Remapping the Tyr-Region. - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Remapping the Tyr-Region.

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
RalofTyr
Jul 09, 2011 17:24:19 Today I had a thought: "What if I totally remade the Tyr-Region"? Sure, the names would be the same, but everything would be different.

Instead of having all the cities pretty much identical to one another save for cultural differences, I was going ot put Raam and Draj in a rain-shadow forest.

Uruk would have a mighty river flowing from it.

Balic would be at the edge of a sea of water.

Tyr, Gulg and Nibenay would be unchanged.

I thought of spliting them up to regions. For instance, Gulg would dominate a whole region, not just a mud-flat.
#2
Gallard
Jul 09, 2011 17:33:35 rain-forest ? mighty river ? sea ?

methinks this is no longer Dark Sun.
#3
Flankster
Jul 12, 2011 13:36:24 I agree, the changes you suggest contradict some of the essential characteristics of the setting. However, if you like the themes of each of the city-states, bug aren't too keen on the setting, you could repurpose them for your own homebrew setting. You could convert the city-states to kingdoms, and keep things like slavery, anti-arcanic views etc.
#4
RalofTyr
Jul 13, 2011 16:19:09 Dark Sun is basically Roman-culture with more psconics and magic. Do we really need seven city-states or can we have just a few? Geographically speaking, Gulg and Nibenay are slightly different than the other's surrounded by desert...
#5
larslarsen
Jul 13, 2011 16:45:15 There are some pretty huge geographical and cultural differences between all the city-states that go well beyond Rome in the desert. I feel like the books do a fantastic job of differentiating all the different types of arid environments. To me that's what makes it Dark Sun.
#6
Duskweaver
Jul 13, 2011 17:04:40
Dark Sun is basically Roman-culture with more psconics and magic.

Apart from Balic and Tyr, I never got even a remotely Roman vibe from the Athasian city-states. Even Balic and Tyr feel more Athenian and Phoenician inspired (respectively) than Roman to me. So I honestly don't see where you're coming from on this.
#7
RalofTyr
Jul 13, 2011 19:14:49 I've got a minor in ancient history and I've read the Wanderer's Journal several times. They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture. Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman.

Granted, though I do own the new Dark Sun book, I haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly yet; perhaps they change it up a lot, but I won't comment on new Dark-Sun yet.
#8
naxel
Jul 14, 2011 8:00:08
Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman.

They're also adding a bit of theme to Gulg being west African and Raam being Indian. I see no reason as to why it's primarily Roman. Balic is the only one that even pretends to have anything even remotely close to a republic, and the overall Tyr region is totally ununified compared to the satellite kingdoms under the Roman empire's watch.

The Forest Ridge halflings are stated in a dev blog to be inspired by South American indigenous tribes...
#9
Raddu76
Jul 14, 2011 9:42:27
I've got a minor in ancient history and I've read the Wanderer's Journal several times. They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture. Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman.

Granted, though I do own the new Dark Sun book, I haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly yet; perhaps they change it up a lot, but I won't comment on new Dark-Sun yet.

Your degree doesn't explain your position RalofTyr. Why do you think "They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture."?

The sources of the city-states have been well discussed (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun#City_Stat...)

#10
Alphastream
Jul 14, 2011 10:53:06 I do think that various authors brought in a bit of other cultures into various city-states at times. For example, Tyr's ziggurat is just a tad not-Roman... The same thing happens in reverse where there are non-African influences in Gulg, Nibenay gets some Roman-ish stuff...

To me this is just a sign of the many authors that developed the setting. The core (and original) reality remains and we shouldn't assign a Roman tag to the other city-states unless we really want to do so as individual DMs and as a departure from the dominant canon. Or, if you want, perhaps explain it as a bit of Rajaat's or the Champion's dominant cultural ideal, which permeated two of the city-states and traces of which can still be seen in the rest. But, let's be honest when it comes to authors messing up their flavor. It happens.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 RalofTyr Jul 09, 2011 17:24:19	Today I had a thought: "What if I totally remade the Tyr-Region"? Sure, the names would be the same, but everything would be different. Instead of having all the cities pretty much identical to one another save for cultural differences, I was going ot put Raam and Draj in a rain-shadow forest. Uruk would have a mighty river flowing from it. Balic would be at the edge of a sea of water. Tyr, Gulg and Nibenay would be unchanged. I thought of spliting them up to regions. For instance, Gulg would dominate a whole region, not just a mud-flat.
#2 Gallard Jul 09, 2011 17:33:35	rain-forest ? mighty river ? sea ? methinks this is no longer Dark Sun.
#3 Flankster Jul 12, 2011 13:36:24	I agree, the changes you suggest contradict some of the essential characteristics of the setting. However, if you like the themes of each of the city-states, bug aren't too keen on the setting, you could repurpose them for your own homebrew setting. You could convert the city-states to kingdoms, and keep things like slavery, anti-arcanic views etc.
#4 RalofTyr Jul 13, 2011 16:19:09	Dark Sun is basically Roman-culture with more psconics and magic. Do we really need seven city-states or can we have just a few? Geographically speaking, Gulg and Nibenay are slightly different than the other's surrounded by desert...
#5 larslarsen Jul 13, 2011 16:45:15	There are some pretty huge geographical and cultural differences between all the city-states that go well beyond Rome in the desert. I feel like the books do a fantastic job of differentiating all the different types of arid environments. To me that's what makes it Dark Sun.
#6 Duskweaver Jul 13, 2011 17:04:40	Dark Sun is basically Roman-culture with more psconics and magic. Apart from Balic and Tyr, I never got even a remotely Roman vibe from the Athasian city-states. Even Balic and Tyr feel more Athenian and Phoenician inspired (respectively) than Roman to me. So I honestly don't see where you're coming from on this.
#7 RalofTyr Jul 13, 2011 19:14:49	I've got a minor in ancient history and I've read the Wanderer's Journal several times. They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture. Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman. Granted, though I do own the new Dark Sun book, I haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly yet; perhaps they change it up a lot, but I won't comment on new Dark-Sun yet.
#8 naxel Jul 14, 2011 8:00:08	Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman. They're also adding a bit of theme to Gulg being west African and Raam being Indian. I see no reason as to why it's primarily Roman. Balic is the only one that even pretends to have anything even remotely close to a republic, and the overall Tyr region is totally ununified compared to the satellite kingdoms under the Roman empire's watch. The Forest Ridge halflings are stated in a dev blog to be inspired by South American indigenous tribes...
#9 Raddu76 Jul 14, 2011 9:42:27	I've got a minor in ancient history and I've read the Wanderer's Journal several times. They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture. Sure, they adding a bit of theme to each city-state (Draj, being based off of Meso-America), but it's all still underlying Roman. Granted, though I do own the new Dark Sun book, I haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly yet; perhaps they change it up a lot, but I won't comment on new Dark-Sun yet. Your degree doesn't explain your position RalofTyr. Why do you think "They took a lot of sources from Roman-culture."? The sources of the city-states have been well discussed (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun#City_Stat...)
#10 Alphastream Jul 14, 2011 10:53:06	I do think that various authors brought in a bit of other cultures into various city-states at times. For example, Tyr's ziggurat is just a tad not-Roman... The same thing happens in reverse where there are non-African influences in Gulg, Nibenay gets some Roman-ish stuff... To me this is just a sign of the many authors that developed the setting. The core (and original) reality remains and we shouldn't assign a Roman tag to the other city-states unless we really want to do so as individual DMs and as a departure from the dominant canon. Or, if you want, perhaps explain it as a bit of Rajaat's or the Champion's dominant cultural ideal, which permeated two of the city-states and traces of which can still be seen in the rest. But, let's be honest when it comes to authors messing up their flavor. It happens.