The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Light DragonThe standing stone Szalks are interesting. Their evolution reflects the development of real-world culture a great deal. Do you work much with anthropology, history, or sociology as a hobby?

Considering the high stakes of the Iskite Games (egg bearing) I am surprised that the mood is so light hearted. Isn't the prize a big deal? Shouldn't the participants be more cut-throat and nasty- especially bitter ones who never win? What is the place of the never-winners in society? Arent' they looked down on? Do they not at least suffer a sense of inferiority?[/quote]
The mood is mostly light-hearted for the spectators - for the actual competitors, it is a really big deal.  It has to be kept in mind, however, that one of the reasons someone might want to have children is to have a family of their own, and the Iskites can't have that - when an egg is laid, it is turned over to the community hatchery and all records of its parentage are expunged.  An Iskite does not get to know their own children, so the tangible benefits of reproduction are fewer (certainly not nonexistent - but fewer).

There are certainly bad feelings among competitors, especially failed ones, and I probably should have spent some time on that in the description.  There is very little recourse for such a person, however.  Cheating in any way is punishable by exile, which in the deep jungle almost always means death.  Some females have managed to get in the good graces of the grandmasters who judge competitions, but in general the average Iskite doesn't have a lot of leverage on their village grandmasters.  Besides, "fixing" the outcome is likewise cheating, and even a grandmaster would be exiled for that.  I can certainly see a situation where blackmail could be an issue, however, if the competitor happened to know something they shouldn't.

The Iskite way is to take this all in stride.  If your place is at the bottom of the social hierarchy and you never win at the Sesses en Salej, you shouldn't feel bad.  That is your place and it is sinful to feel unhappy with your station in life.  The Analects teach that the greatest contentment is to be found in duty and obedience, and a female who openly acted hostile towards others because they beat her would be ridiculed or even subject to community censure.  Still, Iskites are far from emotionless, and even they can be simmering with resentment underneath a mask of humility.  One outlet for this is the path of the adventurer; a female Iskite who is unable to win at home may abandon the village and seek self-fulfillment some other way.  Perhaps she will even return one day, to show up all her old rivals with the skills she's learned - that is, if the grandmasters choose to let her compete after leaving the village.

QuoteSmith Cogs are hypothetical Cogs known only from a huge engraving on a wall deep in the underwater recesses of Teven. The wall depicts an immense vaulted room or cavern in which bipedal Cogs are bent over anvils and furnaces, engaging in what appears to be the manufacture of other Cogs. One figure holds what appears to be a Cog songbird in mid-song, but most are engaged in the production of bipedal Cogs that could either be Soldiers or other Smiths like themselves. No actual Smith Cog has ever been found. Some believe that they may be hidden away in the deepest recesses of Teven, at the base of the ziggurat where the passages are one with the dark, crushing depths of the Sea of Netai. Others believe that other ruins hold these creatures, ruins yet to be discovered within the Forest or completely submerged beneath the waters. The question that most wonder about is - who built the builders?

Lantern-bearers are a kind of Cog that dwells within Teven, dormant save for thirty-six days of the year, called 'Lantern Days' by the locals (The above-water portion of the ziggurat is inhabited, mostly by Umbril, and the settlement is part of the Netai Confederation). The city's giant steps are dotted with large stone fire-bowls. On Lantern Days, the spider-like Lantern-bearers skitter forth to light these fire-bowls with the flint-sparking mechanisms that make up their 'jaws.' The residents have learned to keep the fire-bowls well stocked with fuel, for if the Lantern-bearers find them empty, they proceed to use doors, furniture, clothing, or any other flammable belongings of the residents to accomplish their task (they will literally rip the clothes off your back if that's what's closest). Other than this use of 'local resources' when the fire-bowls are empty, the Cogs ignore the citizens totally. The citizens take advantage of the ample light by holding ceremonies, festivals, or outdoor meetings during these Lantern Nights. The Cogs do not tarry to enjoy the festivities - once they have lit their fires, they retreat into their dark lairs and wait, silently and motionlessly, for the next appointed day.
[/quote]
I really enjoyed the lantern-bearing cogs; they seem quite festive.

[ic=On the Confederation]Our contempt was our undoing.  No wall, nor bridge, nor any work made by ancient hands has ever approached what the Evne have wrought with blood and ink.  We have finally come to respect it, but they are only beginning to understand it '" they do not know what they have, and it may yet overwhelm them.
- Tzalang, Iskite Diplomat of the Right Orientation Alliance[/ic][ic=The Scourge]There are none so monstrous that they do not see the vaguest reflection of their own face in that of the grieving parent and the child in agony.  We speak around each other, but all beings are fluent in suffering.
- Kuzzun, Tahr Revolutionary[/ic]



The Netai Confederation is the present configuration of a truly ancient Umbril polity that has existed in this region since time immemorial.  It is an entity unlike any other '" a league of many villages bound together by ties of tradition and common interest instead of autocratic leadership, familial relation, or iron-clad discipline.  The Confederation has made one of the most isolated and forsaken places in the Forest into an enormous hub of trade, information, and travel, and has continued to grow and prosper in spite of the breathtaking intrigues, infighting, corruption, and conflict that often define Netai politics and even everyday life.  The Confederation is the product of both staunch Umbril traditionalism and revolutionizing outside influences, and though it is dominated by the Umbril it is one of the most pluralistic and cosmopolitan places in the Clockwork Jungle.
[note=Teven]Light Dragon brought up Teven, so I thought I'd throw out a little background on a entity I've mentioned a lot but haven't really posted much on.  Together, the Netai and the Black Circle encompass all the "cities" that exist in the world of the Clockwork Jungle (though the Netai's cities are much smaller, in some cases closer to the size of Forest communities than the behemoths of the Circle).  This also suits me because the local "area of interest" I'm working on borders the Netai and gets briefly mentioned in this post.[/note]
Early History[/b]

According to Netai Umbril tradition, the first settlements on the Sea of Netai (more traditionally 'The Indigo Sea,' or simply 'the Sea' to natives of the region) originated in distant antiquity.  It is widely recognized that a series of Umbril villages existed on the counter-clockwise shore of the Sea long before the Mosswaste existed.  Umbril, as anyone knows, subsist largely on decaying plant matter, and indeed the Evne-Umbril ('Indigo Umbril,' the distinct variety of the race that lives in and around the Netai region) remain the only ones of their kind to make meat a significant part of their diet.  It is unknown what exactly compelled these early ancestors to take up nets and spears, but over the centuries these few settlements became a loose network of fishing and trading communities scattered about the Sea's coast.

The Isles must have been discovered by these early traders and fishermen, but no significant settlements were built there.  They would only enter into the history of the Netai at the conclusion of the Age of Prophets, when the tragic quest of the Steel Siblings brought the Orange Horde to the shores of Netai.

The Netai Umbril had been in considerable decline through the Age of the Prophets.  Local mystics and oracles had fractured the Sea-wide community and petty rivalries had severely attenuated the trade that had brought prosperity to the region.  While the Evne bickered, the Peril grew in strength, and the expanse that was to become the Mosswaste was already encroaching on some villages.  Some prophets, along with their people, turned to worship of the Peril and served it even in life.

The so-called Steel Siblings (the Nevir-Umbril warlords Enti-Ven Famar and Thals-Tadun Nata) demanded their usual terms of the Umbril of the Netai, and in their disunited state the Netai Umbril had no means to resist.  The epics tell that the Horde seized the prophets, seers, scholars, and sorcerers, tied them to their treasures and manuscripts, and threw them into the sea off the Isle of Alacrity (later known as the Isle of Righteous Remuneration).  It was in the Isles that the most tragic episode of the Horde Saga occurred.  Thals-Tadun, secretly growing weary of their eternal war, conspired to remain behind while its comrade went ahead with the Horde.  A fisherman told Enti-Ven of the flight of Thals-Tadun, hoping for a reward.  Enti-Ven slew the fisherman for betraying its friend, and then proceeded to kill Thals-Tadun for betraying their cause.  Enti-Ven cursed the place where its closest friend had abandoned it, and '" in an unusual departure from his usual cold and methodical manner '" flew into a rage and had its followers burn every village it could find in a mad fury.

The Netai Umbril fled to the only place they would be safe.  Umbril from many villages came to the Isles on whatever boats they could find.  No vessels were left for the Horde to pursue them, and so Enti-Ven departed, never again to glimpse the waters of Netai.

Homeless and leaderless exiles, the Netai Umbril turned against each other, leading to the Vagrants' War that lasted for nearly a decade.  It was less a war than a period of prolonged, violent anarchy.  Eventually, two island kingdoms emerged, which came to be known simply as the Blue Principality and the Yellow Principality.  The Years of Two Crowns lasted for around 80 years, with both principalities fighting each other in an on-and-off manner for most of this time.  Finally, the Prince of the Blue, Vatav-Nel Oran, conquered his rival state and proclaimed himself 'Prince of the Green,' from the mixture of Yellow and Blue.

Vatav-Nel was, in many respects, the ultimate autocrat.  Fiendishly clever, boundlessly charismatic, and totally ruthless, it efficiently ruled through both adoration and fear, dividing its opponents and keeping any potential threats to its power well contained.  Its dynasty, known as the Oranids, ruled the Green Realm for a century.  The Oranids were not related to each other, as one expects of a typical 'dynasty;' in fact, most came to power by gaining the trust and then engineering the assassination of their predecessor.  As a result, the princes became increasingly paranoid and withdrawn, cloistered in their own world of intrigue, subversion, and political murder.

The Evne and the Aliens[/b]

It was during this period that the first aliens began settling in the Green Realm.  Vatav-Nel had dabbled with using Tahro slaves for its construction projects, but eventually decided they were not worth the trouble of controlling them and allowed them to settle freely on the shores of the Sea.  As the Mosswaste continued to expand along the coast, these Tahro began to migrate into the Isles.  Additionally, many peoples still lived nomadic existences, their villages having been destroyed by the Orange Horde generations before.  While the chaos of the Isles during the Vagrants' War and the Years of Two Crowns had not been attractive to immigrants, the stability of the Isles under the Oranids caused many aliens to seek refuge despite the political climate.

These aliens were treated poorly by the resident Umbril and exploited or ignored by the Oranids, and many immigrants built their own villages or settled more marginal islands that the Umbril had not cared to colonize.  As their numbers grew, so too did conflict between the Umbril and the aliens.  As the Oranid court schemed within the walls of Tiran Oran, alien villages were burned by Umbril mobs and riots erupted between alien and Umbril populations.  The violence culminated in the coming of the Scourge, a fungal plague that completely obliterated many alien communities.  Whole settlements died miserably under the eyes of the Umbril citizens; in some cities, the constant cries of agony prevented a single soul from sleeping.  Some survivors killed themselves after watching their families waste away; some of the doomed aliens painted their faces with the ashes of their loved ones and went berserk, murdering every Umbril they could get their hands on before they collapsed from the ravages of the Scourge or were killed by Umbril soldiers.

The Scourge Crisis[/b]

Relationships between the Umbril and the aliens up to this point had not been good, but the gruesome obliteration of entire communities sent a shudder of revulsion through the Evne citizenry from Anath to Var Umber.  Rumors spread that the Scourge was the work of the Prince itself, turning that revulsion into outrage at the unspeakable barbarity of such an act.  To assassinate a rival was one thing, but few Umbril could countenance wholesale genocide.  At first, many such opponents were learned men and philosophers who spoke out against the Prince in public and demanded change; as the Scourge spread, the common Umbril began to pay them heed.  This initial movement culminated with the delivery of a written petition to the Prince of the Green demanding its abdication, claiming that it had lost the respect of the people and had abandoned a basic level of civilized behavior necessary for leadership.

The Oranid Prince, Varan-Etun, had little experience with rulership outside of court intrigues.  Upon hearing of the petition, it ordered simply that all signatories '" and indeed, all dissenters anywhere in the realm '" be exiled.  Hundreds of outspoken scholars, philosophers, and orators were sent to the bleak Isle of Righteous Remuneration, where Enti-Ven had once killed the most learned and powerful of the sea's inhabitants.  The act only succeeded in creating a wave of sympathy for the exiles and their cause.  Despite the Prince's best efforts, the exiles were often able to sneak messages back to the other Isles in fishing boats, fanning the flames of discontent.  Deciding that the scholars were more trouble than they were worth even in exile, Varan-Etun secretly ordered a small fleet to travel to the Isle to kill them all.

The secret was found out, however, by a Tahr leader named Kuzzun.  Kuzzun had always feared that the Prince would one day seek to rid its archipelago of aliens altogether, and the coming of the Scourge seemed to confirm his worst nightmares.  Kuzzun sailed to the Isle of Righteous Remuneration ahead of the Prince's fleet.  He met with the leader of the exiles, the sage and natural philosopher Tiren-Vas, and together they agreed that the only way to resolve the situation was to unite against the Prince and dethrone it once and for all.  Tiren-Vas and the other head exiles swore that the aliens would be protected once the Prince was gone.

In the early morning fog, a flotilla of fishing boats approached the Oranid fleet undetected.  They had been stocked with wood and oil, and their pilots lit them as they drew near to the fleet.  A more disciplined crew might have been able to competently defend against the fire-ships, but the Oranid fleet had not had anyone to fight in decades and few had ever actually been in combat before.  The majority of the sailors panicked, sending ships crashing into each other as the burning boats set most of the fleet alight.  By nightfall, the mighty force had been all but annihilated.

The exiles returned triumphantly to the Isles and incited a popular rebellion of both Umbril and aliens against the Prince.  Many of the Prince's own soldiers defected and joined the rebels.  Within one week, the Prince's rule had collapsed and only Tiran Oran itself remained in his grasp.  Realizing it could not win, it escaped that night in a canopy skiff, and the next morning the demoralized guards surrendered Tiran Oran to the rebels.

Tiren-Vas, Kuzzun, and other Umbril and alien leaders met at Var Aban to decide on the nature of the new society.  After weeks of heated debate, the Treaty of Var Aban was signed, which provided for a voluntary 'Netai Confederation' in which aliens would be allowed autonomy and a certain level of political power within an Umbril-controlled government.  The Confederation's constituent islands and cities enjoy extensive self-rule and send representatives to the Confederation's College of Envoys, the popular deliberative body of the Confederation government.

The Netai Today[/b]

So it was that the Green Realm was succeeded by the Netai Confederation, which is now entering its 30th year of existence (30 CY, 'Confederation Year,' equivalent to EVP 214).  Its birth has been fraught with peril: in that short period of time, it has fought no fewer than five wars , primarily with the deposed Oranids (under the leadership of Varan-Etun and its 'successor') and an aggressive coalition of Iskite colonies along the Netai's counter-clockwise coast known as the Right Orientation Alliance.

As of the fifth and most recent of the Netai Wars (which ended only a year before the present), the Confederation has secured itself a place as the pre-eminent power in the region.  The Right Orientation Alliance officially dissolved itself as a term of its capitulation in the Fifth Netai War, though its constituent villages still form a significant military and political force opposed to Confederation hegemony.  Though the resurgent Oranid Prince captured the Isles of Solace and the city of Meja during the Fourth Netai War, much of the island chain was recaptured by the Confederation following the Alliance's recent defeat.  The 'New Green Realm' encompasses little more than Meja itself and suffers under a nearly continuous blockade.

The isles of the Confederation have gradually grown into important links in the Outlands-Circle Route, a trade route that runs from the Grove of Tranquility to the Pass of Thorns.  This trade, along with the defeat of the Alliance, has attracted the attention of the formidable and ancient Iskite villages of Scalemount.  Some Scalemount Iskites fought for the Alliance during the recent war, and the villages of the Sekah (the 'borderland' between Scalemount proper and the Netai, composed of Watzash, Ungszesh, and the Iswessan salient of the Chromatic Plain) are largely hostile towards the Evne and other Confederation peoples.

As ever, the political situation in the Confederation is precarious, though Umbril-alien relations have seldom been better in its history.  Paradoxically, the dissolution of the Right Orientation Alliance may have weakened the state; the existence of the Alliance as a credible threat helped mask internal divisions between the Confederation's constituent entities, and quarrels over the extent of local autonomy have resurfaced following the end of the Fifth Netai War.  Particularly unhelpful has been the growth of powerful internal organizations with political interests, including alien groups like the Arbalesters' League, militant Indigo Chapters (e.g. Iron Thistle, Sons of Vao, Crown of Thorns), and subversive cults like the Deadscale Order (which doesn't really have 'political interests' so much as pseudo-anarchist religious fanaticism).

[spoiler=Major Cities and Locations in the Netai]
Andar
'The City of Wandering Paths' was originally the seat of the Prince of the Blue during the Years of Two Crowns.  It served as Vatav-Nel's capital until the construction of Tiran Oran was complete.  The city is now the largest in the Confederation, sitting atop a long row of sea cliffs on the Isle of Subtle Enlightenment.  Many different narrow paths wind down the Cliffside, designed long ago as an allegorical representation of the Winnowing, the process of progressing into the afterlife (as understood by the Evne-Umbril, whose alien-influenced religious practices are somewhat different from the Umbril norm).  Andar is the home of the College of Seekers and the Grand Conservatory, where the Conservator presides over the tradition and law of the Confederation.  It is, in essence, the 'second capital' of the Confederation, and the Princes have palaces here which they usually spend part of the year.  Andar is certainly the capital in a religious sense, and the largest temples of the Confederation are here.  Unlike Var Aban, Andar has few alien residents, no more than 10%.

Inembran
'The City of Masts' actually occupies two adjacent islands in the Scarlet Necklace.  The bridge runs over a shallow strait between them.  Built solidly of limestone blocks, the bridge itself supports a number of buildings, and is in fact the primary market square of the city.  Inembran is the site of the Netai's most naturally blessed port, a deep and well-sheltered cove accessible only through a channel flanked by high rocks.  The city's choice to support the Confederation was crucial to their victory in the First Netai War, as the Confederation fleet could operate from there with little fear of counterattack by sea.  Since then, Inembran has retained the largest portion of the Confederation fleet and is a bustling merchant port as well.  Unusually, it has been the site of a small group of Gheen from the Chalicewood who fled there during the Age of the Prophets, when most of the Netai isles were totally uninhabited.  These ancient families still live in the city's smaller island, though some families were extinguished totally by the Scourge.  Inembran has the only sizeable Gheen presence of any Netai city or island, and modest populations of other aliens as well, making it nearly as cosmopolitan as Var Aban itself.

 Isle of Righteous Remuneration
Though small and rather barren, this steep-sided rocky isle is notable for its place in Netai history.  It is also known as the Isle of Alacrity, the Rock of Exile, the Scholar's Rest, and the Isle of Fate.  Here, the Steel Siblings threw the Prophets into the sea with their oracles and treasures, and the scholars and philosophers who objected to the Prince of the Green were exiled.  The burnt wrecks of the ill-fated fleet sent to execute the exiles can still be seen perched on reefs from the eastern shore.  There are no villages here, but the isle is dotted with hermitages, monasteries, and shrines, whose few devoted residents scrape an austere existence from the island.  It is rumored that the treasures of the Prophets lie somewhere near the island, waiting to be discovered.

Kalathoon
A 'protectorate' of the Confederation, Kalathoon is an island settled by Tahro, who still make up 80% of the population.  Though they pay fealty to the Confederation and supply the Isle Militia with warriors in times of conflict, they are permitted to govern themselves.  The island is known as the 'Isle of Baleful Music' by the Umbril, who did not settle the island originally because of its peculiar rock formations.  The island's wind-carved spires fill the island with hollow, haunting melodies whenever the wind is high.  Umbril generally find the 'music' extremely grating, while the Tahro seem to enjoy it and attach some spiritual significance to the island.  The Tahro residents welcome visitors, but trade on the isle is not very brisk, as the Tahro are quite self-sufficient.

Meja
A minor but still significant city in the Isles of Solace during the years of the Green Realm, Meja was captured by forces loyal to the exiled Oranids during the Fourth Netai War.  It was briefly the capital of the Yellow Principality during the Years of Two Crowns.  Now, the city struggles under a Confederation blockade; the Confederation has been in possession of some of the Isles of Solace since the last Netai War, and is gradually tightening the noose on Meja by interrupting its trade and raiding surrounding villages and ports.  The Prince of the Green, Atuls-Yan Oran, still reigns here, and retains control over the dubiously loyal Umbril population with the help of alien mercenaries.  Meja sits on the inner slopes of an ancient crater which descends to the sea on one side, making it an incredibly strong defensive position.

Teven
'The Venerable City' takes its name not because of the city's own great age '" it was only settled in the early years of the Green Realm '" but from the ground it rests on.  Its isle (also called Teven) is not an isle at all, but the very top of a truly immense five-sided ziggurat-like structure, another ruin from a distant age.  Many ruins lie beneath the Sea, but Teven is one of the few structures that actually breaches the surface.  The city and the island are one and the same, and the city is divided into 'steps' from the Lighthouse Step at the top to the Wayfarer's Step at the bottom, where the city's ports are located.  Numerous rooms and halls within the ruin have been reclaimed, and much of the city is indoors.  There are deeper reaches of the ruin, however, that have never been breached, and most of the structure is under the surface of the water, likely riddled with drowned halls that no citizen of Teven will ever see.  Perhaps Teven's most interesting features are its Cogs.  On certain days of the calendar, Cog 'lantern-bearers' issue forth from the innermost chambers of the ruin with oil lamps and light bronze fire-bowls throughout the ruin.  The city has a designated officer who keeps the fire-bowls stocked with fuel, because if they are not well-stocked the Cogs proceed to use doors, furniture, or any other flammable belongings of the residents to accomplish their task.  Other than this use of 'local resources' when the fire-bowls are empty, the Cogs ignore the citizens totally.  The citizens take advantage of the ample light by holding ceremonies, festivals, or outdoor meetings during these Lantern Nights.

Tiran Imar (Tiran Oran)
The 'Fortress of Oran' on the Isle of Redoubts was originally built by Vatav-Nel as a fortified palace where he could keep the court and apparatus of state under close watch.  It was the capital of the Green Realm until its fall.  After the First Netai War, it was renamed Tiran Imar (the Violet Fortress).  It was then largely uninhabited until the middle of the Third Netai War, when the newly-created Smokefleet reclaimed the fortress and made it their headquarters and main barracks.  Most civilians who live on the island are in some way affiliated with the Smokefleet, providing food, craftsmanship, or labor to the local military.

Vanam Dur
'The City of Coral and Steam' has undergone many changes from its days under the Oranids, under which it was more commonly known as 'The City of Limitless Anguish.'  The settlement of Vanam Dur was founded by a regional overseer during the reign of Vatav-Nel as a private domain of luxury; the archipelago it lies on, called the Scarlet Necklace, has natural hot springs and a bright blue lagoon that sparkles with bright coral and shells.  Vatav-Nel became suspicious of the overseer and eventually had it murdered, and the isle passed to the Prince of the Green, who had little use for luxury.  It was transformed into an alien slave colony, and was mined for coral and stone.  Vatav-Nel eventually terminated the slave project and cleared the archipelago of residents, but its successors used the largest island as a place where prisoners were discreetly worked to death far from the prying eyes of the court.  The psychopathic Ineven-Nel Oran built the city as a sort of combination penal colony and social experiment, in which various criminals, luckless courtiers, and the urban poor were sent and unleashed upon each other without enough resources to go around.  Eventually it was decided that the city was a blight on the Principality, in part because it was a breeding ground for pirates, and later Oranids conducted culling raids that decimated the population and turned the city into a ghost town (literally '" the city was at one point almost wrested from Oranid control by the Peril after a particularly bold plot by a Saffronite sect).  One of the first major projects of the Confederation during the period of consolidation after the Third Netai War was the rebuilding of Vanam Dur into a proper city, a project which is still ongoing.  Some still consider the city to be 'tainted ground,' and growth is slow despite the area's natural beauty, which has remained largely untarnished despite all the ugliness that infested it for so long.

Var Aban
One of the richer and more populous settlements of the Netai during the years of the Green Realm, Var Aban was a hotbed of anti-Oranid sentiment and became the capital of the Confederation in YC 2.  It has one of the highest proportions of aliens among the cities of the Confederation, about 40%.  The city is also known as the 'City of Two Ports' because it sits on a narrow isthmus and actually has a port on each side of the island.  Var Aban is home to the Twin Palace, the primary residence of the Prince of the Yellow and Prince of the Blue; the Sublime Assembly, where the College of Envoys meets; and the Coronal Tower, the residence and office of the Coronet of Aliens.  The skyline is dominated by these buildings as well as the Gate of Unity and Strength, a great buttressed arch built after the Third Netai War to commemorate the founding of the Confederation.  The city is equally well known for the smell of fermented fish paste that hovers in the air, for it is the source of this strong-smelling product so beloved to the Evne.

Var Umber
Nestled within the White Forest, an archipelago of thousands and thousands of steep-sided limestone islets, is the city of Var Umber.  It is also known as 'The Heart of the Maze' and 'The City of Deep Reverence.' Thanks to its isolation and strategic position, Var Umber was frequently independent until the later Years of the Two Crowns, when it was defeated by the Prince of the Yellow.  Var Umber developed its own unique culture during this period, with the citizens largely worshipping an aquatic deity called 'The Elder Serpent.'  During the reign of Vatav-Nel, an immense sea monster appeared before the city, claiming that it was the very same Elder Serpent and had been awakened by their worship.  Though part of the Green Realm, Var Umber was largely left to rule itself, as the Princes of the Green feared what would happen if they sent a fleet up against Var Umber's supernatural protector.  In YC -21, the Elder Serpent retreated into a grotto and became dormant, but by this time the Oranids were too concerned with political intrigue and civil unrest to bother with the Heart of the Maze.  Only in YC 28 (two years ago) did the Serpent re-emerge, having shed its skin and now calling itself Nurels-Aumajen ('Sublime and Munificent Mentor').  Since its reawakening the Serpent has taken on more of an advisory role in the city's government, and Var Umber is a full and participating member of the Confederation.

Zalssasth
The largest settlement in the Anath archipelago, Zalssasth was originally an Iskite village, though it was under the dominion of the Green Realm.  The fall of the last Prince of the Green spurred the Right Orientation Alliance to conquer Anath and 'liberate' Zalssasth and other villages in the Second Netai War, but in YC 11 the village fell to Confederation forces again.  The Confederation attempted to fortify the region by settling more Umbril in the area, and Zalssasth now has around 40% each of Umbril and Iskites.  This is often a source of conflict, but the town is also an important trade port and enjoys the same rights as any other in the Confederation government.  The Umbril, who have difficulty pronouncing 'Zalssasth,' refer to the city as Valsath.[/spoiler]

[ic=The Ship of the Dead]Beware the ship of tattered sail,
That rows in dreadful silence on,
That moves with ease into the gale,
And vanishes with break of dawn.
- Evne mariner's poem, traditional[/ic]


[/b][/size]

 Since the days when the Evne-Umbril first cast their nets in the waters of the Sea of Indigo, they have told tales of a dreadful ship that stalks the sea, searching for unwary fishermen to snap up.  It is a vessel of the very Peril itself, the Saffron Moss, crewed by Abominations.  The way the wind blows means nothing to this dread ship, for the Breath cannot touch it '" it moves as it pleases, even against the wind, propelled by an unseen force that fills its ragged sails at all times.

The legend of the Perilous Ship is one that is well-known throughout the Netai.  Nobody can say from where the legend derives, but in the present day it is known not only by the Evne, but all the peoples that call the Netai's isles and coastlines home.  The sea borders the Mosswaste itself, so it is perhaps unsurprising that fear of the Peril and fear of the open sea have combined into a single dreaded entity.  To dismiss it entirely as a myth, however, could be a grave mistake.  The Peril is intelligent and clever, its Abominations legion '" why couldn't it do such a thing, if it had purpose?  And how else does one explain the sightings of ships over the years that pass in the distance over becalmed waters as if a gale were at their backs?

The form taken by the Perilous Ship has changed throughout the generations, reflecting the common types of ships in use at the time.  Modern versions of the story usually describe it as an old war-galley with a weathered and ragged appearance.  Some say it has tattered sails that don't seem like they should be able to hold wind at all, while others omit this detail.  Some have claimed that it carries a bright saffron banner, while others say the sails are saffron, and still others swear that it has no sails or pennants at all, yet moves with the phantom wind regardless.  The varying reports cause some to doubt the entire story, but others maintain that there may well be multiple such ships (for if the Peril could crew one, why not another?).

Accounts also vary as to what exactly the purpose of the ship is.  It is widely blamed whenever a vessel disappears without a trace, sometimes in jest and sometimes with grave seriousness.  Some say that sighting the ship is an omen of disaster, and it has been claimed the ship was seen by the Confederation fleet at White Feather Bay just before their crushing defeat during the Second Netai War.

Like all legends, this one has a basis in fact.  The Saffron Moss has occupied the outwise shore of the Sea of Netai since the Age of Prophets, and crews that run aground there are often quickly snapped up by its servants.  Usually, they do not stray beyond that, though a particular incident from the years of the Oranids is still remembered with great fear.

The Blight of Vanam Dur[/b]

In the years of the later Oranids, the city of Vanam Dur was less a city than a half-empty ruin.  Populated by exiles, pirates, and other people unwanted in Evne society, it was subject to periodic reprisals by the Oranid military.  These 'terror raids,' made primarily to disrupt society and any attempts at piracy or trade in stolen goods, were conducted every year (and sometimes more than once a year) without any warning.  At first, the bandit-kings of the city put up some resistance, but their power was soon broken by repeated assaults from the far better trained and equipped Oranid forces.  The Oranid commanders, finding that it was good practice for an army that seldom had anyone else to fight, purposefully delayed a permanent occupation of the city to retain the 'services' of its hapless people as training tools (or, more accurately, targets).

As the population dwindled to a few hundred frightened and sickly souls hiding in ruins and grottoes, further raids became rather pointless.  The corpses of the dead and the horrible living conditions of the locals contributed to recurring plagues that dissuaded the Oranid army from returning in force.  Certainly the Princes of the Green had no interest in resettling the isle; Tiran Oran was already trapped within a sphere of decadence and intrigue that would lead to the final rebellion, and its rulers forgot all about Vanam Dur.

Thus, when a group of meek-looking Evne cultists calling themselves the 'Redeemers' came to Tiran Oran asking for permission to build a hermitage in Vanam Dur, the Prince saw no reason to refuse their request.  Why they wished this, the Prince did not know, but at the very least it would lead to an entertaining story of a gaggle of naïve hermits being eaten by the 'ghosts' of the City of Limitless Anguish.  The Redeemers thanked the Prince for its wisdom and departed for the isle.

The Redeemers had a very different plan in mind, for they were Saffronites, the boldest and most ambitious of their kind the Netai has ever known.  They bore the fruit of the Saffron Moss to Vanam Dur, and weapons enough to defend themselves with.  Like the raiders before them, they slaughtered any local they could get their hands on, but then purposefully infested them and began to raise an army of the blighted dead.  With no communication between Vanam Dur and the outside world, they had free reign over the island, and soon hundreds of Abominations roamed over an isle already dotted with orange patches of the Peril.

It was fate that brought a merchant vessel of Inembran to this corner of the Scarlet Necklace.  Having been blown near the isle by heavy winds, the captain feared his ship would be taken by pirates, but was shocked to discover that pirates were no longer what infested Vanam Dur.  He informed the Prince, who was compelled to act '" mere bandits were one thing, but the Peril could not be allowed to grow upon the isles themselves.  A bloody invasion followed, and the Peril's servants were only defeated with great difficulty and loss.  Finally, however, the horde was stilled, and the cultists seized and imprisoned.  They were taken to Andar and burned alive in a public ceremony, but some died insisting that a few of their comrades yet lived and would avenge their deaths.  The isle itself took years to purge of every last trace of the Peril, but was finally declared cleansed just one year before the beginning of the Scourge Crisis.

Officially, there were no survivors among the cultists or their Abominations.  Rumors, however, hold that the words of the dying cultists were true, and that some did indeed escape on an old pirate vessel with a host of Abominations, and even now continue to prey upon lone ships in the night.

The Saffron Flyer[/b]

Since the introduction of the ''khauta'' to the region, the myth has also gained another variant '" that of a Perilous Ship that is not a galley at all, but a Smokeship.  It is unclear where the Peril would acquire or how it would use such a thing, but a few Netai flyers claim to have seen flying vessels following them in the pre-dawn mist, or moving rapidly against the wind in a way that no khauta can.  As khautas have been known to occasionally wreck within or near the Mosswaste, perhaps there is some potential for this to be true as well'¦

Varan-Etun is said to be assassinated (or so it is believe), is this true or to be left ambiguous (up to the GM)? Did he perhaps turn into a telavai?

Where does the name of the Right Orientation Alliance come from? Does it have any special significance? Political maybe?

I guess more information on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Netai Wars would be nice, but I guess it is just a matter of time. Was Right Orientation Alliance destroyed in the Third Netai War?

Quote from: 14 VirtuesFor reference, the 14 virtues are divided into Virtues of the Self, meaning things cultivated towards one's self, and Virtues of the Other, right attitudes and obligations towards other people.  They tend to mirror each other - for instance, orientation is knowing your place in the world, while humility is the practice of demonstrating that you know your place in the world to others.  Tranquility is being unperturbed by shallow, silly, distracting, or meaningless things, while gravity is the ability to express yourself to others in a way that demonstrates your seriousness and freedom from such trivialities.  The "good Iskite" is expected to demonstrate all of these qualities.

[table=Virtues of the Self]
[tr][th]English[/th][th]LT[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Knowledge[/td][td]ishengo[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Industry[/td][td]szikul[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Orientation[/td][td]ilassk[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Discipline[/td][td]jungesh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Courage[/td][td]szusse[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tranquility[/td][td]as†"enge[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Respect[/td][td]asskuw[/td][/tr]
[/table]
[table=Virtues of the Other]
[tr][th]English[/th][th]LT[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Wisdom[/td][td]unungss[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Excellence[/td][td]kazij[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Humility[/td][td]ssewa[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Honesty[/td][td]tzutze[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Duty[/td][td]salej[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Gravity[/td][td]esthak[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Solidarity[/td][td]ungsij[/td][/tr]
[/table][/spoiler]

The ROA (the Iskites wouldn't use that abbreviation, but it works for us) was only involved in the second, third, and fifth Netai Wars, after which it was forcibly disbanded.  That's only one year before the "current game date," EVP 214, so it is by no means ancient history.  There are plenty of Iskites who want to reconstitute it, but to do so would basically be an act of war, and the Iskite villages of Watzash - having just been defeated last year - are not yet in a position to start another war.  Eventually, however, there will almost certainly be a Sixth Netai War between the Confederation and some kind of resurrected ROA unless tensions between the Sekah ("borderland") Iskites and and Confederation can be calmed.  I can definitely see that as a more social and intrigue-oriented adventure in which the PCs take the role of diplomats or mediators - or maybe they want the war, and try to inflame tensions instead.

I've been messing around with GIMP!  Unfortunately, just a bit of messing around has shown me just how deficient I am at this.  That aside, however, I used this helpful tutorial designed for making simple maps, and banged out a new version of the regional map in about an hour.  Yes, I know, it's not really any new material, just a gussied up version of the old map, but being able to make something - anything at all - that looks halfway decent makes me happy.  My ultimate goal is to make detailed "regional maps" that have details like terrain and settlements in them, because the world map will always be too large to show such things (it's about 3,000 miles across).  Perhaps this is the first step towards that goal.



And no, the known world isn't actually a seven sided shape, despite what the Iskites may tell you.  I've got a geometric theme, though, and I'm sticking with it!

[ic=A Riddle of the Vinetrough]What eats the world over, but is never sated?[/ic]


[/b][/size]
For residents of Earth, carnivorous plants are rare and interesting botanical curiosities.  Venus flytraps are a danger to flies, but not much else, and they are in a fairly select group of plants that are adapted for catching and killing prey.

In the Clockwork Jungle, carnivorousness among plant life is much more common.  Perhaps 10-20% of all plants, including many species of trees, are in some way carnivorous.  Like rainforests on Earth, much of the Forest suffers from poor soil, for the ever-present rain constantly leaches nutrients from the ground.  The consumption of animal matter is a method by which many plants deal with this.

Most consume only small creatures '" insects, lizards, and birds '" but some plants feed off larger game and can pose a real threat to travelers, especially those who travel alone.  No carnivorous plant in the Forest is truly intelligent as we would define the term, though those who believe in the sentience or divinity of the Forest itself believe that all plants share in that great consciousness.  Despite their mindlessness, these plants are killing machines par excellence, whose only function is to catch prey and turn it into energy.

Alak-veil

Also known as the False Alak and the Spiny Bed, the Alak-veil is a parasitic and carnivorous plant that grows around the trunks of tall trees, especially the family of high forest trees known as Alaks (Alaks are quite common '" the Red Depths, a region of the Forest, derives its name from the red-tinted leaves of the Fiery Alak).  The Alak-veil begins its life as a vine, but as it grows it begins to cover the tree in stems that eventually merge together into an extra layer of 'bark' around the tree.  This bark bears a very close resemblance to the papery bark of the Alak, making it difficult to tell the difference with a casual glance.  Initially, the Alak-veil taps the tree's own sap for sustenance (it has no leaves of its own), but as it matures it requires more food than can be procured this way without killing its host.  A mature Alak-veil grows a cluster of what appear to be large flower buds at the base of the host tree; these vary widely in shape and color (and a single plant may have several differently colored and shaped flowers) and are very hard to identify as such, but are always odorless.

Putting pressure on the upper reaches of an Alak-veil (usually around 50 or so feet from the ground) causes it to exude a slimy, grease-like sap that makes it virtually impossible to hang on to the bark.  At the same time, its 'flowers' open up and bloom, revealing that they are filled with tough, woody thorns, some of which are more than four feet long.  The hapless climber slips and falls, and if the fall does not kill him, the bristling spikes below probably will (either immediately or through exsanguination).  The plant thrives off blood of any kind.

Alak-veils give many hints for a seasoned scout to find.  Flowers (even large ones) around trees are common, but most have some sort of smell, unlike the Alak-veil.  Cutting into an Alak-veil's bark will also reveal its nature, as one will find another layer of outer bark beneath (as will cutting into its flowers, which reveals the vicious spines).  Scavengers usually get rid of animal remains around the plant's spines, but if an Alak-veil has killed recently, there will still be bones or bloodstains around.  Metal or stone equipment will remain for a long time, but such caches are often mistaken for detritus from some lost village or caravan (not an entirely uncommon thing to find).

Because the Gheen can usually move into a glide before they hit the ground, they are not as threatened by these plants, and sometimes harvest Alak-veil sap to sell to the Iskites or others as a base for gear grease.  Some dreys even cultivate the plants around the trees they inhabit as a natural defense against their enemies.

Oxeater Iris

The Oxeater Iris, or 'Caravan's Bane,' exists primarily as a large bulb just below the forest floor.  The largest Oxeater Irises have been known to weigh as much as a ton.  The bulb has a hollow stomach, however, concealed by the bulb's exterior skin.  From the surface, the plant looks like a slightly sunken patch of verdant moss.  Those treading over it easily fall through the thin skin-leaves and into the stomach, which is partially filled with a strong digestive acid.  Large Oxeater Irises can hold several creatures in their stomachs; tzaus (ox-like draft animals of the Forest), usually used for caravan duty, are a common prey of these plants, giving them their common name.

There are persistent tales of 'Saffron-bulbs,' similar plants that look like a carpet of orange moss instead of normal green moss.  Rumors disagree as to whether this is a separate species or a corrupted Oxeater, but many claim that instead of eating creatures, they turn them into Abominations through an excruciatingly painful process and then spew them forth to do fell deeds in the service of the Peril. There are many stories of these plants in Forest communities, but few herbal and botanical scholars have believed the tales credible enough to include in their pharmacopoeias and other scholarly works.

Boltwheel

The Boltwheel Fern has several reddish-green fronds that remain curled into fiddleheads throughout the plant's life.  Instead of unfurling and maturing like most of the plant's fronds, these 'needle fronds' are packed with tiny poisonous spines about the size of a toothpick.  When the plant senses vibration nearby, one (or more) of these fronds unfurls violently in the direction of the vibration, releasing a cloud of poisonous needles in a wide spread.  The missiles are inaccurate and stopped easily by even fairly light armor, but the plant hurls so many of them that one can easily find a small patch of unprotected skin.  Though its poison is very deadly, it takes over a day for a frond to regenerate its spines, and it is easily fooled by Cogs and other things that cause vibrations but are invulnerable to poison.  The plant does not actually eat those it kills, but requires well-fertilized (by corpses) soil to remain healthy.

Boltwheel poison is difficult and time-consuming to harvest (not to mention dangerous), but retains its potency for up to a week outside the plant and commands a very high price.  The Iskites consider boiled Boltwheel fiddleheads (the normal fiddleheads, not the needle fronds) to be a special delicacy, though not one often eaten.  Boltwheels are never purposefully planted, but sometimes infest battlefields, recent graves, and other places where corpses are already available.

Legionflower

The Legionflower is a greatly feared plant, perhaps more so than any other carnivorous specimen.  The Legionflower plant is a thick, creeping vine that winds just below the leaf litter on the forest floor.  Its flowers, each about the size of a Gheen, have remarkably thick and tough tongue-shaped, saw-toothed petals.  These squid-like flowers are immobile until a creature happens to touch one of the numerous hair-like 'feeler vines' that branch off the main structure.  Immediately, the flowers open and attack, moving on their own accord by scuttling around on their petals in a peculiar insectile manner.  They clamp onto creatures and thrash violently, tearing at flesh with their serrated petals.  Separating the 'flower' from the plant by severing the connecting vine immediately renders the flower inert, but the Legionflower plant swarms opponents with flowers, making it very difficult to fend them all off.  The flowers are not 'mouths' as such and do not eat; rather, the plant simply grows its vines into the dismembered corpse and consumes it over time.

Legionflowers are considered a hated scourge by every race in the Forest (though Gheen seldom encounter these forest floor plants).  They are very difficult to eradicate, however, and most sensible folk prefer to stay far away.  There is a legend that an pre-Recentering Overseer of the City of Orpiment kept a private Legionflower patch and used it to execute prisoners and rivals.  The great difficulty of restraining and managing such a patch, however, strains the story's credibility.

A stylized Legionflower bloom is a common symbol in the Forest representing ferocity, fearlessness, and war.  It can often be seen on shields and banners, and a black Legionflower bloom on an orange field was the battle flag of the Steel Siblings and the Orange Horde in general.

[spoiler=The Standard of the Orange Horde][/spoiler]
Lung Tree

The Lung Tree is a most peculiar plant.  Instead of feeding on the bodies of creatures, it feeds directly on the Breath, sapping the life energy of its victims much as a Siphoner might.  Lung Trees are short and wide by Forest standards, extending a broad canopy that can span hundreds of feet.  Fleshy, translucent puffball-like sacs hang from its boughs, each one with a small hole underneath.  Close inspection reveals that these sacs breathe constantly, each making a faint sigh that sounds like soft wind from a distance.  Any who pass underneath the tree are subtly drained of the Breath, and begin to feel fatigued after around one minute.  Fortunately, the siphoning effect is so minor that it poses no risk to life; as long as one does not channel, one cannot be any more than fatigued by the tree.

Any being who channels the Breath underneath the boughs of the Lung Tree immediately attracts its attention.  The sacs above release a cloud of nearly invisible pollen-like dust that is a powerful hallucinogen.  Those who breathe this dust are assaulted by nightmarish creatures and images that seem completely real.  The tree begins to siphon the Breath of the channeler in earnest, draining their life away to nothing.  Every time the victim channels to defend himself or escape from his illusory attackers, the process is only speeded.  The victim dies in mere minutes.

Lung Trees are a menace, but are difficult to destroy, as they also release their hallucinatory dust when attacked or damaged.  The tree can survive being completely leveled or burned down as long as its thick taproot remains intact, which can go down 30 feet or more.  Lung trees, however, do provide a service to the civilized races '" it is possible, though difficult, to harvest its dust.  'Lung Dust' can be used as a weapon, usually delivered by a small, single-use blowpipe that is blown into an enemy's face.  Some Tahr bloods intentionally use the dust on themselves, believing that it allows an individual to face their greatest fears and builds character and courage.  When kept in a cool, dry container, Lung Dust can retain its potency for months, sometimes up to a year, making it much more feasible for commerce than many poisons that degrade far more quickly.  Its effects fade about half an hour after exposure ends.

Quickvine

The unassuming Quickvine is a great danger to lone travelers.  Appearing much like any number of other jungle creepers, the Quickvine is dark green and rope-like, and is studded with small spherical buds.  The Quickvine, however, takes the shape of a web.  This layout is often missed by travelers, as it generally is covered by other low-lying plants and leaf litter.  The vines themselves are wiry and strong '" when a creature steps on one, the whole network balls up as if spring-loaded.  The victim is often hopelessly trapped before they even know what hit them.  In minutes, the vine's buds bloom into vivid yellow flowers that exude an overpowering scent identical to that of rotting meat.  Scavengers and desperate predators attracted by the scent then do the vine's work for it '" sooner or later, the subject is killed if it cannot extricate itself.  The vine, for its part, feeds off the carcass.

Quickvines are generally only a threat to lone travelers; they cannot defend themselves from another person cutting them away from their victim.  The travelers may still have to flee, however, as there is little time to cut away the vine net before the scent begins to spread.

Quickvines make some of the strongest ropes in the Forest (short of some non-plant fibers like Saryet silk) and are especially favored by Gheen for construction in the canopy.  The Umbril also have a use for the plant; as connoisseurs of decay, the Umbril consider the scent of the Quickvine to be delightfully appealing and use its crushed flowers to accent their food.  'Quickvine Paste' is one of the most prized spices of the Umbril, but it only retains its strong scent when relatively fresh and moist.

Devouring Parasol

Up in the canopy hangs the Devouring Parasol, waiting to fall upon the unwary below.  The parasol looks much like a large pair of oval-shaped jaws, similar to those of a Venus flytrap but a dozen feet across when open.  It hangs from a high branch, attached by a tightly coiled vine.  The parasol has primitive 'eyes' around the edges of its jaws that can detect motion and changes in light directly beneath it.  When it detects something of interest, the coil slackens, the jaws fall upon the target and snap shut, and the coil begins to tighten again.  As the jaws are drawn up again (presumably with the prey inside), the plant begins to generate digestive acid.  The jaws are tough and difficult to cut through.  Cutting the jaws from the vine is somewhat easier and stops the generation of additional acid, but the subsequent fall may prove lethal (and the jaws must still be hacked or pried open).

The innate coils of the Devouring Parasol vine make it unsuited for rope, and creating acid in a laboratory is far easier than harvesting it from this plant.  As a result, it is not considered a useful plant and is often eradicated from the environs of nearby settlements.  The Gheen have been known to occasionally grow the plant beneath their dreys, however, as a natural defense against their enemies.

That is an absolutely gorgeous map.

Polycarp, are Cogs often attracted to/by Lung Trees? Can they usually be found near them? Or at least more often then in other places of the forest?

Quote from: SteerpikeThat is an absolutely gorgeous map.

Thanks - though as I noted, it's just me following a tutorial.  It's really easy to use if you want to make one in a similar style.

Quote from: LlumPolycarp, are Cogs often attracted to/by Lung Trees? Can they usually be found near them? Or at least more often then in other places of the forest?

Hm, that's something I hadn't considered.  If Lung Trees work like a regular Siphoner, then yes, they would be attracted.  There are no known Cogs that channel, however, so they would never trigger the tree's draining power (and they don't get fatigued, either).  I like the way that's going; Cog-hunters might be attracted to the tree even though it's dangerous, perhaps not knowing what they're under.  Cog predators might prove even more dangerous to travelers than the illusory monsters of the tree itself.

More Messing with GIMP

I've been expanding my GIMP project with a foray into bump mapping.  As it turns out, some maps are pretty good for things like forests and mountains.  Here is my current "terrain test" with some forest and some Obsidian Plain:



Of course, I still have problems.  The border between terrains is a bit of a hash, though it's not all my fault - normal forest progression requires that barren land become grassland, then scrubland, and then forest (or something like that).  The Forest (note the capitalization), in contrast, grows so quickly that it just "expands" and doesn't really undergo that gradual conversion.  The result is really abrupt borders that don't really look that great, at least not how I'm doing them currently.

Also, how do I represent different kinds of forest?  I guess I could tweak the color gradient and the map texture, but I'm not really sure which gradients/textures best show certain kinds of forests.  Some "patchy" areas like Whitefen/Chalklands and the Flowering Moors are going to be a real challenge to do; I don't really know how I'll approach those.

In addition, I'm still not really sure about how to handle special features, like everything from settlements to cities and geological formations.  What kind of symbols wouldn't look out of place on a map like this?

The quest for a decent map continues.  I've been thinking about diving right into a big ol' Black Circle/Obsidian Plain map just because I know what I want for most of the textures, but there's still the matter of the patchy areas (the Plain borders all three of the examples I gave, damn it).

Your problem is actually that you are using a forest texture mask instead of creating individual trees. I know a way in photoshop to fix that but I'm not sure about the method to use in GIMP.

Quote from: NomadicYour problem is actually that you are using a forest texture mask instead of creating individual trees. I know a way in photoshop to fix that but I'm not sure about the method to use in GIMP.

Individual trees might be a bit much for such a large-scale map.  I don't think it would work well with the more realistic look I've got going on with the mountains.  In fact, the texture I'm using now is already probably too zoomed in compared to the mountains, but it's the best I've been able to come up with so far.

Polycarp, when you layer the indiv. trees they will mesh together to seem like they are a mask-- but generally they should look better. You can place slightly different colored/textured trees on top of trees and get a sort of layered look.

If you ever used Heroes of Might and Magic III's map editor, then you know what I mean.

Good luck.