Independent Ilsurian

Awesome!!!!

Ilsurian has been one of my favorite place-names since this campaign world was first published. Glad to see it finally get some published info to build on. (There is, afterall, no info whatsoever in "Murder's Mark" -- the word "Ilsurian" pretty much stands alone.)

I admit, my own map of Ilsurian has a special fondness for me; I've used it to kickstart a campaign and a couple small one-shot adventures over the years, But it's time to put it aside for the real deal.

I'll say this, though -- of all the possible geographic landmarks that I hollored and screamed about in my complaints about how Paizo is publishing the setting material, mountains in the background were the one thing I didn't consider for Ilsurian.

My theory is that unless told not to, fantasy artists illustrating a city will always add mountains in the background.

More gorgeous illustrations, excellent.

Hmmm, a settlement in Varisia that was founded by Cheliax, yet is now independent and takes pride in that... sounds a lot like Korvosa.

Hmmm, a settlement in Varisia that was founded by Cheliax, yet is now independent and takes pride in that... sounds a lot like Korvosa.

If I remember correctly, I think Ilsurian is actually under Korvosa's aegis.

According to Varisia: Birthplace of Legends, Ilsurian is one of those communities which is proudly independent of either Magnimar or Korvosa.

This is the kind of artwork that is BY FAR the best in any PF/D&D book.

This is the most evocative, and most helpful, to my players (and me). Not the ones with the annoying iconics front-and-center that get in the way of what could otherwise be useful artwork for our games.

My players hate the iconics. "Who are these idiots that get in the way of the picture?!"

Lord Snow (and ArchPally),

From AP Vol#3 we get our first primer on Varisia and it includes Ilsurian and the following info:

I guy named Ilsur, who lived in Korvosa and didn't like how devilishly close it was staying to Mother-Cheliax, left Korvosa to found Ilsurian. Thus Ilsurian is very anti-Korvosa as far as Chelaxian influence goes, and it's very LN.

All the info published outside of AP#3 (RotRL Guide, Inner Sea Guide, Varisia: Birthplace, etc.) just have a Copy/Paste from AP#3.

I'm pretty sure Ilsur left Korvosa before the Magnimarian exodus from Korvosa, thus making Ilsurian older than Magnimar (just a WHOLE LOT smaller).

My players hate the iconics. "Who are these idiots that get in the way of the picture?!"

.

I understand the position that D&D is about PCs fighting monsters so covers should feature PCs fighting monsters.
I just don't agree.

(Historically, I'm pretty sure TSR/WotC/Paizo took this stance of putting PCs on the covers, ruining the background, due to angry mothers from heck letters. I remember as recently as Dungeon 142 & 98 getting lots of angry letters (from mothers from heck) because of the cover illustrations.)

I just got done reading the Ilsurian entry yesterday and I like it. It's like a town of classic Republicans. Everyone has to own a weapon, they're clean-cut, freedom-loving, independent, a little racist... It's these kind of realistically complex bits of writing that keeps Paizo way above the pack.

Agreed - the art I like best is "clean" of iconic characters. They have their place and I like them but not blocking the view of a town the playing characters are seeing for the first time. I don't want to be too distracted by them either. I just can't get enough of the artwork that shows towns, surrounding land, or important landmarks.

It's so hard to wait for this to show up in the mail! It looks soooo good.

I like the art that includes the iconics, for instance the covers of the APs. I also dig the art that is like the piece featured in the blog, where it is just a view of the town, or other location. In other words I like a mix.

Never envisioned hills like this when I've played or run Murder's Mark, but then I live in Illinois...I would buy a home here in a heartbeat!