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Malashkar – I love the format, although some of the ‘secrets’ sound more like common gossip and not so much like actual secrets. Love the name too. Mal-anything sounds cool.
Kerinnos - I am shocked (SHOCKED, I tell you!) that there aren’t more kingdoms run by dragons in this contest. Dragons, in my games, are every bit as intelligent, sorcerous and powerful as listed in the Monster Manual, and so it is the rarest dragon of all that doesn’t have some sort of power-structure built up around it. (They are also very, very rare, so much so that the ‘Red Dragon’ may have a mountain fortress-kingdom filled with Kobolds, Hobgoblins, Fire Giants (and Azer, who work for his Efreeti ‘vizier’), but he’s also the only ‘Red Dragon’ known.) My own preferences would have led me to a Green Dragon who had corrupted an elven forest-kingdom and turned it into her own little slice of sensualist paradise, with jaded elven aristocrats lording it over the other natives of their realm, now forced to toil to maintain their extravagant standard of living in serving to their ageless golden-eyed emerald queen.
Lacustra – Some painful names, and some really interesting concepts behind them. I go in all prepared to loathe the idea of ‘Insectila’ only to have them described as barge-men working the waterways and suddenly be struck by the image. Dwarven were-crocodile Sobekites? Oh yeah, I’m sold on that, too.
Kaf Archipelago – Same problem for me as the ‘enchantment under the sea’ place. Too limited in scope. I love, love, love aquatic stuff, but it’s got to have applications for surface-dweller usage, such as extensive coastlines or islands. On the other hand, I love the Marid ruler with the dozen titles. Al-Qadim was wonderful for that sort of thing, it just oozes flavor.
Demeros - A slice of pure awesome. I love how it’s Australia, but not. The sardonic asides, “No sharks, the krakens ate ‘em all.’ are totally cool.
The Gnollish Gynarky – I’m a fan of Gnolls, so this should have been an easy sell. I didn’t care for many of the names, but that’s the easiest kind of thing to change. The Secret about moonkissed was interesting. I’m not sure why this one didn’t bowl me over. I think I’d like it better if there was mention of Gnollish deities, or demon lord cults, or fiendish heritage among the ‘old tribes’ who want to return to the ‘old ways’ (read; hunting and killing anything that moves).
The Galldrothi Wastes – More painful names, but an interesting area. I like the gnomish sorcerers who look all inbred (and perhaps have other things going on, depending on the other effects of inbreeding…), and I like the idea of a fallen Paladin being nominally ‘in charge,’ but spending more time at the bar than pretending to be the ruler.
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Re: Lacustra
The headline "The one with the canal" did make me smile. Several other names there were also veering on jokey but managed to come off as realistic if not exactly great names.
Indeed there are issues about basing the entry too clearly on real world culture (while it can be evocative, it can come off a bit cheap) but your "Egyptian" entry did do rather nice job. Having actual Egyptian gods (and Mephistoteles) feels a bit odd but I can see the reasoning there.
The geography section in the beginning is a bit problematic, it drops references to formations one after the another bu it is not that easy to get a whole image, how all these things are situated in reference to each other.
What exactly is the role of the Tribunal?
Insectila are interesting, there are crunchy stats and some flavor but I'd want to hear more about them.
"A dwarf clan corrupted by the troglodytes worships dire abberant powers." is sort of combination which is at the same time "huh?"-inducing and interesting...as are were-crocodile dwarves.
I think you did better work than Mothman in the way you introduced DM secrets, they were connected to relevant sections in the text but didn't break the text.
Interesting entry with good ideas but sometimes it was quite hard to make sense how it all comes together.
I could have tagged it as "The Great Canal", but that's no more informative and sounds a bit pompous to me. My impression from the rules was that the tag line was intended to be a meta-game reference rather than what people in the game world called the country.
Fair comment that many of the names, beginning with "Lacustra", and concepts are a bit lazy. What other names were particularly bad?
The map that I started with, though literally a postage-stamp-sized scribble, would have helped with geography. I also had compass directions in the section that I cut out in editing.
The Tribunal is a sort of permanent constitutional council that acts as a court of review and appeal. The name is not quite right, but I didn't want to call them the Senate or the High Council and couldn't pin down anything better. Recall that Lacustra began as a governorship with the Nomarch answering to the Pharaoh and the national legal code, which has transformed over time into the Prince answering to the Eternal Laws. The Prince rules with day-to-day executive authority, but the Tribunal has the power to scrutinise any of his decisions (whether someone petitions the Tribunal, or on their own initiative) and declare whether the Prince's decrees are consistent with the Eternal Laws.
It's the reverse of a parliamentary system and a little like the US President's war-fighting authority. The President is the Commander-in-Chief and can send troops off to beat up people, but Congress must actually declare war.
The role of Khepera's worshippers in Lacustra could benefit from a much longer description, which would give a better concept of the insectila and the role that they play in the city-state's politics. Another thing about using real-world gods is that people actually lived by their tenets for hundreds of years, developing deep and complex philosophies and beliefs that often don't receive their due from game definitions.
I don't actually have a clear idea of what the troglodytes worship, except that it's dire and aberrant. Also elemental, which I cut in editing. It's just a big rip-off of the Temple of Elemental Evil really.
The Gnollish Gynarky – I’m a fan of Gnolls, so...
The censoring software took out the name of the goddess the gnolls worship. Starts with B and rhymes with itch. She's actually part of a pantheon of fallen angels that followed God's Brother in infernal exile (I have a bad habit of ripping off pantheon ideas from the books I read. God's Brother is a concept from Peter Hamilton's ginormous space opera series Night's Dawn, and the pantheon I'm using is a rip-off of Neil Gaiman's Endless, except mine all begin with "B" (God's Brother, B.itch, Blood, Blade, Beast, Brute, Bastard (a rip-off of the Holy Family from one of Bujold's series)). It's basically a demiurge system. I'm also ripping off Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel" series and Praxis is a ripoff of Artor the Ploughman from Sara Douglass's series, with a tiny bit of George R.R. Martin thrown in.
The Conservancy is taking the place of the Papacy in my campaign. One of the coolest things about D&D is all the weird gods, but one of the foundations of Medieval society is The Church-a big giant monolithic organization that doesn't really wield political power, except when it does. I thought of using C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner Guild of Assassin idea instead, but it doesn't work as well amongst bodies that don't have "panic to the leader" psychologies. Also, Assassins' Guilds are a dime a dozen in D&D and fantasy lit. I wanted a "behind the scenes" quasi-political force. I also wanted to introduce something like "kabiu" from the Foreigner series. The Conservancy basically promotes "Propriety" (wise use of natural resources, including wealth and agriculture) and drives out "Anathema" (mis-use of resources, particularly conspicuous consumption, genocide/exterminations, and hunting out of season). It's a philosophy that would jive well with a bunch of the religions in my world, without being 100% in line with them all: Praxis's "Man's dominion of nature/the community is more important that the individual", Blessed Elua's "Love as thou wilt", the season balance between Daughter Spring, Son Summer, Mother Autumn, and Father Winter (with the Bastard for things out of Season), etc. etc.
I also dig the Princes Monoke (sp?) elements a campaign with the Conservancy would have.
I could have tagged it as "The Great Canal", but that's no more informative and sounds a bit pompous to me. My impression from the rules was that the tag line was intended to be a meta-game reference rather than what people in the game world called the country.
Well, actually I though that distant scholars of the world might call the Lacustra "the one with the canal". Proper names you wrote did have decent Egyptian-Arabic flavor but the titles like "Fortysixth of That Name" or "She of the Mysteries" were a bit...odd. But of course our world is full of rather odd names too so having names like that could be considered realistic (and maybe they have nice alliteration or something in the original language of Lacustra).
And it was fun that you didn't specify the dire aberrations, so my imagination can pick up all kinds of cthulhoid monstrosities).
Figured that the entry would have benefitted from a map to make better sense.
Kerinnos - I am shocked (SHOCKED, I tell you!) that there aren’t more kingdoms run by dragons in this contest.
Likewise, in my homebrew campaign dragons are rare creatures and since the world generally stays quite low-level, it does make sense that if you drop somewhere a mega-intelligent creature of CR 20+, it will attract attention and probably even worship.
Besides real-world personality cults I mentioned before, there were couple of fantasy sources that did influence Kerinnos...Blue Mountain and humans living close to it in ElfQuest, and Ulgoland in Belgariad series.
Several chromatic dragons would make interesting kingdoms, of good dragons silver dragons are perhaps the most sensible choice. And so many personality cults, theocracies and lands ruled by monstrous beings (where rest of the nation's population is something else that the ruler) are described evil, so going for different direction is needed.
The Galldrothi Wastes – More painful names, but an interesting area. I like the gnomish sorcerers who look all inbred (and perhaps have other things going on, depending on the other effects of inbreeding…), and I like the idea of a fallen Paladin being nominally ‘in charge,’ but spending more time at the bar than pretending to be the ruler.
Inbred gnome sorcerers? Very cool, I missed that on first reading. The canal going partly through the mines and the Great Thing are most interesting as well.
Well, I was mostly determined to find a way to make a CN country work on account of a post sometime earlier that suggested it simply didn't make sense to have a bunch of oddball anti-government types all hanging around together under one political system. I thought to myself that it could make perfect sense... but only so long as it's only considered a country by people who don't live there. That also seemed a good fit for the unused "country within a country" option listed by the rules.
I thought about where such a thing would crop up, but desserts had been done to death in the contest and distant islands nearly as much so, but swamps were pretty much untouched ground. I tried to go with a bit of a very wild bayou/creole flavor with the region (that's where the inbred gnomes and the voodoo-esque Deep Faith came from), but mixed it with the great lakes (eerie canal idea, local copper deposits) to mix up a bit. The Deep Faith made me want to toss in some farm realm stuff, hence the Great Thing as a giant peat-bog mummy, which led to making the whole area the impact crater for that sucker.
Sorry about the names to those who don't care for them... I originally had names like the Greywater Wastes and the Silvertail River, but I second guessed myself and tried to highlight cultural differences between the pretentiousness of the Empire (pointless double consonants, everything ends in i) and everyone else.
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[Way too many words, stupid name, otherwise unoriginal. Excellent!]
The Elves of the High Green are said to a reclusive bunch, even among the humans who border their lands in the mountainous woodlands. Following strict druidic custom, they bear no metal, with rare exceptions, and hunt alongside wild beasts that cannot be considered ‘tamed’ in the human sense of the term.
The neighboring lands know them best by their eagle riders, who travel the border realms and bring messages from the lands across the mountains for small coin, allowing the human villages and townships of the neighboring lands a unique form of post. In Koninsbrek, every week at a specific time, the shadow falls over the town square, and the town butcher comes to the center of town with an offering of fresh meat, while the town mayor brings coin and a fresh sheaf of documents, all rolled into a scroll case and marked for their destinations. Each town has it’s own system, but the end result is the same, coins and fresh meat and clean water are provided, and a bundle of letters leaving the town is exchanged for a bundle of missives from other towns, sometimes months away over the mountains!
For some time the neighboring humans thought their elven neighbors to be small in stature, like unto Halflings or Gnomes, only to discover that the famed eagle-riders were but children! Even the powerful wings of the giant eagles are too rapidly tired by the weight of all but the smallest elven waif, and so the elves train their riders young, selecting them for smallness of stature, and greatness of heart, for the eagles keep their own counsel, and will not allow a rider who flinches away from them in fear.
Due to the scarcity of metal, the eagles are fitted with light harnesses of leather, straps held in place by wooden buckles, strengthened by laminate. Such buckles are not nearly as strong as fastenings of metal, and have been known to break under stress or the wear of use, and every elven child who wishes to ride on the wings of the storm must train in swiftly reacting to an airborne mishap. If a strap breaks, the ‘saddle’ tilts to the side and throws the entire bird off-balance, and can quickly entangle and hinder the animal, causing it to flutter and flail helplessly as it plummets to the earth. The elven child must seize the broken strap, if she can react quickly enough, and hold it in place with the strength of her arm until the bird can land safely and she can dismount and repair or replace the damaged buckle or broken strap. If she cannot reach the broken strap, she must as quickly use the tiny blade she carries at her waist to sever the second strap, peeling the entire saddle, and herself, away from the distressed bird, who may then be able to right itself and swoop to rescue it’s former rider. Sometimes this process occurs as trained for, but in other cases, the eagle does not right itself in time and the elven child loses their life saving their mount from a similar fate. In rarer instances, the child panics, or misjudges their chances, and both rider and mount fall to their death.
For an elven child to survive the death of her mount, particularly if it is suspected to have occurred through her own fear or hesitation, is a great mark of failure among these people, and some young elves find themselves wandering far from their mountain home, to wander among peoples who know nothing of their secret shame.
Within the High Green, it is said that the elves dwell in towers of crystal and fashion mail of mithral and have talking animals and fey moots and stranger things besides. The elven riders rarely bother to dissuade such talk, and they return to small villages where they survive off of the land, some raising herds of fallow deer or mountain goats, others hunting wild animals, and still others growing what crops can readily survive in the cold mountain valleys and pine forests. While the central druidic faith is reputed to be responsible for the dearth of metal weaponry and armor, the shortage is also practical, as fire is rarely used, due to the incendiary nature of their pine forests, and smelted ore is thus is rare supply. A few crescent shaped blades, sickles and scimitars among them, are considered blessed by the moon goddess and represent a rare exception (and even then, many are purchased from neighboring human lands, or extremely old, with no living elf remembering a time when their lands had an active smithy). The rare humans who have visited these lands have remarked upon the quality of the air, as if it is somehow unfit for human life, and that even a modest bit of exertion leaves a human winded and struggling to keep up with the elven natives. Experienced mountaineers would be able to point out that this is a natural effect of elevation, but the humans of the surrounding lands have so long avoided the elven lands out of habit that it is generally assumed to be some form of protective elven magic, to keep their lands safe from invaders of other races. As with so many misapprehensions about their realm, the elves see little reason to offer a correction.
Due to their unique placement, the Elves of the High Green do not suffer the reduced Constitution common among more civilized elves, having a reduced Strength instead (and they are markedly shorter than lowland elves, and somewhat thinner). They train in the use of the bow and several types of spear, in place of swordsmanship, and they have a particular resistance to the cold thin air of their homeland (+2 to Fort or Survival checks to stave off damage from exposure to environmental cold and +4 to Fort checks to resist suffocation, counting as a creature one size class smaller for oxygen consumption). They lack any special resistance to mind-affecting spells, however. They share pale white skin, like fresh snow, and usually have brightly colored hair, with various shades of blonde, from straw to golden to platinum, being predominant, and fiery red not uncommon. Eyes are generally pale blue or golden-yellow, with green and brown less common.
Elven Druids (and Adepts) are the preferred spellcasting class, with a scattering of fey-blooded and winter-themed Sorcerers as well. Clerics are rare, and Wizards all-but unknown, with Bards also surprisingly rare among these pragmatic, hard-working folk (although they are warmly welcomed, for a short time, in the various elven communities). Elven ‘warriors’ tend to be Rangers or Barbarians, with very few Fighters and no known orders of Paladins or similar ‘knights.’ Rogues are similarly rare, and distrusted, although Scouts are far more common. There is a monastic order in the peaks, but it was built by dwarves, and is currently occupied primarily by humans, with a smattering of other races, who trade with the elves, but otherwise tend to remain in their monastery, honing their arts.
The Giant Eagles of the High Green live in the pine forests, and have a society of their own, working alongside the elves as equals, despite their disinterest in tool use. Due to their size and strength, the eagles can carry up to 200 lbs as a Lt. Load, but find this cumbersome and prefer to carry only half that to retain full maneuverability. They are not nearly as bulky as the Giant Eagles of other lands, perhaps an adaptation to the thinner air of their preferred territories, and rarely weigh over 250 lbs as size Large adults. While elders do exist that have attained Huge size, and would likely be able to carry adult elves without slowing, these elders have more important duties than to serve as mounts for their allies, often possessing levels in Barbarian, Druid, Adept, Ranger or Sorcerer and serving as the rulers of their people.
DM Secrets / Adventure hooks;
While Giant Owls were once native to the area, that is no longer the case, and the eagles seem to have no interest in sharing their domain with other intelligent airborne creatures, working to drive off any such incursion.
The Cup of the Sun is a wondrous place where the elves once believed that the sun set, a magic lake that extinguishes it and where it passes down through dark passages in the earth before coming out the other side and bursting into flame again. It is said that water from this lake is cold, but doesn’t freeze, and can be used to quench any fire, no matter how intense. It also is associated with death, and forbidden death-magic, being the place where the sun dies every day. Some elves secretly travel here, hoping to speak to their ancestors and receive comfort or succor from beyond. Some find that they receive strange guidance indeed from these ‘ancestors,’ and return to their villages to commit unspeakable acts…
Convinced of their superiority to the low-landers, elven youth have found a passage that leads them into the foothills, where they raid the herds of human villagers, rather than hunt wild game in the high forest, hauling it back up the mountain and pretending to have brought back a great bounty. Not as sneaky as they thought, these night-raiding elves have been seen by human farmers, who have lodged a formal complaint, and are even now setting up traps against their return.
One spring, an elven child is found on the bank of the river, just outside of town. He is battered and half-frozen, having apparently been washed down the mountain in the snow-swollen river. Brushing back his lank hair, he is found to have no eyes! Was he born this way, and did the elven people of the High Green throw him into the river deliberately? Or is some curse at work?
The moon is said to be the white-ash-coated coal left behind from a former sun that failed to burst again into flame, and circles now, dead in the sky. The dead goddess has a strong following among the druids, who are often times ruthless and bloody-minded, believing that the weak must be culled and that the hunt is holy. Could they be responsible for the ‘Great Hunt’ that has been rumored in the border kingdoms, where people find themselves spirited from their homes to awaken in the wilderness, to be chased by great baying hounds and a stag-riding spearman?
New PrC: The Gnoll Gynark
The Gynark is the alpha-female of the gnolls.
Requirements:
Sex: female
Race: gnoll
Alignment: Any evil
BAB: +5
Feats: Power Attack, Toughness
Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge nobility & royalty 2 ranks
Class Features:
BAB: +1
Good Saves: Fortitude
Hit Dice: 1d12
Class Skills: Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge nobility & royalty, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Gnoll Gynarks are proficient in all Simple and Martial Weapons, Light and Medium Armor, and Shields.
LEVEL ABILITY
1. Bite (1d6), Commanding Aura
2. Natural Armor +1, +2 Con
3. Claws (1d6)
4. Natural Armor +1, +2 Str
5. Powerful Build
Bite. The gnoll gynark gains a secondary natural bite attack for 1d6 points of damage + 1/2 her Str bonus. The gnoll gynark can bite as part of a full attack action when wielding a melee weapon, but she takes a -5 penalty on the bite attack.
Commanding Aura (Ex). The gnoll gynark adds her class level on all Charisma checks to influence gnolls.
Natural Armor. The gnoll gynark's natural armor bonus increases by 1 at levels 2 and 4.
+2 Con. The gnoll gynark's Constitution score increases by 2 at level 2.
Claws. The gnoll gynark gains 2 primary natural claw attacks at level 3 for 1d6 points of damage + her Str modifier each.
+2 Str. The gnoll gynark's Strength score increases by 2 at level 4.
Powerful Build. The gnoll gynark gains the Powerful Build feature at level 5. A Medium sized gnoll is treated as if she were Large sized if doing so would be advantageous (Bull Rush, Grapple, Trip, whether she can be swallowed, etc.). She can wield Large-sized weapons without penalty. The damage from her natural attacks increase by 1 die. Her space and reach remain 5 x 5.
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More country fun!
Nephota
“Rolling thunder chasing the wind”
Ruler: Basileus Nicopheus IX (N Male Cloud Giant Aristocrat 6)
Capital: Nephopolis
Alignment: N
Government: Monarchy
Demographics: Giants (Cloud, Frost and Storm) 25%, Grey Elves 24%, Humans 16%, Winged Centaurs 14%, Giant Eagles 10%, Others 11%
Description:
“Looks like a storm’s coming…”
Nephota is a massive, stable, supernatural weather front travelling ever onwards over the world, casting its shadows over new lands. Nephotans walk amongst the clouds, held aloft by the realm’s magic, looking down on their fleeting, land-bound neighbours.
The Incus Thunderhead:
“I have seen the future of Nephota. It is roiling, thunderous darkness. There is no escape.” the Storm Cultist of Cumul sneered, his black on black eyes weeping bitter ink.
Located on the western edge of Nephota is the treacherous Incus Thunderhead, a vast jet-black mass of clouds, laced with sheet lightning. Unpredictable winds, projectile hail and lashing rain meet any visitors to the region.
The Incus Thunderhead is home of the greatest threat to Nephota - the Stormwright, Cumul (NE Half-Fiendish Kraken Necromancer 20). Cumul’s servants include nightwings, shadows and wraiths of his own creation, as well as a secretive cabal of fanatical worshippers of all races that have infiltrated the structure of Nephotan society.
Cirrusmead:
To the high north-east is a vast plane of light clouds, lazily meandering across the landscape. Cirrusmead supports small farming villages, which produce a majority of the kingdom’s food supply. Delicacies such as dewcumber, hailberries and sky-oysters all originate here. Iridescent sky-pearls are particularly valued in the marketplaces of Nephopolis, making banditry a viable proposition in the lightly guarded trade lanes leaving Cirrusmead.
The Altos Glide:
This patchy field of thick cloud holds the majority of Nephota’s population, including the city of Nephopolis and other major regional towns. Roc-back ferries transport the non-winged populous from town to town.
The Kanilis Zephyr:
The south of Nephota is dominated by an open swathe of crystal-clear sky, littered with isolated clouds. Seemingly inviting, this phenomenon is dangerous to the unwary, as gale-force winds intermittently blast through, undermining the kingdom’s latent magic. The Kanilis Zephyr is the hunting ground for rocs and other large predators, which use the currents to accelerate their dives towards ground-borne prey.
Stratosholme:
“If the Basileus needs our coin, he will come here on bended knee, begging our mercy.”
- Lord Salameris of Stratosholme
Stratosholme’s uniform, grey cover is located in the north of Nephota. The clouds here are rich in sleetsteel (treat as mithril) which has made the nobles of the region very wealthy and politically powerful. The Basileus’ main rivalry for control of the country comes from Stratosholme’s nobles.
Notable Settlements:
”Oh great Librarian, I come seeking knowledge of the arcane might of the ancients.”
“Certainly,” replied the floating pulsating skull, eyes twinkling”the tomes are arranged in order from 'X' to 'B', with 'G' being the highest. There’s a planar rift in one of the sections. Try to scream something amusing would you?”
Nephopolis (pop. 58,250): Built into the side of a great cloud mass, the windswept City of the Skies forges ever onwards. Great glass observatory domes peer through the clouds at the lands below.
At the end of a great column-flanked, fountained promenade stands the minaretted Library, home to the world’s accumulated knowledge. The Librarian, Stofar Garl (the floating head of a CE Male Human Lich 17), was imprisoned here after attempting to steal a powerful tome from the Dark Wing. In a mutually agreeable pact, he now protects the library in an enjoyably rampant manner.
Basileus Nicopheus IX is the most recent of a long line of Cloud Giant kings, honed by internecine wars. While previous monarchs have been mighty warriors in their own right, Nicopheus is a beaurocrat, easily brow-beaten by the nobles of Stratosholme. He dreams of invading a lowland kingdom to cut his dependence on the nobles for funds, but his lack of military acumen, and the transitory nature of his domain, has foiled him thus far.
Sleetwind (pop. 28,600): The largest city in Stratosholme is a nest of smithies and other crafts under the direction of the region’s nobles. This is where the armies of Nephota are constructed; the hardened workers in the mines and sweatshops make excellent soldiers. The vanguard of the Sleetwind regiments is a score of martial Storm Giants held aloft by war-trained rocs.
Culture:
“Welcome to Nephota. The world won’t be the same as you left it.”
While originally founded by Cloud Giants, Nephotans are not a single race or people, instead made up of all of the world’s nations, picked up on the country’s meandering path. Ogre Magi share immigrant flophouses with grey elves. Giant Eagles converse with humans in the polished rainstone plazas of the capital, beneath the towering royal palaces.
As a consequence, most Nephotans place higher emphasis on words than war, with a dedicated diplomatic corps always busy negotiating rights of passage through foreign lands. Silver-tongued skymerchants fill Nephopolis’ storehouse district with unique consumables from the lands below; who knows when they will pass over a particular country and its portable delights again?
Feats:
Cloud Hopper [Regional]
You are used to fresh air beneath your feet, and are skilled in defying gravity.
Prerequisites: Born in Nephota or 1 rank in Knowledge [Local – Nephota]
Benefit: While airwalking you may levitate as the spell.
Magic:
The air of Nephota is itself enchanted as the air walk spell, allowing travel by normally land-bound races. The clouds themselves can be treated as solid fog in terms of passage and density. Rainstone, magical substance of a similar consistency to marble, can be crafted from the clouds and is able to sustain the weight of extensive structures.
The Library of Nephopolis draws many great wizards, and those that can survive the dangerous games with the Librarian learn much in their stay here.
DM Secrets:
Stofar Garl has a weakness for Red Lancer Brandy. While he cannot drink the contents of a tumbler, he can certainly enjoy the heady fumes. Several nefarious mages have gained access to the Dark Wing using this as a bribe.
Several of the Stratosholme nobles are under the influence of Cumul, and are working insidiously to undermine the King’s power. To this end, several of the Roc-ferries have been ensorcelled to obey the commands of Cumul cultists, creating havoc in the Altos Glide.
Nicopheus’ brothers both held the crown prior to his coronation. The first was lost in battle against Cumul’s legions; the second was smothered in his sleep. The Basileus’ nephews are held in the palace dungeon, awaiting Nicopheus’ scant mercy.
More country fun!
Nephota
“Rolling thunder chasing the wind”
Ruler: Basileus Nicopheus IX (N Male Cloud Giant Aristocrat 6)
Capital: Nephopolis
Alignment: N
Government: Monarchy
Demographics: Giants (Cloud, Frost and Storm) 25%, Grey Elves 24%, Humans 16%, Winged Centaurs 14%, Giant Eagles 10%, Others 11%
Description:
“Looks like a storm’s coming…”
Nephota is a massive, stable, supernatural weather front travelling ever onwards over the world, casting its shadows over new lands. Nephotans walk amongst the clouds, held aloft by the realm’s magic, looking down on their fleeting, land-bound neighbours.
That's just....neat.
I also love how it's designed to fit into any campaign world because it's a mobile country.
Are the winged centaurs half-celestial centaurs, or just regular centaurs with a fly speed added on?
Any silver dragons living there?
A LE lich librarian I could probably deal with. A CE evil one..."The books are alphabetized by the 13th letter of the 13th page of the manuscript, unless they're illustrated, in which case they're organized by the social standing of the artist's most famous apprentice...."
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Ooh, a cloud civilization, very cool! I particularly like the idea of the cloudstuff being 'minable' and refinable into different materials, like stone or metal. I wonder if this consumes some resources from the clouds, and must be replenished somehow, or perhaps even if excessive 'mining' could lead to the clouds losing their mystical potency and becoming less stable overall?
Giant politicking seems like it would be very conducive to role-playing the social situations, and put a dampener on the troublesome players who like to attack any petty noble who gets snarky with them...
The head of a lich as librarian? I think I'd go full-on mean and have the librarian indeed be a lich, but in life have been a Cloud Giant Wizard or Cleric of some diety with knowledge or learning as a portfolio. For one, he'd be great at getting stuff off of the top shelves, and for two, when he gives you the 'no loud talking in the library' speech, it's likely to be taken very, very seriously. :)
I'm not real keen on those winged centaurs 'though.
I'm not real keen on those winged centaurs 'though.
What? Haven't you ever read "A Wrinkle in Time?"
They also kind of remind me of the tauric orc-griffons from MM2 or whatever.
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I'm not real keen on those winged centaurs 'though.
What? Haven't you ever read "A Wrinkle in Time?"
They also kind of remind me of the tauric orc-griffons from MM2 or whatever.
Tauric anything give me brain-cramps. The internal anatomy of such a critter must be a mess...
Granted, in a game-world with Beholders, I guess I shouldn't be as off-put by such minutiae.
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That's just....neat.I also love how it's designed to fit into any campaign world because it's a mobile country.
Are the winged centaurs half-celestial centaurs, or just regular centaurs with a fly speed added on?
Any silver dragons living there?
A LE lich librarian I could probably deal with. A CE evil one..."The books are alphabetized by the 13th letter of the 13th page of the manuscript, unless they're illustrated, in which case they're organized by the social standing of the artist's most famous apprentice...."
Yes, they can go anywhere and annoy anyone ... for about a month, after that they sail onto the next country.
Tacked on fly speed was what I was thinking, otherwise there's a lot of Archons with a hankerin' for some half-man/half-horse action. That'd get them hauled up before the Solar Panel* before too long.
The 11% others would probably include silver dragons, but also some blues.
I just like the idea of a sadistic librarian who makes PCs do all sorts of random crap just to get their hands on a couple of pop-up books for the kiddies.
* A bench of Solars who judge other celestials and paladins. They are not sponsored by Pelor or Lathander.
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Ooh, a cloud civilization, very cool! I particularly like the idea of the cloudstuff being 'minable' and refinable into different materials, like stone or metal. I wonder if this consumes some resources from the clouds, and must be replenished somehow, or perhaps even if excessive 'mining' could lead to the clouds losing their mystical potency and becoming less stable overall?
Giant politicking seems like it would be very conducive to role-playing the social situations, and put a dampener on the troublesome players who like to attack any petty noble who gets snarky with them...
The head of a lich as librarian? I think I'd go full-on mean and have the librarian indeed be a lich, but in life have been a Cloud Giant Wizard or Cleric of some diety with knowledge or learning as a portfolio. For one, he'd be great at getting stuff off of the top shelves, and for two, when he gives you the 'no loud talking in the library' speech, it's likely to be taken very, very seriously. :)
I'm not real keen on those winged centaurs 'though.
The economics of it was interesting, as normally clouds read something like this - "Exports: Water". Either they had to be able to produce their own food / minerals or they rely completely on trading with low-landers, which wasn't the feel I wanted at all.
The clouds, as presented, are static, in that if you dig a hole, the hole will stay forever. But that "undermining" plot hook is a good one!
I just like floating heads. I'm seeing a therapist.
The winged centaurs were a bit of an afterthought. I was considering some kind of bird-man, but decided against it.
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I should be careful how I put this: I probably wouldn't have chosen this one to submit. That's not because it's an easier option or less interesting than the entry I never wrote, but its history, politics and society are rather sketchy and, by the criteria that I set for myself before round 2, it's restricted in the adventures and characters that the country will support. Frankly, not being in the contest frees me to take some risks with ideas that interest me.
Before the start of voting I had 1650 words. As I mentioned in the other thread, I haven't added to or rearranged this after reading the entries, though I've edited it down.
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Lacustra
"The one with the canal"
[
I like this one. It heavily implies its Egyptian feel without spending a lot of words belaboring the point. Some of the physical description of the country is disjointed and not as cohesive as it could be.
I like the addition of the demihuman races in ways that are non-standard. I'm not certain about the insectila - as you commented yourself, not enough culture.
The DM secrets about the insectila was unclear to read. I got the gist of the secret about the beetles and the eggs, but not what the scribe could do with them.
I know what "lacustrine" means and that was distracting from the swampy description. And the name of the country has the same effect now that I think about it, but it didn't until just now when I realized where it was derived from. The other names are solid.
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Alright, I'll have a go.
Demeros
I like your gnomish Australia, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter, mate.
I like your names and use of quotes, and would have liked to see more of them. I'm also a sucker for kobolds living in the remains of a lost dragon empire.
I probably would have voted for this entry, despite its heavy reliance upon a real-world place. That is also its weakness as well.
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Alright, I'll have a go.
Demeros
I like your gnomish Australia, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter, mate.
I like your names and use of quotes, and would have liked to see more of them. I'm also a sucker for kobolds living in the remains of a lost dragon empire.
I probably would have voted for this entry, despite its heavy reliance upon a real-world place. That is also its weakness as well.
That's the problem with living in a country that has had only about 200 years of continuous culture*, and half of that with machine guns and cars, which is not really D&D compatible. If you took 50 years of (chooses country at random) Hungary's history to base a campaign setting on, the results might not be quite as jarring.
*...he says, blithely excluding 40,000 years of Aboriginal culture, the flavour of which was mostly covered by blink dogs.
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This is the country I would have posted, but possibly not this exact entry.
The Gnollish Gynarky
Pirate priestesses of the Crater Sea
I've been waiting to read this since you posted the name! I like most of this, but there are some things that trip me up.
The size of the island is huge. If this was "just" a peninsula before the starfall, the continent must of been enormous, possibly containing the rest of the landmass of the planet.
If the starfall destroyed the continent and created the sea, how did anything nearby survive? The force of the explosion should have pretty much wiped the island clean. If the explosion wasn't that big, how did it create a sea and leave the gnolls with the only navy?
Those questions aside, I liked that you wove the backstory through the entry, but sometimes you were better at it than others. The Blood Jester was too chunky. I would recommend making the Starborn Scions a separate paragraph and just leave the reference to it under the jester. The DM Secrets is a solid use of weaving backstory in. It says much with a minimum of words and doesn't trip itself up.
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I didn't work on it earlier, but seeing this thread inspired me...
The Galldrothi Wastes
“The least desirable post in all The Empire”
I like this. The tail end of the empire, ruled over by people the emperor is punishing. I like the secrets. You are good at describing the lands so that I can see them in my mind's eye.
Sadly, while this is a good entry, it is not rockstar. I'm interested in running here, but not necessarily jazzed by it. There is nothing that grabs me.
But I do have some character ideas...
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Alright, I'll have a go.
Demeros
I like your gnomish Australia, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter, mate.
I like your names and use of quotes, and would have liked to see more of them. I'm also a sucker for kobolds living in the remains of a lost dragon empire.
I probably would have voted for this entry, despite its heavy reliance upon a real-world place. That is also its weakness as well.
That's the problem with living in a country that has had only about 200 years of continuous culture*, and half of that with machine guns and cars, which is not really D&D compatible. If you took 50 years of (chooses country at random) Hungary's history to base a campaign setting on, the results might not be quite as jarring.
*...he says, blithely excluding 40,000 years of Aboriginal culture, the flavour of which was mostly covered by blink dogs.
Nah. It wasn't jarring - in fact I was very entertained by it. I just think that it would have suffered as an actual contest entry. Your writing style is very enjoyable to read and I like the way you've draped the fantasy trope over the legendary part of Australia.
A similar effect would be to do the same to the American Wild West, which only properly lasted about 20 to 30 years depending upon how you count.
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I know what "lacustrine" means and that was distracting from the swampy description. And the name of the country has the same effect now that I think about it, but it didn't until just now when I realized where it was derived from. The other names are solid.
I'm guessing that calling it "Palustra" would not make it better.
It's fair comment that the separate sentences of the geographical section are more than a little adrift.
I enjoyed some of the implications of the insectila secret: a murdered monk, a mysterious scroll, travels in search of sages to explain it, a foray into the Astral Plane to fight some githyanki, all to gain the chance for a character to reform into a new race, as a decadent city smolders towards a solstice-timed revolt.
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Cornav
War. Cornav means war in every major language of all the unfortunate peoples that have encountered them. Standing four hands taller than the average man, they cast a fearsome visage across a battlefield. Foreign parents often say to children who have been naughty, “The Grand Overlord is coming to dine with us!”
Alignment:
Lawful Evil
Leader:
Grand Overlord Emrys Gwledig (Augmented Human - Barbarian 10/Rogue 10)
Capital:
Sonurain (population 110,000; 65% - Cornavian, 7% - Half-Races, 6% - Human, 5% - Goblin, 5% - Orc, 3% - Dwarf, 3% - Elf, 3% - Halfling and 3% - Gnome)
Government:
Cornav is a mandatory militocracy with all members of the Cornavian society participating in the military in order to gain the rights of a citizen. Only Cornavians may become citizens and only citizens may vote, own property or hold political office. Male and female Cornavians serve in the military and are in all ways treated with equality. Non-citizens have little protections under the laws, mostly serving roles as laborers, retainers and servants. Thirty percent of the population of Cornav lives in Sonurain.
Geography:
A large desert lies in the south and cold mountainous regions in the north and west. Cornav consists of relatively flat steppes. The highest point in Cornav is the peak Netiuhk in the massif in the far west at 15,500 feet. A large lake Ruuvu lies on the northern border. This shallow and very saline body of water is the remainder of a huge sea which covered a much larger area thousands of years ago. This lake is a major point for migratory travel of a number of birds and mammals.
Ecology:
Most of the country is hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter, with average temperatures dropping as low as 22 degrees below zero. Landlocked Cornav is typically cold, and windy with an extreme continental climate; having long, cold winters and short summers; during which most of its annual precipitation falls. The country averages three quarters of its days cloudless each year, and usually lies at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation is highest in the north (average fourteen inches per year) and lowest in the south, which receives eight inches annually. In the extreme south is the Ilbodg Desert, some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years.
Piety:
The population worships the common gods.
Economy:
The economy is good although trade is nonexistent. Frequent raids and conquests of surrounding countries are constantly helping keep the economy thriving.
Celebrations:
• The Madaan is an equestrian competition drawing the greatest horsemen from around the country; the holiday lasts thirteen days. The tournaments include various races of speed, endurance and steeplechase. A team event called Olcos pits a team of riders (as many as 100 to a side) trying to score goals against an opposing team. Riders score by driving a skull wrapped in leather, collected from a ceremonially sacrificed virgin, into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet.
• Raptoria is an archery and falconry tournament that lasts twelve days during the height of the snow season. The tournaments include archery, axe, javelin, sling and spear competitions. The falconry tournaments test the breeding and quality of raptors (usually the dire variant) and their hunting skills as well as the skills of their handlers. The culmination of the festival is a falconry hunt where gnome, halfling and kobold prisoners and slaves and marked then loosed in a mountainous area the previous day with the winner being the one whose bird captures the most prey (dead or alive).
• Agrava is a wrestling and pugilistic tournament that lasts thirteen days and occurs during the spring equinox. Each bout of the rounds of the tournaments is single elimination with no time limit. To win a bout a wrestler or boxer must knock his opponent down or drive him from the chalk marked circular fight area three times. Divisions existing only for weight classes otherwise men and women compete against one another. Deaths rarely occur in this event and dying during this festival is considered to foretell the coming of a great warrior into a family’s heritage.
Ancient History:
A thousand years ago the Cornavians conquered the forests and the mountains of now long lost elven and dwarven nations. Felling the elven trees; turning the elven Tree of Life into a huge battering ram, named Adurag, and the dwarven Soul Forge into a figure of a striking eagle as a cap to the monstrous ram. The ram was lost assaulting a desert city taken over by demons. The city was destroyed along with thousands of Cornavian lives.
News:
• Remnants of a captured foreign expedition into the desert have ancient maps showing the location of Adurag.
• A group opposed to the enslavement of humanoids has been recently uncovered and crushed by military forces.
• The military has begun the annual raiding of neighboring countries.
DM Secrets:
• There was no expedition; this is a fundraising event by the thieves’ guilds to sell false maps and artifacts.
• The antislavery group has been helping slaves to escape their masters for years and is now trying to regroup.
• The birds and mammals that migrate through Cornav are all classified as dire variants.
• The elves and dwarves placed a curse upon the lands of Cornav with their dying breaths. The curse functions as follows: Anyone using magic must roll a d20. Rolling under the caster level of the spell or of the item activated results in a demon being summoned and attacking the magic user. The CR of the demon is determined by random d6 roll as follows: 1 – CR is one less than the user, 2 – CR is equal to the user, 3 or 4 – CR is one greater than the user, 5 – CR is two greater than the user, 6 – CR is three greater than the user.
• A Cornavian is an augmented human, treat as Permanently Enlarged.
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Actual Cornavian Template
Cornavian (Augmented Human)
Abilities: Strength +4, Dexterity –1, Constitution +2, Intelligence –1, Wisdom –1, Charisma –1.
Size: As medium creatures, Cornavian have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: Cornavian base land speed is 30 feet.
Racial Hit Dice: A Cornavian begins with three levels of human, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +1, and Will +1.
Racial Feats: A Cornavian’s human levels give it three feats.
Armor Class: +1 natural armor bonus.
Skills: 1 extra skill point at each additional level. A Cornavian’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 18 + (2 x Int modifier). Their class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
Favored Class: Barbarian
Level Adjustment: +3
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons
Armor Proficiencies: Light and Medium Armor and Shields
Age
- Adulthood - 15 years
- Barbarian, Rogue and Sorcerer +1d4
- Bard, Fighter, Paladin and Ranger +1d6
- Cleric, Druid, Monk and Wizard +2d6
Aging Effects
- Middle Age 35 years (At middle age, –1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha)
- Old 53 years (At old age, –2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha)
- Venerable 70 years (At venerable age, –3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha)
- Maximum Age +2d20 years
Random Height and Weight
- Male: Base Height 5´ 9½; Height Mod +2d10; Base Weight 165 lb.; Weight Modifier (2d4) lb.
- Female: Base Height 5´ 4½; Height Mod +2d10; Base Weight 130 lb.; Weight Modifier (2d4) lb.
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I don't know if I would have submitted it for the RPG contest, but for what it's worth, here's Gulmunhav: (1000 words according to my version of microsoft word.)
Gulmunhav
-a land scarred by history
Not bad. You've developed well the social and governmental implications of the ex-pirates living under a hands-off Vigilant Sword protectorate, balanced against a subtle and unusual sort of thieves' guild.
The ominous disturbances to magic are nicely detailed, though unexplained - which I think works, here, due to the consistent theme of effects that suggests that you'd have an explanation given more space, whether that impression is correct or not.
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Cornav
By historical standards, I wouldn't really peg this as an Evil nation. They're brutal, but not more so than many warlike peoples. There's definitely a consistent theme making everything in this land a bit bigger and harsher than outside.
The hooks centred around the artifact Adurag build up well. Have you read Alan Campbell's Scar Night at all? It reminds me to some extent of how the Tooth of God fit into that novel.
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Actual Cornavian Template
** spoiler omitted **
This is a bit different than stated in the country description. Four hands taller than the average man would make them over 7 feet tall, which if accurate and consistent, almost fits the description of being permanently enlarged. There's precedent, from apes, to make a creature less than the required height Large size. They could at least have Powerful Build, which is SRD-legal from the half-giant.
Their abilities don't match either extra humanoid hit dice or the Human Paragon class. I don't think "three levels of human" is correct or necessary - you could just call the extra feats and skill points a racial bonus. You may have already looked at the Ogres as Characters entry in the MM.
Actual Cornavian Template
** spoiler omitted **This is a bit different than stated in the country description. Four hands taller than the average man would make them 7 to 8 1/2 feet tall, which if accurate and consistent, almost fits the description of being permanently enlarged. There's precedent, from apes, to make a creature less than the required height Large size. They could at least have Powerful Build, which is SRD-legal from the half-giant.
Their abilities don't match either extra humanoid hit dice or the Human Paragon class. I don't think "three levels of human" is correct or necessary - you could just call the extra feats and skill points a racial bonus. You may have already looked at the Ogres as Characters entry in the MM.
It almost looks like a 3.0 or D20 Modern version of advanced humanoids....which is an idea I don't particularly like. I also dislike the odd Ability Stat modifiers: They can be abused by munchkins too much.
Just make them Large or Powerfully Built humanoids, with the human sub-type, and grant them something like +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, and an ECL of +1. Give them the human bonus skill points and feat if you want.
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A regional feat for Lacustra:
RESTRICTED SPLASH [GENERAL]
You can use weapons such as alchemist's fire more safely in close combat.
Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot, Base Attack Bonus +1, either 1st level or Precise Shot.
Benefit: When you hit your chosen target with a ranged weapon that causes splash damage, choose three squares that adjoin each other, not including the target square, that do not suffer splash damage.
Special: This feat may benefit a spell that causes splash damage if the spell requires an attack roll to hit.
A fighter may select Restricted Splash as one of his fighter bonus feats.
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To get in under 1000 words I reluctantly used the enlarged spell which seems to work. But I wanted to have an actual race. Haven't read the book, will check it out, that was a recommendation?
Haven't seen the d20 modern stuff, not something I have an interest in. Basically, big (a little over 8') humans, but not large, I really don't like making them actually large, I prefer gnoll or bugbear size.
Alignment - I looked at it from the view point of their enemies, I think their enemies would label them lawful evil due to their war-like nature.
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Haven't read the book, will check it out, that was a recommendation?
If you like - it's pretty over the top but I enjoyed it. I didn't mean to imply that the book was anything like your country, apart from having a desert and a slight similarity in structure. More of a random mental connection, really.
Amazon has a completely different cover and, I have to say, one not nearly as good-looking as my trade paperback copy, which uses a lot of red and black with a weathered look.
This is the country I would have posted, but possibly not this exact entry.
The Gnollish Gynarky
Pirate priestesses of the Crater Sea
I've been waiting to read this since you posted the name! I like most of this, but there are some things that trip me up.
The size of the island is huge. If this was "just" a peninsula before the starfall, the continent must of been enormous, possibly containing the rest of the landmass of the planet.
If the starfall destroyed the continent and created the sea, how did anything nearby survive? The force of the explosion should have pretty much wiped the island clean. If the explosion wasn't that big, how did it create a sea and leave the gnolls with the only navy?
Those questions aside, I liked that you wove the backstory through the entry, but sometimes you were better at it than others. The Blood Jester was too chunky. I would recommend making the Starborn Scions a separate paragraph and just leave the reference to it under the jester. The DM Secrets is a solid use of weaving backstory in. It says much with a minimum of words and doesn't trip itself up.
It WAS a big land mass. The starfall destroyed the homeland of the elves, goblins, and trolls (the Gloaming), the Khelementine Empire (basically the big bad evil empire of orcs, ogres, etc. with Chinese/Egyptian influences), and monotheistic Abbalahistan. It also destroyed significant areas of Gyldangoth (gothic vikings), Baldacel (Renaissance Celts), and Ibalia (Mediterranean city-states) in the East and Selensylvania (Iroquois-like Confederation) and Birinji (advanced Bronze Age Mongols/Plains Indians) in the West. Jangalagala, Zenique, and Vulkanesia are all far to the south and relatively unaffected by the Starfall.
One consequence of the Starfall was the near destruction of the majority of the "evil" races: goblinoids, orcs, ogres, trolls, giants. The yuan-ti and rakshasa continue to scheme and plot against each other in Jangalagala, so they haven't expanded much out of their dark and steamy jungles. The creation of the Crater Sea has opened up new frontiers for the sahuagin and kuo-toa, who were quickly adopted by the Starfallen as lackeys and slaves. The sorceress-queens of Zenique have expanded somewhat, but the philosopher-kings of Vulkanesia are still content to rule over their somewhat-altered coastlines.
Baldacel and Ibalia are exploring and settling among the new coastlines of Selensylvania and Jangalagala, mostly through the use of Trading Companies. The Gyldangoth refuse to pay the bloodtoll to sail the Crater Sea; they instead sail north of it and have begun raiding the nomadic Birinji. They've also established some temporary settlements on the Birinji coastlines.
The star that was stolen from the sky 100 years ago was plucked from the face of the Constellation of the Father; it is rumored the Eye of God protected His faithful in the sunken city of Abbalahdad. It is rumored to make the water breatheable in a 10 mile radius. That powerful artifact might be necessary to destroy the dark engine of destruction the Moonkissed are building.
This is a really rough draft of an idea I had and couldnt get out of my head. Not a "country" per say, but could be made into one pretty easy I think. So tear this up and tell of any improvements it needs.
Cities of Blackire
"Beware the Ire of Black"
Alignment: LN
Notable Settlements: Iron Hill (pop. 11,445), Brass Hall (pop. 12,600), The Steel Warren (pop. 13,266), The Market (approx. pop. 1500)
Ruler: The Council
Government: An elected council of 9 Dwarves which is contrived of each City sending one senior delegate from their respective Military, Religious, and Arcane guilds.
Description: The great Cities of Blackire are carved out of the bellies of three extinct volcanoes that, when looked upon, roughly form the shape of a triangle. The great valley that once nestled in the central hub of these great mountains of fire no longer exists as a natural feature of the landscape. Where these volcanoes once joined is now a great strip mine of great proportions. So much Obsidian was found here, it is the single most influencing factor of this area. Major buildings are built from it through dwarven ingenuity as well as their military weapons and amour of great strength and fortitude are brought to life from their secret rune forges. One would think that such a mine would leave a quit significant scar where it was mined, but only to the ingenuity of the dwarves that mined it, it has been transformed into the regions largest open aired market and trading route. Rising from the bottom from the depths below of this Dwarf made wonder stands a magnificent tower of which only the hands of the most skilled dwarven architects could erect. The purpose of The Black Sentinel is not only for Political decisions and Military applications, for below the surface it is the main channel that the flow of goods, services, and people runs to the three cities below. Three major shafts spread out from below The Black Sentinel to each of the cities: Iron Hill, Brass Hall, and The Steel Warren.
Obsidian:
The most common ore found within the area is Obsidian. The crafting and forming of this particular substance is the most guarded secret of the Blackire Dwarves. Because of dwarf ingenuity obsidian is brought to life in some of their more central buildings, but when it is applied to a more militaristic application is when the secrecy deepens. Through the ranks of the Military, Religious, and Arcane guilds flows a secret guild unofficial named “The Obsidian Guild” who’s only purpose is the forging of obsidian weaponry and armor. It’s only through the combined efforts of the guilds is the strenuous art of Rune Forging is made possible. For one small mistake will render the brittle ore unusable. The secret of this process makes it possible for the dwarves to make a relatively common brittle material into a substance hard as steel to outfit their armies with.
The Market:
The Market is the hub of the three cities and the only access for foreigners to enter the underground. Considering that The Market is the “front door” to the cities underneath, it has the most variety of races then your standard dwarven establishment. Shops and their owners’ dwellings surround the walls of the corkscrew type pit as it winds its way down the bottom were The Black Sentinel sits. The Black Sentinel is one of the dwarven populaces’ most prized accomplishments; for it is made totally out of Obsidian, which gives it its name. The tower has rooms running along the inside of the outer wall with a staircase spiraling upwards connecting them all. The top most room is the largest and most spacious, and it is were in The Council Meets. The central most cavity is a concave shaft that houses the giant operating lift system called by the local populace “The Sky Well”. The Sky Well is connected to the giant bridges that stretch from the side of this great tower to different levels of The Market to help the flow of services and goods to the different areas of the old mine.
The Cities:
The cities are, as you would suspect, is comprised mainly of dwarves. They are a fairly open dwarven society compared to others from having a massive market place sitting above their heads. The one and only subject that they are fairly guarded about is the process of there making Obsidian related items. Iron Hill and Brass Hall both make heavy use the natural vents and chambers of their respective volcanoes for city development, but The Steel Warren had to be made by more of a conventional and traditional means of dwarven underground city making. The Cities are named after the most extracted metal from where each stronghold now resides.
Surrounding Area:
The Cities of Blackire sit within a large and rugged mountain range called The Demons Back Range. The main road the runs through Blackire, The Backbreaker, are one of the few major roads that run all the way through the range. As such, it is all so a Trade Route of notoriety because of the bandits and wild monsters inhabiting the dangerous countryside. Law and order are still enforced though for the reason that there are frequent and well armed patrols sent out from Blackire.
Adventure Hooks:
The Leak:
The Obsidian Guild has been infiltrated. The secret the so closely guard has been compromised. The Council has hired you as outside help to investigate who the rouge agent is and to take care of the problem.
Corrupting Power:
The Council has been corrupted. Two of the Council members have risen fast in the hierarchy of the local government and are planning to overthrow the government and take the ruler ship for themselves. Help local authorities reestablish the pecking order and make it stable once again.
The Gathering Horde:
Goblinoids are starting to gather in mass. They think Blackire is ripe for the taking. One of the Military advisors needs your help to scout there strength and position. If the situation calls for it, help with organizing the populace of the Market to move to a safer location.
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Cities of Blackire
"Beware the Ire of Black"
Alignment: LN
I can picture a pretty impressive illustration of this - a looming gateway with one of the volcanic slopes in the background, guarded by heavily armed dwarves in toughened obsidian coat-of-plates linked underneath by lightweight brass maille, carrying obsidian disc-axes and stone-bows throwing nasty little obsidian discs.
There's some good thinking too about the sorts of cities that dwarves would build, clustered around mine-heads and linked by massive arterial tunnels.
Cities of Blackire
"Beware the Ire of Black"
Alignment: LN
I can picture a pretty impressive illustration of this - a looming gateway with one of the volcanic slopes in the background, guarded by heavily armed dwarves in toughened obsidian coat-of-plates linked underneath by lightweight brass maille, carrying obsidian disc-axes and stone-bows throwing nasty little obsidian discs.
There's some good thinking too about the sorts of cities that dwarves would build, clustered around mine-heads and linked by massive arterial tunnels.
At least somebody liked it enough to post a reply. rock on!
Smurfs O' Malley: (congratulations on getting official smurf support for your nickname by the way)
A couple of thoughts that have occured to me with regard to your city state.
1) Water.... (This is me being slightly picky.)
With regard to your obsidian extraction operation, often, where such a huge excavation is made in the ground, unless there is any obvious natural means of drainage (for example it happens to be halfway up a hillside, so can be drained down into a valley) such a huge hole in the ground (especially if it goes below the local water table) will tend to accumulate water in the bottom. Unless this water is removed by round the clock pumping (or magical portals in a fantasy setting?) the end result tends to be a small lake. (Especially once extraction activities cease and keeping an area dry for ease of access to the rock at the bottom of the excavation becomes less of a priority.)
This might not be a problem for your open-air market; I could easily envision such a sheltered 'dwarf-made' lake being used to display wares like boats, ships, and exotic water creatures- how a buyer or seller would transport such goods to the market would be their problem, the point being that at least the option would be there (and this is a fantasy setting, so magical transportation options are available if someone is desperate to get a sample of their goods to the continent's biggest and best market).
2) Industrial waste disposal.
Most forms of mining or quarrying produces some level of 'waste' in the form of rock material not up to the level of quality of product that you intend to use, or of beds of other rock altogether which happen to be mixed in with what you are interested in extracting. Unless you happen to have a convenient portal to another plane or bottomless lake/pit to dump this into, it needs removing and piling up (safely) somewhere. Sometimes in quarrying/mining this ends up as backfill, being used to fill in holes you've dug but lost interest in attempting to work further. The rest of the time it often ends up being dumped in 'spoil heaps' on the sides of nearby hills or mountains. (Unless you have a local building industry desperate for *huge* volumes of randomly sized pieces of broken stone to use as construction materials).
Overall I like your post however; thank-you for adding it to this thread.
Smurfs O' Malley: (congratulations on getting official smurf support for your nickname by the way)
A couple of thoughts that have occured to me with regard to your city state.
1) Water.... (This is me being slightly picky.)
2) Industrial waste disposal.
Picky or not, thoose are definately things I need to think about and address. That is the main reason I posted The Cities on here so people can point out things I might have missed or didnt realize. So thanks for the advice. Back to the drawing board!
More country fun!
Nephota
“Rolling thunder chasing the wind”
You should be very glad this didn't make it into the contest.
Winged centaurs? A floating skull librarian? A skyborne country? Yeah, I like this kingdom a lot. I have it on my gaming shelf. It's called PC3 Top Ballista, part of the Creature Crucible module series set in Mystara.
YOU FAIL.