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Looks like modern D&D prodded to a more mythic, somewhat Tolkienan direction. Paints a stark contrast between the good and the bad. Sweeping broad strokes gives it an epic feel, despite the fact that it's zoomed in on a very small corner of the world. The selection or races seems a bit odd: you've got elves and unicorns mixed in the same soup with xill and kitsune.

There's some nice quirky tidbits there that stand out positively, such as the rampaging demonic badgers.

P.S. It appears that "Amethyst" is misspelled in the both thread titles.

The feel that I get from this setting is that it's sort of post-post-apocalyptic. Something bad happened in the past, but that bad thing is pretty much over now, and society can rebuild-- but things are still sort of a mess. It leads to a sort of "points of light" feel, and I think this is actually pretty good for fantasy RPGs, because you have that rustic, exploration-oriented, "civilization ends here" game that D&D and things like it seem to thrive on, but you can also have the trappings of more advanced social organization and of course the ubiquitous ancient magical relics from whenever that do whatever. (As an aside, have you thought about what system you intend to use, if any?)

Your place names are evocative. They have this definite "Tolkien" or "Greyhawk" quality to them, or, for that matter, just random places you might in fantasy England. Generally, I like the actual places, too, as they're evocative as well, at least as a superficial overview. My big thing with settings is that I always want to know how it feels for someone walking around in it, as that's how a player is usually going to experience. You do a good job in this direction in general, giving the basic story behind the places, who lives there, and stuff like that. Having a separate section containing nothing but adventure hooks is a really good idea and helps to support this notion, as you have this immediate and very 'real' feeling list of places in the setting that characters could go and do things.

Anyway, while your description was nice and evocative, I don't particularly like the idea behind Caldera. I understand the idea is that "this dragon is bad so here's what he does," but intentionally creating conditions that are bad for his followers just because he's the bad guy and he's bad makes him sort of... well, stupid. If the whole point of him having these Goblin followers is that he can throw Goblin armies at civilization, then you'd think he'd have a vested interest in ensuring his army was as big as possible, and a good way to do that is to ensure they don't get incinerated by a volcano. Sure, he might keep them in spartan living conditions because he doesn't care that much about their welfare, but it seems reasonable to expect he wouldn't do something that could well directly harm him in the long run.

I am curious how your gods and their purview influence the society and the economy. Yasgaram seems to be "bad" and has a rather individualistic philosophy, where Almahara is "good" and preaches a more communitarian approach. Does this affect the society at all? It seems like there would be more of a focus on community, social welfare, and so on-- however, a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" rugged individualist that might be regarded as a good thing in certain societies would be more identified with Yasgaram. In particular, I wonder how this would affect adventurers, who tend to be rather individualistic, out for personal wealth and glory, and so on. Would they have to have some "higher calling" in order to to not be labeled "bad"?

All in all, I like it, though. Keep it up. :)

One issue: The spoilers for the Southern Warblade isles, Whitebuck, and Songwillow Isle look like they're supposed to have images in them, but the images don't actually work.

I see this is very much a "points of light" setting, where most of the world is going to be pretty hostile.  And even the points of light probably aren't really going to be "safe" as everyone has kind of developed this "every man for himself" mentality over the last 70 years.  So when you aren't fighting off trolls, demons, and marauders, you are warring with the next town over what little resources are available.

QuoteFew ever leave their home towns, fewer still brave the frontier and delve into the unknown. Those that do either find death or adventure...

I don't see why those two thoughts are mutually exclusive...

Of course, there are a number of tropes and standards as well.  The imperial golden age of the past, and the once idyllic land of the elves (though the elephants caught my attention, and I am curious to hear more about Will o' Wisp magic).  Rimecroft is an awesome name, though.

How long has the state of permanent warfare been going on?  It seems very strange to me that anyone would be left on the island with so many people dying every day.  Also, why do new groups (like that Drow captain and the Stone Giants) keep deciding to join in the slaughter?  What incentives are given them, and is there ever significant reason to believe their involvement will dramatically turn the tide?  Because it sounds like no matter what happens and who joins in, the two sides remain at a stalemate. 

I do like that this makes some less commonly seen monsters like the Xill prominent, though.  And I enjoy the artwork that goes along with it.

One of the problems I've always suffered from when crafting campaign settings is making them too realistic. I always concern myself with migration patterns, ancient history and very specific - and realistic - population numbers. What tends to happen is that the worlds become very well articulated but wind up loosing that je ne se quoi that makes a setting good for D&D-style adventuring. I tend to get bogged down in aspects of the world that are fairly tagential to the concept of roleplaying games and I have great difficulty pulling myself out of those trenches. I am completely stymied by my Amalga setting because I really feel like I cannot do that setting justice without writing a religious bible for it. The Dieing Sunrises setting was also bogged down by my fascination with ancient history and a lack of focus on the present. What I also have difficulties with are detailing out smaller pieces of the world as I have a bad tendency to be very macro and not micro oriented.

I wanted to do the opposite with this setting. I desired this setting to be a fantastical in nature, where all those cool monsters from the Monster Manual could have a home and actually be seen on a more regular basis than once  campaign, if it even gets to high levels. I also wanted a world where I could dive into even fairly small areas and find lots and lots of fluff. I also wanted a world that was made with D&D-style adventures in mind.

I divided the Southern Warblade isles up into various regions and rolled for which one would have the honor of being the first to get detailed and it just so happened to be Songwillow. The next region I want to detail is Archonia, which is the other small island in the south.

Quote from: Ghostman
Looks like modern D&D prodded to a more mythic, somewhat Tolkienan direction. Paints a stark contrast between the good and the bad. Sweeping broad strokes gives it an epic feel, despite the fact that it's zoomed in on a very small corner of the world. The selection or races seems a bit odd: you've got elves and unicorns mixed in the same soup with xill and kitsune.

I didn't set out to have a tolkien-esque feel but I can definitely see it now that you mention it.

I want to use interesting and evocative races and not just stick to the cliche "Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling" trope. Those four are definitely in the setting but they are not as omnipresent as they are in other worlds.

Quote from: GhostmanThere's some nice quirky tidbits there that stand out positively, such as the rampaging demonic badgers.

Badgers are some of the scariest creatures known to man (especially the Honey Badger). :D

Quote from: sparkletwist
The feel that I get from this setting is that it's sort of post-post-apocalyptic. Something bad happened in the past, but that bad thing is pretty much over now, and society can rebuild-- but things are still sort of a mess. It leads to a sort of "points of light" feel, and I think this is actually pretty good for fantasy RPGs, because you have that rustic, exploration-oriented, "civilization ends here" game that D&D and things like it seem to thrive on, but you can also have the trappings of more advanced social organization and of course the ubiquitous ancient magical relics from whenever that do whatever. (As an aside, have you thought about what system you intend to use, if any?)

It is 8 years after the 70 Years of Gloom, during which Yasgaram - some how - stopped the other seasons from coming. The world was trapped in a seventy year long winter. Crops failed, people starved, civilization collapsed. Now that the Gloom has ended, people are slowly rebuilding but the once mighty Rimecroft Empire has been completely sundered. To the people of the Southern Warblade Isles, the Empire is completely dead.

I had originally intended to run the setting in D&D Next but quickly realized the system was too variable to rely upon for a long term game. I think the setting is open enough to allow for any d20-style game to comfortably be use (be it AD&D, 3.5, PF, 4E, etc. ). Even something like Savage Worlds or a Marvel Heroic Roleplay port could be easily acceptable.

Quote from: sparkletwistYour place names are evocative. They have this definite "Tolkien" or "Greyhawk" quality to them, or, for that matter, just random places you might in fantasy England. Generally, I like the actual places, too, as they're evocative as well, at least as a superficial overview. My big thing with settings is that I always want to know how it feels for someone walking around in it, as that's how a player is usually going to experience. You do a good job in this direction in general, giving the basic story behind the places, who lives there, and stuff like that. Having a separate section containing nothing but adventure hooks is a really good idea and helps to support this notion, as you have this immediate and very 'real' feeling list of places in the setting that characters could go and do things.

I really tried to make evocative names that would catch player's attention from the get go. It isn't the most original convention for naming but it does do what I need/want it to do.  :)

I actually feel like I need to go back and write even more of this little island to really emphasize how characters live and work. What is life really like for those living in an Ewok-style forest city?

Quote from: sparkletwistAnyway, while your description was nice and evocative, I don't particularly like the idea behind Caldera. I understand the idea is that "this dragon is bad so here's what he does," but intentionally creating conditions that are bad for his followers just because he's the bad guy and he's bad makes him sort of... well, stupid. If the whole point of him having these Goblin followers is that he can throw Goblin armies at civilization, then you'd think he'd have a vested interest in ensuring his army was as big as possible, and a good way to do that is to ensure they don't get incinerated by a volcano. Sure, he might keep them in spartan living conditions because he doesn't care that much about their welfare, but it seems reasonable to expect he wouldn't do something that could well directly harm him in the long run.

Rueserond abhors civilization and wishes to destroy it brick by brick but at the same time cannot destroy that which he hates without legions of followers who will, inevitably, create their own version of civilization, if for no other reason than it is very difficult to create an army without the peripheral necessities that surround it (the need for food, equipment, fortifications, etc.). This is why he has become a bit of an adherent to Sonbahar, in so much as "might makes right." He merges the philosophies of Winter and Autumn to create a Darwinian society where the fittest (and the luckiest) survive. When he finally purges civilization from the Isle, he will surly destroy his Goblinoid society (if he doesn't turn his eye towards Warblade Isle first...).

I probably oversold the danger of the city a bit too. I wanted it to sound dangerous and exotic but it's not like whole swathes of the city are destroyed everyday. The most powerful Goblins and Xill safeguard their Igneous Castles with powerful warding spells. It is only the poor who fear the threat of death at the fiery embrace of liquid hot magma. That is why they intimidate, steal or murder their way to up the socioeconomic ladder to relative safety.

Quote from: sparkletwistI am curious how your gods and their purview influence the society and the economy. Yasgaram seems to be "bad" and has a rather individualistic philosophy, where Almahara is "good" and preaches a more communitarian approach. Does this affect the society at all? It seems like there would be more of a focus on community, social welfare, and so on-- however, a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" rugged individualist that might be regarded as a good thing in certain societies would be more identified with Yasgaram. In particular, I wonder how this would affect adventurers, who tend to be rather individualistic, out for personal wealth and glory, and so on. Would they have to have some "higher calling" in order to to not be labeled "bad"?

The Gods are ever present in society. Though I have not yet selected a name for them, the Gods have sent immortal Heralds to the earth in hope of spreading their faith. Essentially I envision them to be akin to Warforged except their whole personality is changed every season. They are paragons of the season's God's tenants. Heralds are mighty both in terms of martial ability and spellcasting. They have the power to both defend and destroy civilization. Since Heralds of Winter are so dangerous, the last act a Herald of Autumn performs is to be taken out into the wilderness and chained up, for the good of all people. In the Spring he is freed. Heralds act as mediators, judges, priests and advisers. They are never allowed to rule outright but their council is much beloved by all, from rulers to peasants. Some Heralds were damaged in some way and so do not register a particular season . Those that do not channel Winter are welcomed into cities with open arms. Others have been harmed in such a way as to channel only a single season, which is terrible if the Herald is locked into Winter. Many a story has been told about the most famous Heralds each of whom achieved greatness in the name of a particular deity.

More generally, society morphs itself with each passing season. In the spring people are revel for they have survived the Winter. In Summer society grows tight and communal problems are met with communal answers. In Autumn, the masses rally behind the strongest with the hopes that their Leaders/Tyrants will help them survive the coming cold. When Winter arrives civilization is tested to the extreme. Monsters and the wicked run rampant both inside and outside the city walls. All threats, even petty ones, are met with draconian brutality, for to survive the Winter requires channeling at least some of Yasgaram's teachings.

Quote from: sparkletwistOne issue: The spoilers for the Southern Warblade isles, Whitebuck, and Songwillow Isle look like they're supposed to have images in them, but the images don't actually work.

They were working last night... Weird.

Quote from: Seraphine_Harmonium
I see this is very much a "points of light" setting, where most of the world is going to be pretty hostile.  And even the points of light probably aren't really going to be "safe" as everyone has kind of developed this "every man for himself" mentality over the last 70 years.  So when you aren't fighting off trolls, demons, and marauders, you are warring with the next town over what little resources are available.

Exactly!  :grin:

Quote from: Seraphine_Harmonium

QuoteFew ever leave their home towns, fewer still brave the frontier and delve into the unknown. Those that do either find death or adventure...

I don't see why those two thoughts are mutually exclusive...

They definitely are not, especially if you get a bit cocky. Probably should and an "and/or" in there.  :)

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumOf course, there are a number of tropes and standards as well.  The imperial golden age of the past, and the once idyllic land of the elves (though the elephants caught my attention, and I am curious to hear more about Will o' Wisp magic).  Rimecroft is an awesome name, though.

The genre does definitely have its fairly obvious and obligatory tropes, as you said. They aren't bad tropes though, at least not to my eye. Most civilizations look fondly upon the past and only see the worst of the present.

The Elephants of Songwillow are more akin to Asian Elephants and African ones in that they live in forests and consume bark. They were never incredibly populous as Songwillow is very tiny. The Elephants exported to the Forgefathers were either the impressively large ones or smaller domesticated dwarf beasts (who were about the size of a horse).

Will o' Wisp magic is, essentially, a cheat to obtaining great magical power. Each Wisp is born with the innate energy of a particular spell. A gifted artisan can draw on that energy to craft a magical item that corresponds to that Wisps' spell. Clumsy and/or uncaring and/or vile artisans consume the entire life force of a wisp to create a particularly powerful magic item. The Empire relied on Wisps (which were obtained from across the Empire) to make life easier for everyone (but especially the wealthy) and to enhance the Empire's Legions in their never ending wars.

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumHow long has the state of permanent warfare been going on?  It seems very strange to me that anyone would be left on the island with so many people dying every day.  Also, why do new groups (like that Drow captain and the Stone Giants) keep deciding to join in the slaughter?  What incentives are given them, and is there ever significant reason to believe their involvement will dramatically turn the tide?  Because it sounds like no matter what happens and who joins in, the two sides remain at a stalemate.  

The Goblins started attacking as soon as the Gloom began. Rueserond arose perhaps 30 years into the Gloom (records are sketchy). The Amethyst Isles stretch from the tropics to the north pole and back down to the tropics in a horseshoe shape. The Empire of Rimecroft was controlled every island in the chain. The Gloom affected the whole world. No area was spared Yasgaram's wrath. As seventy years of winter raged, the whole empire turned in on itself and was completely decimated. Centralization, which had been a hallmark of the Amethyst Isles for thousand years was simply washed away leaving the barren husk of local communities to pick up the pieces after the Gloom. Across the Narrows lies the Cragcoast, which is dominated by horrifying monsters (like destrachan, zombies, stone giants and gargantuan scorpions). Only a single civilized town has survived (and people only live there because of the rich deposits of gold). Archonia is dominated by a three way war between a Hound Archon of Sonbahar, a fallen Angel who worships Yasgaram and the Werebears who want to expel everyone else from the island.  Every inch of the world is consumed by war, violence and the struggle between order and chaos. Some regions are worse off than others but the lack of communication between regions makes comparing and contrasting difficult at best.

Quote from: Elemental_ElfWhat tends to happen is that the worlds become very well articulated but wind up loosing that je ne se quoi that makes a setting good for D&D-style adventuring. I tend to get bogged down in aspects of the world that are fairly tagential to the concept of roleplaying games and I have great difficulty pulling myself out of those trenches.

I know that feeling. You get so wrapped up in the fun of world building you kind of lose track of why you're really doing it. Not to push my own focus, but that's why I try to focus so much on the "feeling of walking around," as that can really emphasizes what characters will actually see and experience. Of course, if you can fit some of that world building stuff into things seen by the characters, like, they walk by a castle which has historical significance and such, that can add great flavor and background and introduce those little details that players love to help them get immersed in the setting-- I still think it's a great thing to do some of, but it has to be the spice, not the main dish.

Quote from: Elemental_ElfI also wanted a world that was made with D&D-style adventures in mind.

Something that I think benefits "D&D-style adventures" in this setting is the general amount of ruins and such that are likely to be around, and, meanwhile, the lack of civilization to get in the way. Players are able to get in there and explore, and, as they level up, they are able to possibly become major players. I like this more than the feel that some settings convey where everything is established and important matters are all handled by "way better than you" high level NPCs.

Quote from: Elemental_ElfI think the setting is open enough to allow for any d20-style game to comfortably be use (be it AD&D, 3.5, PF, 4E, etc. ). Even something like Savage Worlds or a Marvel Heroic Roleplay port could be easily acceptable.

I think the biggest issue is going to be the magic system. If you choose D&D 3.x or PF as a basis, you get that spell system... and magic in that system can get a little bit absurd. Are you going for a low magic or a high magic feel? If you want lower magic, you might have to rework the spells available. (Or don't, and just declare that players and important NPCs are just that exceptional, but that's still a bit unsatisfying...)

Quote from: Elemental_ElfMore generally, society morphs itself with each passing season. In the spring people are revel for they have survived the Winter. In Summer society grows tight and communal problems are met with communal answers. In Autumn, the masses rally behind the strongest with the hopes that their Leaders/Tyrants will help them survive the coming cold. When Winter arrives civilization is tested to the extreme. Monsters and the wicked run rampant both inside and outside the city walls. All threats, even petty ones, are met with draconian brutality, for to survive the Winter requires channeling at least some of Yasgaram's teachings.

Is this a cultural convention, or something that is actually enforced from above by some sort of supernatural means? In the first case, is it something that some people don't follow-- are there some ardent communists or some Ayn Rand types or some whatevers who really want a given philosophy all the time? For that matter, maybe some people who think that during the hardships of Winter is the time to pull together, whereas during the comparative plenty of Summer is the time to go a little crazy and take some risks?

Quote from: Elemental_Elf

Welcome brave hero!

The Amethyst Isles have always been a dangerous place to live, as mystical creatures both big and small have called the isles home for as long as the civilized races have been keeping records. However, the good people of these diverse lands were protected by strength of dwarven steel and the might of Rimecroft's Emperors. The three thousand year reign of the dwarven Imperium ended when the dreaded god of Winter - Yasgaram - plunged the Amethyst Isles into a cold, dark night that lasted nearly seventy years. Starvation was rampant, civilization crumbled, war became endemic and death was ever-present. The amount of people that died during those seventy years is staggering. When the first beams of spring's light crested the horizon, the Isles were forever changed. In the absence of the Imperial Legions, darkness (both metaphorical and actual) had been allowed to take root. Dragons, devils and other evil creatures had become dominant powers during the Seventy Years of Gloom. The common races of Rimecroft slowly rebuilt their civilization but unity is now a dream held only by great philosophers and the descendants of the Emperors. Civilization is entirely local, with only a few trade routes springing up since the Gloom, all of which are ever threatened by the vile creatures that now haunt the wilds. Few ever leave their home towns, fewer still brave the frontier and delve into the unknown. Those that do either find death or adventure...

[/i]

I like this.

It reminds me of, well, the opening cut scene of a good computer/video RPG.  Or the intro text to certain tabletop modules/settings.  This is a good thing.

Very tiny quibble/complaint/question:  The word "amount" in "The amount  of people that died..." doesn't feel right to me.  While by dictionary definition it's fine, it feels too close to the word "quantity" for me, which would be too cold, aloof, and mathematical for this type of writing.  I'd be inclined to use the word "number", perhaps with a modifier along the lines of:  "The sheer number of people that died..."

Quote from: Elemental_Elf

Cartography

The Amethyst Isles are a vast archipelago that are spread across hundreds of leagues. The islands are populated by diverse peoples and cultures, all of whom bowed to the might of the Forgefather Emperors. The Southern Warblade Isles were conquered by Emperor Rikard Warblade IX over five hundred years ago. Twenty years into the Seventy Years of Gloom, the Rimecroft Empire officially abandoned the Southern Warblade Isles. Following the Great Retreat, civilization as the people of the Isles had grown accustomed to stood upon a knife's edge. Yasgaram sent hordes of undead, plagues and monsters to the Isles. Within a year civilization collapsed. Since the end of the Seventy Years of Gloom, civilization has slowly re-built itself but only on a local basis. Vile darkness still thrives in the wilds, ready to tear the burdening walls of progress down once more...

The Southern Warblade Isles: [spoiler][/spoiler]

Whitebuck: [spoiler][/spoiler]

Songwillow Isle: [spoiler][/spoiler]

Again, more good flavor.

For me, the spoilered images were broken.  Don't know about anyone else.

Thanks for the "sheer number" tip, it does sound better :)

I uploaded all three maps to Deviantart and then linked them in. For some reason the Google Sites links would break after a few hours. :(

Glad the images are working now.  I actually had assumed before that they were just empty spoilers that you planned to fill it later.

At some point I'd suggest that if you're going to have a map of Just Songwillow, then have it get more detailed and feature more things, because at the moment it's basically just that portion of the big map that's been blown up.  I am intrigued by the layout of Whitebuck.  I am assuming all those brown circles are trees?  I want to know more about the various Welds and Turs.  Since it's a tree, I am assuming the city will make use of the verticality?  So would each one be like, a city block?  I'd believe you if you said there was only one level and one thing per tree, but it seems like they could be taking much more opportunity to expand.  Do humans typically get lost trying to Navigate in three dimensions?  Would that be something the elves can be aloof and sneer down their noses at them for?  "Silly Human, you're on the wrong level, the bathroom is three branches down from here.  Honestly!"

One more thing: I see the Review badge you posted at the top of the page.  What qualifies earning that?

I left to go out with some friends and when I returned, I found my computer had re-started and didn't save my post :(

Quote from: sparkletwist
I know that feeling. You get so wrapped up in the fun of world building you kind of lose track of why you're really doing it. Not to push my own focus, but that's why I try to focus so much on the "feeling of walking around," as that can really emphasizes what characters will actually see and experience. Of course, if you can fit some of that world building stuff into things seen by the characters, like, they walk by a castle which has historical significance and such, that can add great flavor and background and introduce those little details that players love to help them get immersed in the setting-- I still think it's a great thing to do some of, but it has to be the spice, not the main dish.

I really like your spice analogy. I really think world building is very much a trap that ensnares you and fights you at every turn when you try to escape. You have to find a way to break free or else you wind up writings reams of information that will almost never really be applicable to an actual play session. I really think going into the eyes of a person living in the world is a great idea and I shall use it to keep me on track! :)

Quote from: sparkletwistSomething that I think benefits "D&D-style adventures" in this setting is the general amount of ruins and such that are likely to be around, and, meanwhile, the lack of civilization to get in the way. Players are able to get in there and explore, and, as they level up, they are able to possibly become major players. I like this more than the feel that some settings convey where everything is established and important matters are all handled by "way better than you" high level NPCs.

I agree. My tendency is to be very realistic with borders and politics and etc. That definitely works for a particular style of game but for D&D I foten find it to be lack luster as the end goal is to go exploring where few people really tread. If Kingdom X is constantly fighting Kingdom Y, then the entire border region is going to be well mapped out and explored.

I think there is something to say for the way David Daglish handles this concept in his novels set in the world of Dezrel, in that there is a very large piece of hilly/mountainous terrain that lies between two rivers. This area is called the Wedge and it is where civilized folk have pushed all of the monstrous races (Wolf-men, Orcs, etc.). However, I don't know how viable that is for a world (or a continent, for that matter) as it could quickly lead to a binary view of the world (i.e. "we're either in the evil zone or not").

My goal with this setting is to definitely spread threats out across to every island, that way there is adventure to be had no matter where you go.

Quote from: sparkletwistI think the biggest issue is going to be the magic system. If you choose D&D 3.x or PF as a basis, you get that spell system... and magic in that system can get a little bit absurd. Are you going for a low magic or a high magic feel? If you want lower magic, you might have to rework the spells available. (Or don't, and just declare that players and important NPCs are just that exceptional, but that's still a bit unsatisfying...)

I generally see this setting as being low-magic but being wider than a typical setting, meaning that low level magic is spread out and sort of common but the high level stuff is rare being found mostly in very powerful Will o' Wisp magic items. I generally abhor high level play in 3.PF, so I will never play that high up.

Quote from: sparkletwistIs this a cultural convention, or something that is actually enforced from above by some sort of supernatural means? In the first case, is it something that some people don't follow-- are there some ardent communists or some Ayn Rand types or some whatevers who really want a given philosophy all the time? For that matter, maybe some people who think that during the hardships of Winter is the time to pull together, whereas during the comparative plenty of Summer is the time to go a little crazy and take some risks?

The convention is pushed by the extreme nature of seasons. Imagine the worst day in winter. That is what Winter is like all the time in this world. It is snowing, cold and dark. Food stuffs constantly run low as there is never enough food grown to feed everyone. This is why the Empire was so beloved - because it could manage the distribution of food from less severely hit regions to more severely hit regions on a massive scale. With the Empire gone, that distribution network collapsed. Now everyone has to grow food for their own communities. This has caused a great scarcity of foodstuffs, which inevitably lead to individuals fighting one another for, well, the right to live.

The world is very much defined by Winter. It is brutal season where only the most stalwart, and the most craven, survive.

During Autumn, Sonbahar teaches that the strong are the ones to rule and thus the ones that will survive Winter. This invariably leads to communities going to war with one another with the aim of taking everything needed for the victor's survival. The whole point of Summer is to destroy obvious monstrous threats that lurk on the periphery of civilized lands because they become the vilest and most blood thirsty of all (as they have no social support network, even amongst kin). They destroy villages and eat civilized folk. Summer seeks to destroy them before they become a true threat (as no one wants to fight a terrifying beast on an empty stomach and in the cold). Summer is also about maximizing your reserves of food by growing as much as possible. Spring is essentially a great celebration for those who last through winter.

Communities definitely pull together but life is not fair to all. Some times a few obtain more supplies than the many. Is it so wrong to murder the few to ensure the survival of the many? Are the few in the wrong for denying the many their supplies (when, if dispersed, may not be enough to last more than a few weeks)? These are the moral questions that arise during winter. In particularly harsh winters, whole communities become plagued by theft, intrigue, murder and outright slaughter.

Quote from: Seraphine_Harmonium
Glad the images are working now.  I actually had assumed before that they were just empty spoilers that you planned to fill it later.

At some point I'd suggest that if you're going to have a map of Just Songwillow, then have it get more detailed and feature more things, because at the moment it's basically just that portion of the big map that's been blown up.  I am intrigued by the layout of Whitebuck.  I am assuming all those brown circles are trees?  I want to know more about the various Welds and Turs.  Since it's a tree, I am assuming the city will make use of the verticality?  So would each one be like, a city block?  I'd believe you if you said there was only one level and one thing per tree, but it seems like they could be taking much more opportunity to expand.  Do humans typically get lost trying to Navigate in three dimensions?  Would that be something the elves can be aloof and sneer down their noses at them for?  "Silly Human, you're on the wrong level, the bathroom is three branches down from here.  Honestly!"

One more thing: I see the Review badge you posted at the top of the page.  What qualifies earning that?

I had copied and pasted the links multiple times. Glad to know they are finally working.

A larger map of Songwillow is on my to do list though I think the current map does its job well enough as a placeholder (in that it cuts out the bulk from the main map.

The brown circles are indeed trees. The listed trees are the major trees, each of which is named for one of the great families in Whitebuck. The "Turs" are the ritziest places to live, the "Welds" less so and the "Ochurs" being where the poor live. Each of the "Turs" is over 300 feet tall, the "Welds" over 250 feet tall and the "Ochurs" over 200 feet tall. The King's Palace is well over 400 feet tall and was once an Elder Treant. There are 4 tiers each with exactly the same map layout as above, with another tier being shared between the Turs and Welds and another tier above that just for the Turs. The King's Palace has additional tiers beyond these.

This map only lists the "official" bridges, you can easily assume that there are hundreds of smaller rope bridges that traverse the gaps between the trees, as well as hundreds (if not thousands) of rope ladders that allow one to travel vertically along a single tree, which is in addition to the spiral decks that wrap around each tree and the large number of elevators that are spread throughout the city. Beyond those, there is also an entire network of pipes and pumps that allow water to flow up and down the city (so one does not need to travel to the forest floor to obtain drinking water).

Outsiders generally have a very hard time with the city as it is completely outside the bounds of their normal barely 3-D experience with civilization. Residents eventually get used to the layout but Elves above all others master the city's intricate layout.

As for the review badge, I am honestly overjoyed when people post here. So as long as you post here once, you can have the badge (even if all you do is point out a grammatical error)  :)

Work was really busy this week so I haven't had a chance to update the thread.

Is there anything in particular anyone would like to know more about?

Anything of interest (other than Whitebuck) to be found within the Dreaming Forest. Goblins. Dawntower.

Hmm... Now thatI've gotten Bastion out of my system, I'm torn as to which Isle deserves my next post... :(

So I have been DMing a Pathfinder campaign set in Songwillow for the last month. In that time I've pretty much realized I honestly do not like the D&D magic system for this world. It doesn't feel right at all. I need something grittier and less fantastic. I'll probably have to design it myself.

Apart from enjoying the variety of spells, I have disliked the D&D magic system for quite a while.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with to replace it.