ZENDIKAR
SOURCES
A Planeswalker's Guide To Zendikar (Introduction) (Ruins of a lost civilization, The Roil, Exploring the wilds, The world of Zendikar, Races of Zendikar)
The Look Of Zendikar (Mainly visuals, D&D is cited as a source)
Zendikar, The Lethal Landscape (Concepts and visuals)
Deadly Perils, Priceless Treasures (Mainly visuals)
The Secrets Of Zendikar (Mainly visuals)
The Look Of An Awakening World (Visuals of "worldwake Zendikar")
Worldwake, A Plane In Revolt (more on "worldwake Zendikar")
Ally Cuisine ("Allies": adventurers, famous characters)
Angry Lands, Brave Adventurers (More on lands, more on adventurers, vampires)
The Moment Of Discovery ("Getting there is a large percentage of the fun")
The Season For Costumes (Outfits and gear of Zendikarian adventurers)
The Eldrazi Arisen (On the Eldrazi, aberrant near-gods trapped inside Zendikar)
Writing The Eldrazi (Good for visuals)
[Comic] Journey To The Eye (1st part of the Zendikar series - Akoum: Affa, Spike Fields, League of Anowon, Akoum Hedron Field)
[Comic] Awakenings (2nd part of the Zendikar series - Teeth of Akoum, Eye of Ugin)
[Comic] Enter The Eldrazi (3rd part of the Zendikar series - Eye of Ugin, Halimar: Seagate)
GEOGRAPHY (only named geographycal elements in parentheses, more inside the articles. Quoted text from intro.)
- Akoum (Teeth of Akoum, Leage of Anowon, Affa, The Goma Fada Caravan, Tal Terig, Ora Onda, The Khlani Stone, Igneous Glens, Waterscouts, Glasspool, Ior)
"Akoum is a mountainous continent where magma glows from crevasses in the earth. Crystalline fields shimmer beneath the sun, but the sharp edges of most surfaces will slice through skin and bone. In some areas, the temperatures are extreme—burning an explorer's skin during the day and causing frostbite during the night. Gases occasionally spew from the ground, and around these vents, bizarre trees and plant life have arisen in pockets of weird biome. The region is plagued by geological instability, causing magma geysers to erupt unexpectedly and shards of rock to rain down unexpectedly."
- Bala Ged [sub-continent of Guul Draz] (Guum Wilds, Surrakar Caves, Bujuka Bay, Umung River, The Tangled Vales, Bloodbriar, Cut Fungus, ELVES )
"Humid rainforests cover this low-lying continent. A humid haze blankets the landscape, which is riddled with poisonous molds, fungi, and strangely colored algae. Deep within the network of limestone caves and tunnels, catacombs, sacrificial altars, and rune-inscribed chambers hide countless treasures. These are the domain of the ferocious, reptilian Surrakar and countless primordial monsters. Bala Ged is home to two tribes of elves: the warlike Joraga tribe as well as the secretive Mul Daya. Mul Daya elves can be recognized by their tattooing, and have a connection with the spirits of their elvish ancestors that sets them apart from the rest of the elves."
- Guul Draz (Malakir, The Free City Of Nimana, Pelakka Karst, The Hanging Swamp, VAMPIRES)
"This is a humid region of teeming lagoons, and tangled, fetid swamps—this is the homeland of the vampires. Predators stalk the wilds, and traps are hidden in mangrove jungles and around settlements. The rancid waterways that twist into the vast marshes and swamps conceal predators and plagues. There are more ruin sites here than elsewhere, including the Hagra Cistern, a huge complex of ruins that's gradually sinking into the muck and water."
- Murasa (Sunder Bay, Cliffs of Kazuul, Thunder Gap, Glint Pass, Skyfang Mountains, Shatterskull Pass, Na Plateau, Singing City, Vazi River, Pillar Plains, Visimal The Hidden City, The Cipher In Flames, Raimunza Hive, Kazandu)
"Surrounded by towering cliffs, Murasa is a continent of jaddi-tree forests, deep valleys, and steep ridges. Vines and other vegetation wind through deep valleys, up cliff walls, and down into dank, half-lit caverns in the earth. The Kazuul Road provides the easiest access into Murasa. But Kazuul, an ogre slavemaster, controls the route and demands tribute from any explorer who tries to enter the continent."
- Tazeem (Emeria The Sky Ruin, Pathway Stones, Halimar The Inland Sea, The Lighthouse At Seagate, Oran-Rief Forest, Pit Caves, Umara River Gorge, Magosi Waterfall And Portage, MERFOLK)
"Tazeem is a perilous combination of the Oran-Rief, a gigantic, twisted forest; Halimar, a deep inland sea; and the Umara, and a great rushing river that bisects the continent. Some ancient ruins have been co-opted by denizens, who make their homes in the remains of the massive hedrons. Other ruins remain hidden underground, but are sought after by both merfolk loremasters and power-hungry expeditionary leaders.
Colossal hedrons float in the sky above Tazeem. This rubble field stretches across the entire continent, obscuring direct sunlight and blocking natural rainfall patterns. The massive stones perpetually turn and tumble across the heavens. Amid the ruins, there are the shattered remains of a sky-castle. Merfolk call this Emeria, the Sky Ruin. They believe it was once the home of Emeria, the goddess of the sky."
- Ondu (Islands Of Ondu, Turntimber The Serpentine Forest, Greypelt, The Makind Trenches, Teetering Peaks, Prison Of Omnath, Binding Circle, Soul Stair, Jwar Isle Of Secrets, Fadun, Strand Of Jwar, Beyeen The Crown Of Talib, "Piston" Mountains, Zulaport, The Boilbasin, Hedron Fields of Agadeem, Kabira, The Crypt Of Agadeem)
"The geography of Ondu is dominated by a sense of sweeping verticality. The precarious Makindi Trenches, the skyscraping trees of the Turntimber, and the depths of the Crypt of Agadeem all contribute to the strange sensation that travel in Ondu occurs up and down rather than east and west. Jwar, the Isle of Secrets lies near the southern coast. Huge granite heads loom half-buried in the earth, and a beam of pure blue light can be seen shooting straight up out of the island. But no explorer has yet uncovered the source of the light."
Also about Ondu: The Journal Of Javad Nasrin - Sejiri (Midnight Pass, The Tundra Perilous, Ikiral, Benthidrix)
"This polar region is like an enormous mesa with permafrost steppes, wind-blasted mountains, and impossibly tall cliffs that encircle the continent. Despite its inhospitable terrain, creatures such as felidars, griffins, and sphinxes make their home in the snow-covered wastes. There are many ruins sites, and explorers brave the cold to see what treasures lie deep beneath the snowy surface."
- Vampires
"Vampires live openly in Guul Draz and are famed for the decadence and perversion of their lifestyle. Bloodchiefs, the progenitors of their race, control the opulent city of Malakir. Vampire society is divided by "family" allegiances, each family beholden to its Bloodchief. Each family controls a small amount of territory and routes through the swamp, although the main currency of any family is in its connections and relationships. The tastes and passions of the Bloodchief tend to be imprinted on the vampires he or she creates.
There are five greater families in Guul Draz: Nirkana, Kalastria, Emevera, Urnaav, and Ghet. Dozens of other lesser families are scattered across Guul Draz, each with a contingent of undead nulls appropriate to their place in vampire society. Whenever a vampire fully drains the blood of a living creature without destroying the husk, a vampire null is created from the body. If nulls are left without orders, they will hunt and kill living things that they can find." - Kor (The Ondu and the Master At Arms articles are the best sources)
"The kor live a spare and nomadic existence. They travel mercilessly light, carrying with them only the essentials, valuing the portability of individual skill and strength of character over more "static" virtues. "We were not meant to put down roots," they say. "The heart is a moving organ." Despite their constant motion, the kor revere locations in a deep sense. They travel in small bands along one of several pilgrimage routes, visiting dozens of sacred sites across Zendikar. Each pilgrimage circuit takes decades, and many are lost to Zendikar's dangers along the way
The kor are masters of ropes and hooks, using them to travel and to hunt, and incorporating them into their spirituality. They rarely use unreliable devices such as crossbows to propel their grappling hooks onto cliff faces or into flying game, relying instead on simple, sturdy rope and the skill of the arm. A hooked line is also a social and sacred symbol for the kor, representing their connection to each other and to the world around them." - Merfolk
"More merfolk live in Tazeem than elsewhere, but they can be found on every continent in Zendikar. Although the merfolk are born in the water, they have adapted to life on land. Curious, thoughtful, and analytical, the merfolk are natural explorers. Merfolk tend to be more solitary than other races and don't cultivate large communities. But even merfolk who spend most of their time exploring will establish a home base, a place they return to before setting out again.
Run by merfolk scholars, the Lighthouse at Sea Gate is the center of learning for explorers of all races. A library filled with scrolls, and maps, and writings about the lost civilization, this is a storehouse of all the collected knowledge about Zendikar."
- Goblins
"Goblins thrive in Akoum, Murasa, and Ondu as well as in most settlements and outposts. Although there are numerous tribes, the Tuktuk and Grotag tribes boast the largest warrens. Much of a goblin's life is devoted to finding and plundering ruin sites. The goblins choose their tribal leaders by their perceived industriousness. The goblin that leads is the one who has managed to retrieve the most interesting or powerful object from a ruin. In Affa, the main settlement in Akoum, many goblins hire themselves out as guides or trapfinders. Of course, the normal plan is to help find something of value, trigger a trap intentionally, steal the object, and run away."
- Elves
"Bala Ged is the homeland of the Joraga elves and the planeswalker Nissa Revane. The Joraga elves have little respect for any other race or even other elves. They see the survival of their nation as most important, and jealously guard their traditions. Many outsiders view their nomadic clans as roving bands of murderers, but there is a complex culture behind their aggressive exterior.
After splitting from the Joraga Nation, the Tajuru elves settled in Murasa and Tazeem. Large numbers of Joraga have made homes in the towering trees of the Oran-Rief forest, where they inhabit villages suspended from the treetops. The Tajuru are rumored to be the best guides in Zendikar. Using zip-lines and expert climbing techniques, the elves fearlessly span the gaps between branches or cliff faces."
QUESTS AND EXPEDITIONS (These can be viewed as fabled destinations, adventures to udnertake)
- Khalni Heart Expedition (Akoum: Ora Onda, primal/green)
The effect in the MtG game was to draw land cards. It could mean discovering new places, new routes, or something more primal like having access to healing energy or good consumables. Plot-wise, it could mean finding a way to contrast threats to nature.
- Ior Ruin Expedition (Akoum: Glasspool, arcane/blue)
The effect of the card was to draw cards. It surely means something as gaining forgotten knowledge, usually arcane. Exploration-wise, it needs some kind of underwater adventuring, after having reached Glasspool. Plot-wise, there could be a race to obtain Ior's secrets, and the implications could be dangerous
- Soul Stair Expedition (Ondu, necromancy-shadow/black)
Picking cards from the graveyard can be very well interpreted as resurrecting dead beings or communicating with the dead. Plot-wise, the location could also be used for some really nasty necromancy ritual that the characters should try to stop, or some rituals could only be performed here and the characters would need to reach the place.
- Zektar Shrine Expedition (Akoum? Murasa? elemental/red)
It was an elemental summoning effect. It could be interpreted as a regional-scale weapon. Plot-wise, evil-doers controlling the Zektar Shrine could pose a threat to civilization, but there should be a limit to its use, it's not like it should have wide-spread political importance, maybe there's nothing to destroy in the vicinities, maybe the elemental is difficult to control once summoned.
- Sunspring Expedition (Murasa? divine-primal/white)
It provided healing, but it could be more than that, a place where the worst afflictions may be removed. Plot-wise, a character might need to be cured from a rare disease and thus need to be brought to the Sunspring.
I thought that maybe some D&D players could not know about Zendikar (although I doubt that) and others would either don't like it, love it, or maybe right out think MtG shouldn't be mixed with D&D. So I made a poll with these options!
The "I don't know what Zendikar is" may also be the right answer if you just don't know enough about it to decide if it would make a good D&D world.
COSMOLOGY
Here is the discussion that sparked everything in the original thread in the Future Releases forum.
Maybe?
Green primal (Middleworld)
Black shadow (Shadowfell)
White divine (Astral Sea)
Red elemental (Elemental Chaos) especially energy effects
Blue arcane (Feywild) especially mental effects
I didn't think about how the typical 4e cosmology might have interacted with Zendikar, but I think Zendikar's "Roil" force might have something to do with them, opening new possibilities.
In Zendikar, the Roil modifies the landscape and the magical energies thereby contained... I envision the echo-planes as being completely merged with the natural world, going "on and off" depending on the roil.
For example, exploring an ancient ruin or tinkering with strange features of the landscape might trigger a passage to the Shadowfell or to the Feywild. Which could also be seen as influences of mana colors as you suggested! I'd view them more as temporary changes of the natural world than "ongoing" echoes of it. For example, saying that a city exist only in the Feywild, in classic core world D&D would mean you have to find its location in the natural world and then travel to the Feywild in that place. So you go there and then come back. In Zendikar, it could be more like "bringing the Feywild into the world" instead of travelling to it. And then you would need to "push it back away", or leave it there with the possibility that it influences more and more land, until a whole region of the world actually becomes Feywild.
The Elemental Chaos on Zendikar is... All around you. It's blended with the world, and could BE the Roil itself. Then, to actually access the infinite Elemental Chaos would be another thing, it might require finding a rift zone. But what is sure is that the interactions between the Elemental Chaos and Zendikar should be close, more or less like the "normal" interactions of Feywild and Shadowfell with a classic natural world.
Zendikar may even be a veeery large elemental realm, as big as a real planet so that people and creatures inside would not realize that they are in the Elemental Chaos. But this would pose many problems, for example what to do with the other planes. But it gives an idea of how much of the Elemental Chaos could be into Zendikar.
Which brings me a great idea: the setting could be characterized by the fact that the characters and few other individuals can actually shape the landscape with their wills. Battles would turn exquisitely interesting if gravity, solid ground, and dangerous terrain could be controlled by the characters OR their enemies.
See, Zendikar would look very promising as a D&D campaign setting.
Zendikar as an Elemental realm sounds cool. The 'veils' between it and other planes seem 'volitile', so other planes tend to bleed in. If such a 'roil' from an other plane entirely obsorbs a region of Zendikar, is the region still accessible from Zendikar or does it disappear from Zendikar?Which brings me a great idea: the setting could be characterized by the fact that the characters and few other individuals can actually shape the landscape with their wills. Battles would turn exquisitely interesting if gravity, solid ground, and dangerous terrain could be controlled by the characters OR their enemies.
Sounds appropriate. Reminds me of this cool Elemental feature (Plane Below, 7) ...
Influence Instability
You bend the blane to your will, smashing a nearby object into your foe or creating energy that dose it harm.
Atwill • [variable]
Standard action, Ranged 15/30
Target: Int v Refl
Special: If arcana trained, add implement bonus to attack rolls.
Hit: 2d10 +Int [choose] acd, cld, fir, ltg, poi, rad, thu, or unt.
L21: 4d10.
The main difference would be, in Zendicar, maybe with an action point, you could do a zone (at paragon?) and a three-dimensional slide (at epic?).
s for the power quoting, that's exactly what i was thinking, along with the one for changing terrain type.About the planar thing, I meant it more like if the planes were all contained "inside" zendikar, and physical changes (like Influence Instability or similar powers) could simply "let the planes come out". But that would completely change the significance of planes. However, the effct is more or less the same of your "a 'roil' from an other plane entirely absorbs a region of Zendikar". And I would say "Yes, the region would still be accessible, but you'd need to deal with a LOT of dangerous terrains that would constitute the boundaries of the newly "influenced" region, because it changed physically, also in position, maybe starting to float on earthmotes and such. So if you used to access the forest just by walking your way into it, after it "becomes feywild", you could find yourself into a lot of cliffhanging, because it now sits on top of multiple earthmotes...!
RACES
Vampire (draft)
There's a need for a complete race write-up here: they don't come from different species like Revenants or Dhampyrs, they are a race formed by the progenitor Bloodchiefs (true vampires), and even if they probably don't breed true, they're not immortal (200 years life span) and they have a culture of their own. They're not even fully undead, since there's a reference to "choosing to abandon their life-force completely", probably to become themselves bloodchiefs. This could be an Epic Destiny.
Ability Scores: +2 Dex, +2 Int or +2 Cha
(Perfect Rogues and Assassins, Sorcerers, but also good Wizards: after all they're the most learned people in Zendikar)
Speed: 7
Vision: Low-light
Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Intimidate
(Another good call might be History/Arcana in place of one of the two, don't know which)
Glide Can fly up to its speed if landing on lower ground
(Or something like that. It could also be worked as their racial power, maybe making it an alternative to some other power, to distinguish glifing vampires from earthbound ones, as it seems to be the case in Zendikar)
Blood Drain
(This could be the base power or a feature. Power if maintaining Glide as a feature, feature if making Glide a power. As a feature, it could grant minor healing when blooding a creature in melee)
(Some sadistic strikerish melee power)
(This would be the alternative power for those that don't take Glide, if making Blood Drain a feature)
Merfolk
Ability Scores: +2 Wis, +2 Int or +2 Dex
(Would make them perfect copies of Githzerai, but there are no valid alternatives as they must be great Wizards and Shamans, but also possibly agile scouts)
Speed 6 (Swim 8)
Vision: Low-light
Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Religion
Kor
Ability Scores: +2 Dex, +2 Str +2 Wis
(It has quite a lot in common with Merfolk, but it needs a Wis option for the common Kor Clerics, it needs Dexterity because it's nearly the theme of the class, and Strength fits well. Maybe Vampires could be made with Charisma as primary, in order to differentiate the races more.)
Speed 6 (Climb 6? Lots of movement related powers/features are needed)
Vision: Normal
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Acrobatics
(They also need free weapon proficiencies, either fixed or with any superior. Also possibly needed are specific Kor weapons)
Goblin
Ability Scores: +2 Dex, +2 Con +2 Cha
(Again Dex is primary, it should really be removed from Vampires.)
Speed 6
(Only race without special movement, but could use the minor action shift of regular Goblins...)
Vision: Normal
Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Thievery, +2 Any
(RESERVED)
If nobody noticed, I put probably every published source accompanied by excerpts and images and started fleshing out something, with the meaning that "Expeditions" have in the D&D Zendikar, and by writing some brainstorming for the 4 races that need a complete write-up.