Xiluh

[Xathan]

Do they no longer have those maps on site?

[SDragon]

I'm not 100% positive, but I think it's one of the old maps WotC used to offer for free on their site; nonetheless, I always loved that map, and used to use it for part of my campaign.  

it is, but i didnt want to keep it as presented, so i made a couple minor alterations (quarter turn clockwise, and i added a small lake near the mountain range... while i try to figure out how to make a larger version of the map you see, i can provide a non-scale closeup of that area).

yes, they do still have the map up, in the 2003 map-a-week archives.

[Xathan]

So, I'm loving it. The flavor is great, and the idea of elf-bones as currancy is awesome. (My players if they were in this game would so be evil and hunt elves to make money) One question: when you speak of Cuatl, do you mean the Couatl from the monster manual, or are you going to create a new creature?

More in depth review later on, just my inital thoughts. :)

[Lmns Crn]

and the idea of elf-bones as currancy is awesome. (My players if they were in this game would so be evil and hunt elves to make money)

Again, it's not that the bone is intrinsically valuable, it's that it's a representative currency that some government mints; to make money off it, you'd have to harvest elfbone and then counterfeit coins as well.

Otherwise, it's like saying "I hear that in the USA they use green paper currency. I'm going to buy a lot of green construction paper, and I'll be rich!" Just doesn't work. :)

I'll put in some more constructive comments soon; here's hoping for more Xiluh updates during this auspicious week.

[Xathan]

and the idea of elf-bones as currancy is awesome. (My players if they were in this game would so be evil and hunt elves to make money)

Again, it's not that the bone is intrinsically valuable, it's that it's a representative currency that some government mints; to make money off it, you'd have to harvest elfbone and then counterfeit coins as well.

Otherwise, it's like saying "I hear that in the USA they use green paper currency. I'm going to buy a lot of green construction paper, and I'll be rich!" Just doesn't work. :)

I'll put in some more constructive comments soon; here's hoping for more Xiluh updates during this auspicious week.

Oh, I know. But still, my players would do that, learn to forge the coins, since the material for it is just walking around.

[SDragon]

LC, im convinced you have the strongest grasp on this setting- me aside, of course.

Xathan, on the forgeries: while it is theoretically possible to do it, the time and effort it would take for that wouldnt be worth the payoff. if you think american forgery sentences would be harsh, imagine if it automatically meant a murder charge, too....

on the couatl: first off, thank you for pointing out my typo. i edited it, so that should be fixed. while i dont like how the MM handles the species (it feels like it would be much too commonplace, for me), being as poor with crunch as i am, im keeping the species as its offered. flavor-wise, theyll take the place dragons have in many settings.

[Xathan]

on the couatl: first off, thank you for pointing out my typo. i edited it, so that should be fixed. while i dont like how the MM handles the species (it feels like it would be much too commonplace, for me), being as poor with crunch as i am, im keeping the species as its offered. flavor-wise, theyll take the place dragons have in many settings.

If you want help with the mechanics, I'm pretty good at monster building, so I'd be happy to help. :)

[SDragon]

i think i might take up that offer; discuss it in PMs?

[SDragon]

updated the bibliography.

also, i only plan to keep this thread going while two current elements get worked on (couatl stats, curtesy of xathan, and a more solid explaination of bias against yuma). once these two elements are more complete, i plan on starting a new thread, with more information up front.
 until then, however, feel free to voice any thoughts or questions here.

[DeeL]

I like this.  I'm not partial to the few 'South American' settings I've seen - Maztica got exactly what it deserved, in my opinion - but this is interesting to me, for what it's worth.  A lot of the good I'm seeing comes from the presentation - when it comes to revealing enough to tantalize, sdragon1984, you have a very deft touch.  I'm really looking forward to more on the seven invasions.

I propose a central place in this campaign for alchemy, though not necessarily under that name.  This will permit various kinds of wood, stone, leaf and bone to stand in for various kinds of metal item by the simple conceit of saying that an item with the mechanical function of, for example, studded leather is filled in this setting by bone and feather armor having been alchemically treated.  This would permit you to add all the background color descriptions you wanted while simply c&ping the stats.

What books are you using to reference Xiluh?  Just the Core, or are there any splatbooks involved?  At first blush, this setting looks like it would be a perfect place for Incarnum...

And now my own personal vexation, the sky.  I gather that there is one sun and one moon.  Is the rest of the observable sky similar to that of Earth?  Have new omens appeared presaging the rumored holocaust?  Stars?  Comets?  Nebulae?  Unexplained eclipses?  Does the year/month calendar default to Earths as well, or is there something different?  What about hours, and the daily telling of time?  Is there any day-to-day need for seconds or minutes, or are such things strictly the purview of specialists and sages?

[SDragon]

I like this.  I'm not partial to the few 'South American' settings I've seen - Maztica got exactly what it deserved, in my opinion - but this is interesting to me, for what it's worth.  A lot of the good I'm seeing comes from the presentation - when it comes to revealing enough to tantalize, sdragon1984, you have a very deft touch.  I'm really looking forward to more on the seven invasions.

thank you very much. my initial idea was to work a very definate fantasy setting with a very definate 'south american' tone. although i think maztica was an otherwise wonderful micro-setting, but it stuck too close to real-world mesoamerica; for the sake of flavor, i am more then willing to stray away from south- and central-american cultures when i need to.

as for revealing just enough to tantalize.... at the moment, most of what i have worked out that isnt shown here, isnt quite ready for a presentable format. hopefully i continue to tantalize as i go along :)

I propose a central place in this campaign for alchemy, though not necessarily under that name.  This will permit various kinds of wood, stone, leaf and bone to stand in for various kinds of metal item by the simple conceit of saying that an item with the mechanical function of, for example, studded leather is filled in this setting by bone and feather armor having been alchemically treated.  This would permit you to add all the background color descriptions you wanted while simply c&ping the stats.

What books are you using to reference Xiluh?  Just the Core, or are there any splatbooks involved?  At first blush, this setting looks like it would be a perfect place for Incarnum...[/quote]
And now my own personal vexation, the sky.  I gather that there is one sun and one moon.  Is the rest of the observable sky similar to that of Earth?  Have new omens appeared presaging the rumored holocaust?  Stars?  Comets?  Nebulae?  Unexplained eclipses?  Does the year/month calendar default to Earths as well, or is there something different?  What about hours, and the daily telling of time?  Is there any day-to-day need for seconds or minutes, or are such things strictly the purview of specialists and sages?
[/quote]
at its current point in development, the rest of the observable sky is similar to ours (in the sense that theres stars and constellations, but not our stars and constellations), but havent developed any signifigance. time is calculated just as ours is, but signifigantly less attention is paid to it; in fact, the only major attention paid to the passing of time, on a day-to-day basis, is the durations of spells. the calander, however, is something im having a lot of trouble with. i do think i have an idea i may want to work with, though...


as a side-note, ive changed my mind about starting a replacement thread. if this one starts to pick up, i may eventually post a new "basics" thread, but im going to stick to this as the official "the setting" thread.

[CYMRO]

[spoiler=map]<img src=http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/sdragon1984/xiluh2-1.jpg>[/spoiler]

edit- i apologize for the size, ill try to see if i can make a larger version

Photobucket buggered yer map!

[SDragon]

[spoiler=map]<img src=http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/sdragon1984/xiluh2-1.jpg>[/spoiler]

edit- i apologize for the size, ill try to see if i can make a larger version

Photobucket buggered yer map!

[spoiler=fixed]

[/spoiler]

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Nice and distinctive setting, though I haven't gotten through the entire thread, yet.  I love your creation myth, concise but very flavorful.

The mountains on your map look quite good, too.

[SDragon]

Nice and distinctive setting, though I haven't gotten through the entire thread, yet.  I love your creation myth, concise but very flavorful.

The mountains on your map look quite good, too.

thanks :) i like to think Xiluh isnt the type of world where a DM will be asked why elminster hasnt popped up yet.

the mountains, i cant really take credit for, though. aside from the lake, and a few minor attempts to make the mount of the fist look like one large mountain, WotC map-a-week gets all the credit.

edit- and ive updated the first post with slightly more information on the seven invasions, and included the map in "lands"....