region. I have here a possible draft map for your persusal. I've placed both mountains and a large and possibly swift-flowing river on the eastern edge. Feel free to reject the map, offer changes and the like. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2552666902_4ecd1288fe_o.jpg Thanks. As for the wiki, do I have to get invited to that? You'll have to talk to Don Thelonious about the wiki, it's his thing. |
| dragonoverlord06-05-08, 08:08 AM | So what exactly are his minions? Demons, humanoid thugs or some sort of alien monster? When you said I should have some nomadic tribes did you mean that's what was near the border on your side? Anything you can tell me about what's near our border on your side would help. The same goes for the refugees you said would have migrated my way. His Minions Are a mixture of the members of his original forces, which would be various forms of Demons, Devils, and other monsters, and followers that he gained, both in this world, and from the others he had previously conquered. These followers would be all sorts of races, but mostly basically humanoid beings, mortals with levels in various classes. I meant that Nomadic tribes on whats near the border on my side on Miarlund, except along the southern coast where there are/were the collection of small nations known as the Rugenfort States. The war was began by an invasion of the Rugenfort states by The Grand Republic Of Helcarion. The grand republic is what bordered your region on the continent of Helcarion. Currently, the grand republic no longer controls it. Instead, there are states that broke off at some time during the war. the refuges would mainly be coming from the Rugenfort states,with a few form Helcarion. -- Also, I think that a good way to explain the destruction/departure of the elves would be that The Grand Republic of Helcarion viewed them as a rival, and attacked them early on in the war. There may have been a series of attacks, which completely shattered the elves. They decided to leave, because of fear of being utterly wiped out, especially since they saw nations being wiped out in Helcarion and Miarlund, and believed that the fighting would never end. The half-elves, being more connected to the humans of the area, refused to abandon the area, and thus they stayed. If you like this idea, it would be best for them to be located on the southern coast of your region, and probably near, but necessarily bordering, my region. |
| Ladj06-05-08, 09:05 PM | Leffer has region 16, directly to the north, dragon has region 14, to the east. Oh, I thought dragon had 16 and didn't even realise there was anything 14. Does dragon have a map hiden anywhere around here? I have here a possible draft map for your persusal. I've placed both mountains and a large and possibly swift-flowing river on the eastern edge. Feel free to reject the map, offer changes and the like. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2552666902_4ecd1288fe_o.jpg I think I have to get some more information on 16 and 14 before I can say for sure, so I know what's around me and can better say what I want to put in 18. You'll have to talk to Don Thelonious about the wiki, it's his thing. Oh, alright. Do I just wait for him to catch up in the thread then? |
| Darth Syntax06-07-08, 02:54 AM | Oh, I thought dragon had 16 and didn't even realise there was anything 14. Does dragon have a map hiden anywhere around here? Here is a map of dragon's region. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/2172069233_de8d9de440_b.jpg I am sorry for not updating the world map, but I lost a lot of data when my computer crashed on me a while ago, so I have to re-draw all the maps yet, which is going to be a bit of work. I think I have to get some more information on 16 and 14 before I can say for sure, so I know what's around me and can better say what I want to put in 18. Leffer's region (16) is full of strange genetic horrors, cannibalistic fey, nomadic hobgoblins, and is probably the closest thing the world has to a horror setting. Oh, alright. Do I just wait for him to catch up in the thread then? You can, or you can PM him. |