Im new to the Inner Sea and have decided to start my campaign in the troubled land of Taldor.
From the reading Ive done it appears to be a fragmented empire in bureaucratic turmoil, yet the map in 'Echoes of Glory' indicates only about 10 or so actual Prefectures. I was invisioning dozens of little political subdivisions from the sound of it. Do you see further division within the Prefectures?
The description of the region mentions "dozens of canals", while the map shows only 8 or so in three major networks. Im assuming there are many, many more branching out?
The description also claims dozens of castles but "hundreds of ruined temples, lost castles amd ghost towns" and these in only the Tandak Plains. Looking at the scale, the entire area is only a few hundred miles long and a hundred miles wide. Placing hundreds of these structures, as I have done on my campaign map, generates a very different feel from the vast plains the map would indicates. You cant travel more than 10 miles at any point without running into something, and often less than that.
Are you guys seeing Taldor the same way I am?
Oh, one last question. Ive seen the term "Taldane" used in reference to Taldor as in the language (common = Taldane) and the people (Taldanian). Is this correct... should it be Taldorian?
As far as the ruins go, look at a map of Greece or Italy. You cant really dig anything anywhere without running into ruins. Taldor is going to be like that.
No idea on the language i had been calling it taldan.
So far as I have been able to determine, 'Taldane' is the language, (also known as 'Common') and Taldan is simply what you call a person who happens to be from Taldor, or who is of Taldan ethnicity.
No one else has fleshed out Taldor? How "busy" is your countryside?
Good point Jeven, I lived near the Rhine for a bit and rode up and down the river a few times. Your right, hardly a hill could be found without a castle or village on it. Wow, makes mapping kind of tough though...laugh.
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According to the Wiki page the languages is Taldane. It also has a bunch of the notable locations and such on that page. You could also take a look at the Pages that have the category of Taldor on them and its subcategories (linked on that page) to help you know what you actually need to flesh out
No one else has fleshed out Taldor? How "busy" is your countryside?In a really old nation the countryside can be very, very busy.
Take the real-world Middle Rhine region, there are 40 castle ruins along a 40 mile stretch of river.
Yes, but that was due to the fact that the region was much contested by quite a few different countries over the centuries.
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According to the Wiki page the languages is Taldane.Which is another name for ..... Common.
In game terms yes, but on Golarion, its its not called common
Not really LazarX, the kingdom description hints at tremendous political infighting and continual conflict. I invisioned a large number of lesser nobles, each ruling over a "duchy" or some such petty holding of a few leagues and a handful of settlements, dicing the kingdom up into literally dozens and dozens of lesser political entities.
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Cheliaxian is ALSO Common, but is regional in dialect. But like someone from Britian and America. They can talk to each other but might have different word choice. And it's a sticking point as to what "Common" is called based on who you are talking too. Chelaxians get right cross if you call it Taldane.
Cheliaxian is ALSO Common, but is regional in dialect. But like someone from Britian and America. They can talk to each other but might have different word choice. And it's a sticking point as to what "Common" is called based on who you are talking too. Chelaxians get right cross if you call it Taldane.
Let's not forget the Andorans. I always figured Andorans had an American accent, as Chelaxian thugs are often written as speaking with a cockney accent (so I assume they speak with an english accent in general). Taldans and Chelaxians likely have similar accents, but perhaps different dialects (similar to Midlands accent vs London accent), which makes sense inasmuch as Cheliax sees itself as the rightful heir to Taldor's former glory (hence moving the center of Aroden's worship to Cheliax, at least up until his death).
In a really old nation the countryside can be very, very busy.
Take the real-world Middle Rhine region, there are 40 castle ruins along a 40 mile stretch of river.
The way I see Taldor is a mix between what Jeven describes and the way North Dakota is populated (Link)
That means the countryside all along the Tandak plains was populated, but as the Empire declined, most of the smaller settlements were abandoned and the population migrated to the more densly populated areas. Those areas includes the South (border with Quadira), Oppara, Cassomir, The World's Edge Mountains (Dalaston, Maheto, Faldamont) and Yanmass in the north.
For me, this makes senses because of the following:
Without a doubt, the greatest risk to travelers inside Taldor’s borders comes from humans. River pirates stalk the Verduran Fork, brigands control most of the canals and unpatrolled roads, vagabonds (most of them ex-military) crawl throughout the foothills and rolling plains of the Tandak, and the more remote prefectures are ruled almost entirely by gangs so powerful as to make the Taldan governors but weak figureheads.
It's true that it can make a carthographers life quite difficult...