Hello all! Another philosophy of design thread comin' at ya.
I've been thinking about thought flow recently. Seeing how all of my thoughts somehow include world building, I started wondering on what the best way to digest (and write) a setting is. I think for many of us, the natural route for setting format is that of a spiderweb. Each idea, or component, in a world is tied to other ideas in the setting producing a vast net of information. In an ideal world, these components would be self-contained and easily understandable. Unfortunately, fantasy worlds often require knowledge of various other components in order to gain full understanding of a specific idea. Visually, this means that each node of the spiderweb draws upon other nodes for a knowledge base. This means that unless you want to confusedly burn your way out from the center, the only realistic way to digest the work is through careful unwinding from rim nodes. (Sorry if my visual thinking is screwy!)
For myself at least, I find the above method of discovery tiresome. My thoughts seem to like to follow a path and I don't like to dig around for a tidbit of insight on what I'm reading. The linear layout provides a clear knowledge expectation for any point of the reading, just like a book. I'm finding myself more and more drawn to the idea of reading a setting in book format rather than that of a wiki. What are your thoughts on the linear organizational style?
I'm quite the opposite, actually. I like tangents, and as a designer without an overt unifying focus, linearity does not suit me well. Obviously, if I ever published Dystopia, it's presentation would be decidedly linear, but it's creation would not have been. When I was writing Baennet Zzar, I mentioned the Sundered Isles, and suddenly had a plethora of ideas concerning the place and its denizens. So I went "screw it" and took a hiatus on Zzar to detail the islands. That's happened numerous times, and I love doing it that way.
The fact is, even in real life, you'll NEVER understand a given place in a purely introspective fashion. My players have asked a thousand questions concerning the cause of certain facets in a given adventuring locale, and they love the fact that many of those causes are the result of the internal machinations of another locale. You can present that easily in a linear fashion, but creating that sense of completeness is difficult if you simply design each locale in succession.
I couldn't possibly design in a linear fashion. Take the continent Corlainth for example: there are the nations of Baennet Zzar, Calthaire, Yeldte, Dautat, and the many territories of Tyr. I couldn't possibly devise them one after the other; each one affects the others profoundly in many ways (technological and cultural imports and exports, militant and political activities, impact of social shifts through immigration, etc.) so that I have to have a fairly concrete idea of all the areas involved, then revise them again and again as each one is developed and altered (developments in one area might contradict information in another). I tried linearity once, and I found that conformity to linearity resulted in constraints upon the nations that followed which had a relation to the previous. Sure, there are similar constraints based on spiderwebbing, but in spiderwebbing I am conscious of the possible contradictions, and they are therefore greatly mitigated by accommodating for them through a degree of simultaneity.
I'd imagine it's different for people who are not consciously spiderwebbing, but I am. I guess you could call it "revisionary spiderwebbing", as a single alteration in any location might result in subsequent alterations in others, and it therefore dynamically evolves. I think of it like an emergent order from the primordial chaos of the spiderweb's conceptual infancy: the different elements begin solitarily, but are greatly shaped by the behaviour of other elements, not simply "tied in".
I dislike it when things are just "tied in", like distinct objects secured to each other with string. I'd rather each entity was "spliced" to the others, secured with strands of itself rather than some artificial exterior connector.
So yeah, I'm a revisionary spiderwebber, or a spiderweb splicer.
I am a very crunch focused gamer, so the current scheme for setting book presentation (Race > Class > Skills and Feats > PrCs > Rules > Geography > History) works for me. The problem is that this is not the method to create a world. I have been creating from the top down, and it's been the way I've thought of my setting. I devised the creation myth, the histories of the races, and done my best to ensure that every piece fits, even though my setting includes three separate material worlds and many separate regions and cultures.
So, this is an important issue for me, since I'm not sure I'm doing my work in the most efficient and productive way possible. Sometimes I get stuck on one thought for months, which seriously kills my motivation.
Something I have been playing with lately is the idea of presenting a world through fiction. It doesn't have to be big fiction, but the only setting I've ever really had my heart in (FR) I got into through the Salvatore novels and the fictive storytelling of the Baldur's Gate (PC) series. Perhaps heading each of my chapters with a short story that is somehow pertinant would be a good way to involve the reader.
Oh yeah, something I've found works well lately along the lines of Xeviat's idea, is writing in the voice of a character of the world about each subject. As though that character were explaining something complex to a novice in the area. Knowing how characters view something in the world should give players a better idea of how they should view it.
Quote from: Phoenix KnightOh yeah, something I've found works well lately along the lines of Xeviat's idea, is writing in the voice of a character of the world about each subject. As though that character were explaining something complex to a novice in the area. Knowing how characters view something in the world should give players a better idea of how they should view it.
I once saw something that expanded on that idea. Rather than simply having a short story or such for the region it actually created a cast of commentators and wrote their opinions for each region. So, the valiant and chivalric knight had far differing opinions about the elven wood than did the desert merchant.
Anyway, here it is, uncompleted that I got from an issue of the RPGtips e-zine.
[spoiler=Regional Opinions]
OPINIONS FROM THROUGHOUT ALCARIN
Adalemnar
Lananderiel (who is this person?)
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
â,¬Å"These, who think themselves the purest elves, have moved furthest away from what our people are supposed to be. They have committed the gravest sin â,¬' the bondage of others. They think that they venerate the ways of our ancestors, but instead they offer the greatest insult â,¬' imagine, an elf holding the chains of another being! I hope that they will turn away from this evil, but my heart doubts that they ever will.â,¬Â
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Iâ,¬,,¢ve never been there, but Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard the elves of Adalemnar live in a paradise. Theyâ,¬,,¢re suitably proud about it, too. They keep slaves, though, which is of course repugnant to all free people. Still, those elves make the most elegant jewelry. I once thought of buying my lady a ring guaranteed to be made by an actual elf, but it cost as much as ten of my farms make in a year.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"My neighbor used to live in Adalemnar until about fifty years ago, when he up and left everything to move to Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove. He carved wood in the elven land for over a hundred years â,¬' nothinâ,¬,,¢ fancy or useful, just tiny boxes to hold spices or jewels or whatnot. He worked with the best, rarest woods and his boxes were famous throughout Alcarin â,¬' he says that even the Lord of Cassiel ordered one for his lady, and an Istari wizard ordered an extra-big box for his quasit to sleep in (though I donâ,¬,,¢t rightly know exactly what a quasit isâ,¬Â¦). Finally, he found that he couldnâ,¬,,¢t get any more of the wood he needed. So much had been taken out of the forests that there just werenâ,¬,,¢t any more to be found. Well, like any good elf he loved the trees, and he couldnâ,¬,,¢t bear the thought that greed had led his people to exterminate whole races of their leafy friends. And, of course, he had played a role in it as well, and profited from it. He walked away from home and shop one day and ended up in Cormallen, where heâ,¬,,¢d heard that the rare trees still grow. Heâ,¬,,¢s a farmer now, like me, and never so much as whittles a childâ,¬,,¢s flute.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Damn greedy, lazy elves. They have slaves to do everything. Even the elves that are too poor to have slaves still feel superior to everyone else. They act like theyâ,¬,,¢ve got a damn right to everything â,¬' that gold bauble, this lovely slave â,¬' and that the whole world should be gratefully just to have their presence.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"For three years, I have been waiting to see if they will grant me admission to the magic academy in Ardamirë. I crafted a folding boat and sent it as part of the application fee, as well as a scroll with a spell of my own devising, Clianthaâ,¬,,¢s Clever Exchange. I have yet to hear back from them, but Iâ,¬,,¢ve been told that it can be five years or more before they make a decision. If they do accept me â,¬' as Iâ,¬,,¢m sure they will, of course â,¬' Iâ,¬,,¢ll gain access to the hidden knowledge of the elves. They donâ,¬,,¢t share their secrets lightly, and once I return to Istari, Iâ,¬,,¢m sure Iâ,¬,,¢ll be one of the premier transmuters. Perhaps Iâ,¬,,¢ll even rename some of their spells â,¬' Clianthaâ,¬,,¢s Celeritous Conversion had a nice ring to it. Now I just have to find a spell to match it.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
â,¬Å"Making money in Adalemnar is as easy as finding a stirge in a cave. They have a tremendous appetite for anything unusual, rare, or luxurious. One could make a good living just supplying them with the standard Ruatan herbs, bolts of Sind silk, and good wine. I found out their secret, though, and itâ,¬,,¢s made me a wealthy woman: theyâ,¬,,¢re bored. For the Calaquendi, the long life gifted to our race must seem more like a curse, long years to be filled in the pursuit of one fad after another, with each experience more exotic that the last. They have no purpose and no useful interests. We Moriquendi do enjoy our fun, but we know itâ,¬,,¢s not the endpoint of all we do. No one ever told this to the Calaquendi, apparently. I found all this out quite by accident. On a whim, Iâ,¬,,¢d bought some clever little Pel mechanical toys on my annual trip to Tenembri, thinking that my nieces might like to play with them. Well, Karani and Kihara never got their new toys, because before I went home I swung by Adalemnar to meet up with one of my caravans. While I was waiting for my newly-purchased Pel alchemicals to be loaded off my ship, I brought out one of the toys to amuse myself and pass the time. Some clerk hurrying by saw what I had and offered me 100 quadras on the spot to buy it for his master. I said yes without thinking â,¬' I had spent maybe 20 quadras for all ten toys together â,¬' and half an hour later another clerk approaches me and asks if Iâ,¬,,¢m the one with the mechanical toys. I had no sooner said yes than the first clerk showed up again. Once he realized that the other clerk was trying to buy the toys, they got into a heated argument which escalated into a bidding war. I ended up selling the last nine toys for 400 quadras each. Well, this called for a change of plan. As soon as arrangements could be made, I set sail for Tenembri again. Two months later Iâ,¬,,¢m back in Adalemnar with chests full of the toys, but now I can hardly sell them at all. One of the Calaquendi actually sneered at me and said, â,¬Å"That is so six weeks ago.â,¬Â I managed to sell most of the toys to the dwarves soon after, but it taught me a lesson I never forgot: catch a fad when itâ,¬,,¢s new, or better yet make one, but donâ,¬,,¢t bother with it if you canâ,¬,,¢t get in at the beginning. Wait a week, and you can try to catch the new fad. Because thereâ,¬,,¢s always going to be a new fad in Adalemnar.â,¬Â
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
â,¬Å"This is the most civilized nation in the world. Ardamirë is just the most exquisite city, and everyone lives in ease and luxury. I even have a slave I share with the other girls, and she just works wonders with hair and carmine. Another slave does our costumes. The silk isnâ,¬,,¢t as good as what I wore back home, but I guess they donâ,¬,,¢t sell their best stuff. Thereâ,¬,,¢s lots to make up for that, though â,¬' luscious velvets and soft cottons. Everything has little jewels sewn on, or gold thread, or these little tinkle-y bells. We get to keep all of our gifts, too, and Iâ,¬,,¢ve drawn quite a few admirers. Iâ,¬,,¢m so exotic to them. Iâ,¬,,¢m gonna retire from dancing next year, and Iâ,¬,,¢m trying to decide whose mistress to become. Caradlaen has already given me a little house outside the city, but heâ,¬,,¢s stingy with jewelry. Anatariel is so old, like a thousand years or something, but really generous. I mean, look at these rings. Isnâ,¬,,¢t that the biggest diamond youâ,¬,,¢ve ever seen?â,¬Â Carama continues to chatter on in much the same vein.
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Aiwendor
Adalemnar
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Thatâ,¬,,¢s a nasty place. I was part of an exploration party that went into the Aiwendor jungle about ten years back. It was so hot that we almost fainted, but we remained proper knights and never removed our armor. There was hardly a proper path anywhere, and our horses had the most difficult time maneuvering in the mud and brush. On the first day, Sir Bayard sank into quicksand and was lost. That was when we started to feel like we were being watched. On the third day, we skirmished with some lizardfolk and killed three. We would have taken one of the bodies back for display, but the other scalies took the dead with them. We later learned that they eat their dead and anything else they can catch â,¬' including humans. There were supposed to be elves in Aiwendor, but we never saw any. Strange things kept happening, though â,¬' one horse disappeared each night no matter how close a watch we kept, and once we found a pile of fresh equine bones. Our armor and weapons rusted faster than you could imagine, and it was a task just keeping them serviceable. Finally, after about a week, we turned back. That place has nothing to recommend it, unless you like the little jewel-colored birds that are thick as flies there.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Donâ,¬,,¢t know much about this place. The Russander elves once sent our Queen Almeria a cloak made with the most beautiful feathers youâ,¬,,¢ve ever seen, and they said that the feathers were just a poor example of what could be found in Aiwendor. They protect the elves in Aiwendor like thatâ,¬,,¢s their little brother and the rest of the world is a bully. I hear theyâ,¬,,¢re shy and wild but love their land like good people ought, so Iâ,¬,,¢ve got nothing bad to say about them.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
â,¬Å"When I was a child, my mother healed a traveling warrior of a grievous wound. In gratitude, he gave her a book bound in magically preserved leaves. It was written in Quenya, the elven tongue, and seemed to be in code, and although my mother studied for years she was never able to make sense of the book. In the fullness of time, my mother died and the book passed into my hands. With the blessing of Savras and much hard work, I was able to break the code and receive the knowledge it contained. It was the history of an ancient elven nation that fell to chaos long before the first Clan settled in Dalriada. This nation was in the region we now call Aiwendor. I donâ,¬,,¢t know much about the current state of that land, except that some elves live there still. I only know how glorious it must have been when the elven nation was at its height.â,¬Â
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"I never even heard of the place until I entered my current employment. Aiwendor is all some of these wizards can talk about â,¬' what strange spell components they might find there, what creatures might live there, and most of all, what ancient elven magic might be just laying around there waiting to be found. My boss was about ready to organize a trip there himself when one of his old masters returned from that place, blind and raving. He died a short time later, and Stannis decided heâ,¬,,¢d do a bit more research â,¬Ëfore setting set. Thatâ,¬,,¢s the best thing about my boss â,¬' heâ,¬,,¢s cautious, and that makes him real easy to guard. I was glad, too, that he put off the trip. I hear Aiwendor is hot as Akadiâ,¬,,¢s furnace and swampy besides, and I hate swamps. Would have been nice to kill an elf, though.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"Years ago I organized a little trip to Aiwendor to look for root of â,¬' well, never mind what I was looking for. There were problems from the beginning. To avoid any awkward questions from Cassiel or Russandol, I decided to hire a ship and travel by sea. The idiot captain claimed that he couldnâ,¬,,¢t dock close to shore because of â,¬Å"deep muckâ,¬Â. We ended up docking in the ocean and some filthy, leering sailors ferried me over to the shore. There didnâ,¬,,¢t seem to be any solid land at all, so I cast a few quick spells to make a solid path out of the mud until I reached the tree line a thousand feet away. I found the root of â,¬' well, never mind â,¬' about half a day later, after slogging through more hot, unpleasant terrain than I had ever wanted to visit. Well, one does what one must for Artâ,¬,,¢s sake, I suppose. On my way back to the ship I must have taken a wrong turn, though, as I passed a partially submerged stone building. Well, everyone knows that there used to be civilized elves in Aiwendor (as opposed to those half-clothed creatures they say live there now â,¬' no, of course I never saw them, why would I go looking for such things?), and I just knew this was a remnant from their time. I passed a few traps easily enough, but then I must have done something wrong because suddenly there were zombies everywhere. The stink was atrocious, believe me, but they were easy enough to fight. I finally reached the center and there, shining like a beacon on top of an altar, was â,¬' you know, I donâ,¬,,¢t believe I should tell you that.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
â,¬Å"Oh, there are elves there too. Not sophisticated and cultured ones like the Calaquendi, but these really primitive ones. Laiquendi, I think theyâ,¬,,¢re called. They wear feathers all over â,¬' not like the cute costume I wore last week, silly, but because thatâ,¬,,¢s like all there is there. No silk or velvet or even cotton. Still, the feathers are nice â,¬' when done tastefully, of course.â,¬Â
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Ammarindar
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Dwarves are like badgers. Leave them alone in their holes, and theyâ,¬,,¢re as happy as an elf in a tree. Poke them with a stick, and while you recuperate youâ,¬,,¢ll have time to regret your act at leisure. Theyâ,¬,,¢re tough fighters, hard to kill, and they know secrets to killing giants and other plagues of the mountains. The dwarves make good weapons, itâ,¬,,¢s said, but give me good Cassiline steel any day. Mostly they stay in their mountains, grubbing gold and gems out of the dirt, and I like them there just fine. They keep their women locked up tight â,¬' who knows why, itâ,¬,,¢s not like anyone would want to steal them!â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Dwarves are hard to figure out. Some love their rocks like we love our trees, and others have this unbalanced obsession with gold and gems. It seems to me that they mostly want to be left alone, and itâ,¬,,¢s the rest of the world that wonâ,¬,,¢t let â,¬Ëem. We all want their metals and, yes, their gold and gems too much to ever leave them in peace.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬ÂWhen one needs pure metals or high-quality metalwork, the dwarves can always provide. Their dedication is admirable, and very convenient for those of us who use the fruits of their labors. Most of their magic is focused on offense and defense, and is lamentably unsophisticated. Still, theyâ,¬,,¢ve had to fight to protect their sheer existence for eons, so I suppose itâ,¬,,¢s understandable that theyâ,¬,,¢d be a little warlike and primitive. I understand perfectly why they hide themselves away under tons of rock and stone. Iâ,¬,,¢ve often felt that way myself when the world is interfering with my work, and how much worse it must be to be besieged by thousands of giant-kin instead of just servants, apprentices, and clerks!â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Belindorn
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"More dwarves, just the same as dwarves anywhere. Theyâ,¬,,¢ve made some sort of alliance with those heretical Valandës, which just goes to show that you can never trust a dwarf.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Dwarves are hard to figure out. Some love their rocks like we love our trees, and others have this unbalanced obsession with gold and gems. It seems to me that they mostly want to be left alone, and itâ,¬,,¢s the rest of the world that wonâ,¬,,¢t let â,¬Ëem. We all want their metals and, yes, their gold and gems too much to ever leave them in peace.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"I once had an axe I stripped off the body of a dwarf when we raided a Belindorn mining camp. Best axe I ever swung, and thatâ,¬,,¢s saying a lot. Some of â,¬Ëem trade with us, but underhanded-like, as the rest of â,¬Ëem wouldnâ,¬,,¢t like it if they knew. They never sell us the really good stuff, though, and I canâ,¬,,¢t say as I blame â,¬Ëem, as we raid â,¬Ëem every chance we get.â,¬Å"
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬ÂWhen one needs pure metals or high-quality metalwork, the dwarves can always provide. Their dedication is admirable, and very convenient for those of us who use the fruits of their labors. Most of their magic is focused on offense and defense, and is lamentably unsophisticated. Still, theyâ,¬,,¢ve had to fight to protect their sheer existence for eons, so I suppose itâ,¬,,¢s understandable that theyâ,¬,,¢d be a little warlike and primitive. I understand perfectly why they hide themselves away under tons of rock and stone. Iâ,¬,,¢ve often felt that way myself when the world is interfering with my work, and how much worse it must be to be besieged by thousands of giant-kin instead of just servants, apprentices, and clerks!â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Cassiel
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Those damn knights think theyâ,¬,,¢re the best thing since Sehanine created the world. Theyâ,¬,,¢re arrogant and pig-headed far past my endurance, I can tell you. They treat their commonfolk like they were put here for the sole purpose of pleasing His Knightlyness. Some of their commonfolk manage to sneak away and come to settle here. Theyâ,¬,,¢re nice enough people and hard workers, but theyâ,¬,,¢re far too timid and impressed by power. As if weâ,¬,,¢re not all brothers with the dirt beneath our feet!â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Cassielâ,¬,,¢s a soft land guarded by hard steel. Their knights are good, maybe even better than we are, and watching one fight is like seeing Calamehtar come down to earth. Good horsemen, too. Most of the knights know magic, too, and itâ,¬,,¢s damn odd to see one swinging a sword in one hand and blasting out a bolt of lightning with tâ,¬,,¢other. They donâ,¬,,¢t let their peasants fight, and itâ,¬,,¢s death for one to even pick up a sword. â,¬ËCourse, itâ,¬,,¢s death to them anyway once we raid and theyâ,¬,,¢ve got nothing but sticks and little knives to fight back with. There arenâ,¬,,¢t enough knights to guard the whole land, and theyâ,¬,,¢d rather be studying their magic or hosting a party anyway.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"There is some interesting magic here, though most is too unsubtle and overt for my taste. Fireballs are so passé, donâ,¬,,¢t you think? The Cassilines do have a nice way of combining magic and weaponry, but few can really be called wizards in my opinion. A true wizard doesnâ,¬,,¢t have time to waste on learning the niceties of swordplay, and if those skills are needed we Istari just hire someone. After all, there are always plenty of hungry swordsmen available when you need them. Still, the Cassilines do have a nice reservoir of magical talent to draw from, and I believe they could excel if they just focused a little more on their magical studies. My mother was right: If one tries to be master of all trades, one ends up as master of none.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Cormallen
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"This is a land of farmers and fishers, peaceful and boring but with a steak on independence. The land is only half tamed and they can never seem to get the population up to decent levels. Rampaging monsters are a hazard year-round. They have a lot of dealings with the elves of Russandol.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Some of the other mercenaries here are from Cormallen. Theyâ,¬,,¢re good guys, crafty and brave, and they speak highly of their land. Always runninâ,¬,,¢ on and on about the color of the leaves at sunset and such like. Donâ,¬,,¢t get me wrong, theyâ,¬,,¢re not elves, but theyâ,¬,,¢re maybe as close to elves as people can get. Theyâ,¬,,¢re still all right for all that.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"This country is a nation of petty farmers. Its people are a rustic bunch with no special abilities whatsoever. I suppose itâ,¬,,¢s too much to ask that every place be interesting.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Dalriath
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Iâ,¬,,¢ve fought many a battle against the Dalriada, and I give them this â,¬' theyâ,¬,,¢re fierce warriors. Unbathed barbarians, to be sure, but ferocious in a fight. Most of â,¬Ëem fight with swords bigger than they are, it seems. The warriors have strange blue tattoos, and this makes â,¬Ëem look strange and vicious. Well, they are strange and vicious, but you know what I mean. We always warn new squires not to take fright at the Dalriadaâ,¬,,¢s bizarre appearance â,¬' they die just like other men, although Iâ,¬,,¢d be lying if I said they were easy to kill. They have a strange view of magic, too. Seem to believe only women can partake of the arcane and live to tell about it. Youâ,¬,,¢d think theyâ,¬,,¢ve seen enough of our knights hurling spells by now to know theyâ,¬,,¢re wrong, but what can you expect from uncultured barbarians? Steer clear of the woods in Dalriath at all costs. Strange things happen under those trees, and even the Dalriada are afraid of them. Weâ,¬,,¢ve been fighting those tattooed bastards for centuries, and I expect weâ,¬,,¢ll keep on fighting them in years to come. Theyâ,¬,,¢re just not the sorts of people a nation can afford to have at its back. Damnable, barely human, tattooed barbarians.â,¬Â Allard spits on the ground.
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"I admire the Dalriada for a lot of things â,¬' they love their land and treat it well, fight hard, and bring those Cassilines down a notch every chance they get. Itâ,¬,,¢s too bad that they have this strange idea that magic is suspect, unnatural, and only for the womenfolk. As if my son canâ,¬,,¢t sling a spell with the best of them! And whatâ,¬,,¢s so unnatural about it, when it springs from this selfsame ground that you and I and everyone belong to?â,¬Â
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"For such little folk, they sure do fight like demons! The women are pretty dark-eyed things but not worth the trouble â,¬' try to have a little fun with one and sheâ,¬,,¢ll do her best to cut off your balls. Cassiline women are better for that â,¬' they seem to almost expect it as their lot in life, and while they might kick and scream youâ,¬,,¢re not going to get a dagger in the back once youâ,¬,,¢re done. Anyway, the Dalriada â,¬' look out for the ones with lots of those blue tattoos, and try to kill any women who come to battle without weapons as theyâ,¬,,¢re likely to be spellcasters. Their men donâ,¬,,¢t do magic, though.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"Their only spellcasters are old ladies who live in huts in the forest. Their witchery is probably equal parts herb lore, trickery, and simple spells. Any of the people who want to study real magic emigrate elsewhere, even to Cassiel, much as they hate the Cassilines. A few of them have even ended up here. Iâ,¬,,¢ve seen them before and they have the strangest tattoos. Not magic tattoos, either; they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Heceldamar
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"This is a distant land of seafaring elves, or so they say. Itâ,¬,,¢s strange to think of elves sailing on dead wood, instead of hiding under living wood.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"These elves are as passionate about the sea as we are about the land. They are devoted to the goddess Sehanine and neglect the other gods, but in return for their devotion Sehanine treats them like her favored children. Many of them are mystics and some are supposed to be able to tell the future. My nephew spent some time in Heceldamar when he was â,¬Ëventuring and brought a Falmarindi bride with him when he returned. He says the coastline is rough and dotted with a lot of small harbors, and the elves leave the inland areas almost unexplored. There are supposed to be a lot of strange monsters hiding in Heceldamarâ,¬,,¢s backlands. His wife never spoke about her homeland, just bore him two little â,¬Ëuns and then faded away because she missed the sea so. It was a great wrong my nephew did to her, bringing her so far from home and making her live where she couldnâ,¬,,¢t hear the waves. Poor little thing.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Itâ,¬,,¢s the nature of elves to go to extremes. Thatâ,¬,,¢s just how they are. The elves of Heceldamar have a strange, excessive devotion to the sea. Yeah, I make a little gift to Sehanine before taking to the sea, just like anyone else, but mostly I ignore it. I mean, the sea is just a bunch of water, right? You can take food out of it and travel from place to place on it, and sometimes monsters come out of it, but itâ,¬,,¢s really nothing special. Well, these elves, to them the sea is everything. They think everything good comes from the sea, and itâ,¬,,¢s only their bad luck that they were born with feet and not flippers. The Istari have some interest in the magic of the Wave Mistressâ,¬,,¢ priests, and how they can tell the future and whatnot. Well, Iâ,¬,,¢m a man of action, and to me the future is what I make, not what some fish entrails tell me. These elves are welcome to their future-telling and sea worship and all that â,¬' Iâ,¬,,¢ll stick to the land beneath my feet and the sword in my hand.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"I once traveled to Heceldamar to oversee the crafting of a glass wand. The Falmarindi are masters of glasswork, you know, and their products are especially receptive to magical energies. Heceldamar is the strangest place. On the surface, everything is placid and rather boring. These elves worship Sehanine obsessively, and a great part of their day seems to involve simply staring out at the water in â,¬Å"worshipâ,¬Â. Underlying all this calm is a tremendous sense of tension that seems to come from the land itself. Iâ,¬,,¢ve been told that this is an extremely active area for elemental forces, and that might be the cause of the tension I felt. Nevertheless, I was relieved once the wand was completed and I could return home.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Hravani
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Those damnable barbarians used to be worse than the Dalriada! They harassed our shoreline mercilessly and even sailed up rivers to reach our villages. The Hravani finally had enough defeats at the hands of our valiant knights that they stopped most of their raids a few years back. Their land is a barren, icy waste, so I suppose it was only natural that theyâ,¬,,¢d be a cruel and fierce bunch. Not a lot of magic, but what they did have was ancient and strange. Still, theyâ,¬,,¢re not a problem anymore, and Iâ,¬,,¢m glad. Too much good Cassiline blood has been spilled by Hravani steel.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard that these raiders are a great threat to the northern nations. They strike fast and are supposed to be mighty warriors. If the northern nations were able to cooperate for a change, they might be able to put and end to the Hravani threat once and for all. Since thatâ,¬,,¢s not likely to happen, I guess theyâ,¬,,¢ll just have to put up with having their villages raided from time to time.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"Some of the best mercenaries Iâ,¬,,¢ve ever hired have been from Hravani. Their land is too harsh for any but the strong to survive. A lot of their warriors get tired of the cold and ice and raiding and come south looking for honest jobs. Theyâ,¬,,¢re a good, hardworking bunch, although they can get quite rowdy in their free time. Now that I think of it, perhaps conditions are improving back in Hravani, for there donâ,¬,,¢t seem to be quite as many of them around any more. Maybe thatâ,¬,,¢s just my imagination.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Istarion
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"A land that values magic above all. They say that every Istari is a wizard, from the youngest child to the oldest peasant woman. The Istari have rediscovered lost lore and created much new magic besides. What they donâ,¬,,¢t know about magic isnâ,¬,,¢t worth knowing. Still, it doesnâ,¬,,¢t do to trust overmuch in magic, and the Istari neglect their martial skills.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"The Istari think that magic is the be-all and end-all of everything. They think that magic raises them above the world, not realizing that itâ,¬,,¢s as much a part of Alcarin as a rock or a tree. Anyone who doesnâ,¬,,¢t have magic is treated like a slave and worked to an early death so that the wizards can live in comfort and ease.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"I have a lot of respect for these wizards. They made themselves a place in the world where everyone respects and fears them. Their magic is amazing, almost enough to make me wish I had been born a wizard. The Istari are crafty and devious, and they have plans that are as twisty as the Tunnels of Talavanter. They spend a lot of time plotting against each other, but also cooperating, and it makes my head hurt when I try to figure out where my bossâ,¬,,¢ loyalty lies. They always need fightinâ,¬,,¢ types to protect them from the obvious ambushes and attacks. The payâ,¬,,¢s real good, too.â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Malhavoc
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Those swamp-loving greenies would be more of a threat if they werenâ,¬,,¢t so inept. Theyâ,¬,,¢re always trying to invade from the north, and we always repel them easily. Greenies simply are no match for a skilled Cassiline knight â,¬' Iâ,¬,,¢ve killed sixteen in one battle, myself. They do make travel hazardous in the north and limit our ability to settle the land, and I suppose they kill a handful of peasants every year, but what of it? Our peasants breed almost as quickly as the greenies. The biggest problem is that we have to keep patrols on the northern border, and this diverts resources from our more vital targets â,¬' like the Dalriada.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Goblins and their kin long ago got driven out of the habitable lands. Now the only place left to them is a giant, stinking swamp. Who can wonder than now they want to stand and fight?â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"The goblinkin are trustworthy, to a point. I guess theyâ,¬,,¢re just like the Hravani that way. We have a deal with them: they leave us alone, and we leave them alone. Sometimes weâ,¬,,¢ll combine forces for a raid, but not often. Itâ,¬,,¢s happened before where weâ,¬,,¢ll work fine together during the scouting and the actual attack, then fall to fighting once itâ,¬,,¢s time to split up the loot. They have a king who tries to be strong and commanding, but keeping order among them is like trying to tame a manticore. Impossible.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬Å"I canâ,¬,,¢t see what the big deal is. Surely the Cassiline knights donâ,¬,,¢t find occasional raids from the goblins to be beyond their powers to defeat?
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Mancalë
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Anything you want, you can buy from the Mancaile. Their ships and caravans are welcomed everywhere. Other than that, theyâ,¬,,¢re not good for much. Youâ,¬,,¢ve got to watch them closely, like all merchants. Honor means nothing unless it can help them turn a coin.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard that Mancalëâ,¬,,¢s a beautiful land, but it seems like they donâ,¬,,¢t grow or make anything for themselves. They just buy from here and sell to there. We donâ,¬,,¢t get a lot of their caravans or boats here, but when they do come they have things to sell from every spot on the map. Dyes and spices, cotton and dwarven metal, glass from Heceldamar and even alchemics from far Peloriâ,¬Â¦The Mancaile always keep a sharp eye out for another coin, thatâ,¬,,¢s for sure.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"A nation of shopkeepers. Theyâ,¬,,¢ve made many Hravani rich by sailing their pretty ships in our water. Iâ,¬,,¢ve known a couple of Mancaile that left their country to join the pirates, and theyâ,¬,,¢re decent folk. Drink hard and play hard. The women are a dream â,¬' strong and brave and not afraid of anything. Bold as the men, they are.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Minalcar
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Minalcar used to be the seat of a great empire, but now its people are just vicious degenerates. They know how to fight â,¬' â,¬Å"brawlâ,¬Â might be a better word â,¬' and are trained with a host of strange weapons. Even their wizards are vicious and bloodthirsty. Itâ,¬,,¢s fortunate for everyone â,¬' especially those weaklings in Mancalë â,¬' that they are so occupied with internal feuding. I suspect that the world would tremble at Minalcarâ,¬,,¢s unleashed might, directed tactically.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Those damned imperialists. If they ever show their faces here againâ,¬Â¦Ã¢,¬Â Looks off into the distance, scowls, and refuses to say more.
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"There are lots of Minalkeshi in Istarion, workinâ,¬,,¢ as sellswords like me. Mean and proud, and strange about women, they are. They jump at any women who look twice at â,¬Ëem, then call â,¬Ëem whores for doing what comes natural. They also act surprised every time a woman swings a sword or casts a spell, like thereâ,¬,,¢s something strange about that. Iâ,¬,,¢ll tell you, too, there are a lot of women sellswords here who speak in a Minalkeshi accent, but claim to be from Mancalë or Cormallen or anywhere but Minalcar. Canâ,¬,,¢t say as I blame them for leaving, if all the men there are so damn odd. Fight dirty, too â,¬' never turn your back on one.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Pelori
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"This is a cold, distant land where magic is outlawed. They burn wizards there, and alchemy is their religion.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Donâ,¬,,¢t know what to believe about this place. Seems like no oneâ,¬,,¢s ever been there, but everybodyâ,¬,,¢s got a tale to tell about it. To make it short, they came from a land far away and they donâ,¬,,¢t like magic much. Theyâ,¬,,¢re masters of alchemics, though. The Pels mainly want to be left alone, I think, and donâ,¬,,¢t make trouble for anyone else, so Iâ,¬,,¢ve got nothing bad to say about them.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Oh, yeah, weâ,¬,,¢ve raided lots of trade ships cominâ,¬,,¢ back from Pelori. They carry strange goods that seem magic but arenâ,¬,,¢t. At least, thatâ,¬,,¢s what our old wizard said. Useful, though, a lot of the stuff. We donâ,¬,,¢t raid the land itself much â,¬' all it takes is some babe barely out of swaddlinâ,¬,,¢ cloths throwing that alchemistâ,¬,,¢s fire at you and near burninâ,¬,,¢ your toes off to decide that there are easier targets. Safer, too.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Rimmator
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"More dwarves, just the same as dwarves anywhere. Theyâ,¬,,¢ve made some sort of alliance with those heretical Valandës, which just goes to show that you can never trust a dwarf.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Dwarves are hard to figure out. Some love their rocks like we love our trees, and others have this unbalanced obsession with gold and gems. It seems to me that they mostly want to be left alone, and itâ,¬,,¢s the rest of the world that wonâ,¬,,¢t let â,¬Ëem. We all want their metals and, yes, their gold and gems too much to ever leave them in peace.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
â,¬ÂWhen one needs pure metals or high-quality metalwork, the dwarves can always provide. Their dedication is admirable, and very convenient for those of us who use the fruits of their labors. Most of their magic is focused on offense and defense, and is lamentably unsophisticated. Still, theyâ,¬,,¢ve had to fight to protect their sheer existence for eons, so I suppose itâ,¬,,¢s understandable that theyâ,¬,,¢d be a little warlike and primitive. I understand perfectly why they hide themselves away under tons of rock and stone. Iâ,¬,,¢ve often felt that way myself when the world is interfering with my work, and how much worse it must be to be besieged by thousands of giant-kin instead of just servants, apprentices, and clerks!â,¬Â
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
The Ruatan Islands
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"A bunch of sparse islands at the mouth of the Bay of Ithyr, populated by a race of little people. They can swim like fish and love to play pranks on boats that pass by. Somehow they manage to keep a hold of their little islands, even though Iâ,¬,,¢m sure Mancalë would love to get control of them.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"These are little people like the distant Sind and supposed to be their cousins or something, I think. The Islanders love water as much as the Falmarindi, but where the elves are worshipful the Islanders are playful. The two groups get along well, though. The Islanders have a lot more guts than most people give them credit for, â,¬Ëcause they managed to keep their little chunks of rock out of the hands of the Illyrian Empire long ago.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"This is a place where little men are supposed to live. Little men who swim like seals, or are seals, or turn into seals or something. A friend was telling me about it a while back, but it all got mixed up in my mind â,¬Ëround about the fifth mug of ale.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Russandol
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"More elves. Theyâ,¬,,¢re as pleasure-loving and indolent as their cousins in Adalemnar, but sharp traders like the Mancaile. Weâ,¬,,¢ve had a few skirmishes with them over our southern woods. Theyâ,¬,,¢re cowardly, like all elves, and prefer to fire arrows at good honest soldiers instead of facing them in a straight fight. Their skill with a bow is unnatural, and I suspect they use magic to help their aim. Weâ,¬,,¢ve had to put off our logging operations in the forest bordering Russandol for now, although there are plans for a distraction that will force elven eyes elsewhere for a whileâ,¬Â¦Ã¢,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"These are the very best of elves. They love their forests and keep them well, respect magic, revere the gods, and watch out for their little brothers in Aiwendor. They are good friends to Cormallen.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"More elves. If theyâ,¬,,¢re anything like their cousins in Adelamnar, theyâ,¬,,¢re haughty and proud, indolent and pleasure-loving. The Cassilines donâ,¬,,¢t think very much of them, though, which has got to be a point in their favor.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
The Scarred Lands
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"This is a vast, rocky region filled with snakes and snake people of all sorts. They donâ,¬,,¢t seem interested in expanding their land, but very few people who enter ever leave again. There are supposedly great treasures from a vanished civilization just waiting to be found there, so someone is always willing to mount an expedition into this region. I once heard a drunk tell a wild story about men being changed into snakes when they were forced to drink from a certain goblet, but I think he was just raving. Best to just leave the inhabitants alone, and theyâ,¬,,¢ll leave us alone.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Strange place, that. Seems like everyone who goes â,¬Ëventuring ends up there at some point or another. Those that come back never go in very far, and those that go in far donâ,¬,,¢t ever come back. Back when my nephew was â,¬Ëventuring, his band wanted to go there to â,¬Ëslay those foul snakes and find the ancient goldâ,¬,,¢. Thegan refused to go; well, he never did like scaly things. His friends went on without him. Only one came out, and she died soon after from a poisoned bite.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"I overheard my boss last night, telling his apprentice some rumor about great magic and wealth thatâ,¬,,¢s just been uncovered in the Scarred Lands. He wants to hire some more sellswords and set out right away. His apprentice tried to talk him out of it, but today heâ,¬,,¢s out buying all the antivenin he can find, so he must have lost that battle. If my boss is really set on doing this, I think it might be â,¬Ëbout time I find other employment. Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard too many weird things about that place to want to go one step closer. â,¬ËCourse, if there really is a lot of gold and I can bargain him up to 5% of the take, it might be worth my whileâ,¬Â¦Ã¢,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
The Sindarin Desert
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"This is a vast region of burning sand. The people there must be fierce warriors to survive in such a harsh place, although Iâ,¬,,¢ve never met one of them. Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard that they keep dragons as guards.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"The people who live here are about as tall as a dwarf, but slender. Theyâ,¬,,¢re related somehow to the Ruatan Islanders. The desert must be a desolate, awful place to live, but from what Iâ,¬,,¢ve heard the Sind are happy there. Probably because it keeps the Istari out.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"The Istari want to take over this land; itâ,¬,,¢s an open secret. If they canâ,¬,,¢t do that, they want to beat the little desert-dwellers down to the point where they have to pay tribute. There are riches in the desert, silks and perfumes and the like. If the Istari can ever agree long enough to organize their forces effectively â,¬' well, I guess this place would quickly become the Istari Desert.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
Valandil
Bocephon, a moneychanger
Valandil
Adalemnar
Aiwendor
Nâ,¬,,¢Kelma, former quenyala of the Tzachee band of Laiquendi
Ammarindar
Belindorn
Cassiel
Sir Allard of the Golden Spur, Most Puissant Knight of the Realm
â,¬Å"Religious fanatics. The less said about them, the better. Garowin may enjoy all the attention, but Iâ,¬,,¢m sure that sooner or later the other gods will band together to wipe this land from the face of Alcarin. They have some sort of unholy alliance with the dwarves, too. You can be sure that we patrol that border very carefully.â,¬Â
Cormallen
Mederi of Ettinâ,¬,,¢s Grove, farmer and militia member
â,¬Å"Back in the Illyrian Empire, one of their leaders decided that there is only one real god. He convinced a lot of people to follow him and then settled everyone in a forlorn, gnoll-infested place. They had many hard years but finally drove the gnolls away and got the land to bloom. Itâ,¬,,¢s almost possible to believe that they do have a godâ,¬,,¢s blessing. How they can ignore the proof of the other gods, I just donâ,¬,,¢t know.â,¬Â
Dalriath
Bredaia mab Raegwyn, priestess of Savras
Heceldamar
Hravani
Gunnvaldr, mercenary currently employed by Stannis of Istarion
â,¬Å"Prosperous land. They patrol their borders carefully, so the raiding isnâ,¬,,¢t easy but itâ,¬,,¢s worth it. They donâ,¬,,¢t like foreigners, even those that want to enter peacefully and through the front door. Maybe especially them. After all, theyâ,¬,,¢re rich enough not to worry about a few head of cattle and some gold. What they worry about is pollution. They donâ,¬,,¢t want their morally upright one-god people to be corrupted by the ideas of those heathen polytheists.â,¬Â
Istarion
Cliantha of the Nine Wands, Istari transmuter
Malhavoc
Mancalë
Alberic the Bold, captain of The Hippogriffâ,¬,,¢s Pride
Minalcar
Pelori
Mathak, clerk to an Otherlander trader in Tenembri
Rimmator
The Ruatan Islands
Russandol
Omolara, proprietress of The Cup and Seven caravan company
The Scarred Lands
Talissek, yuan-ti pureblood infiltrator
The Sindarin Desert
Carama Goldensands, dancer at The Veiled Nymph in Ardamirë, Adalemnar
[/spoiler]
I definitely like that idea Fatal Error, I may have to use it. Of course the concern with more than one source is that it can seem less authoritative, so you want to make it clear that everyone thinks of "X" as a bad thing, you either only need one source, you need all sources to be redundant.
You know Raelifin, if this idea takes off, you could start the Linear Guild (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0044.html).
That is a great idea, actually. At first it sounded like the sort of Volo and Elminster thing you get in the Forgotten Realms sometimes, but it's not quite the same. Really cool though.
[blockquote=Phoenix Knight]When I write a story I want to reveal what is needed for the story as its needed (obviously not leaving out anything that should be glaringly obvious). When you reveal a setting, you cannot control the character's actions or thoughts as a means to reveal the setting; you need to set up something the person running the game and the people playing in it can get through fairly quickly and concisely.[/blockquote]Not necessarily true.
In recent Finnish con the local designers (four out of the five famous ones) talked about presenting setting as adventures or scenarios; that is, you could buy, say, a module about guarding a caravan with all sorts of material related to caravan routes, dangers in them, the goods shipped, etc. It could have a generic method of building guard-a-caravan adventures or just many examples.
But now I'm actually developing the idea further.