GEOGRAPHY OF HESPERIA Latest Update: April 1999 To keep things surveyable, I am including a list of up to date information on area writing activities here. It answers questions concerning priority of completing certain areas, which ones have already been completed, who's working on which area(s) and so on. If you happen to have further questions, adress me personally. Please do inform me if I forgot somebody, or made a mistake in the list below. High Priority Areas: IMMPLANE --> completed, Fletchez (additions at regular times) MUD SCHOOL --> completed, Fletchez WATCH-TOWER --> completed, Fletchez DRAKWALD FOREST --> completed, Fletchez ANT-HILL --> completed, Saibot HEARTH --> completed, Saibot GOBLIN VILLAGE --> completed, Fletchez DESERTED MINE --> completed, Fletchez LUFTER --> completed, Fletchez HARHAKEN --> completed, Fletchez SEWERS --> completed, Fletchez GRAVEYARD --> completed, Fletchez CATACOMBS --> completed, Fletchez SAAVA --> scheduled, Fletchez HAVEN --> under construction, Narjhan GRONTI BAR --> under construction, Narjhan HAUNTED FOREST --> scheduled, Fletchez BLACK FORTRESS --> completed, Fletchez PARADISE --> completed, Fletchez KRAG-ZARDOK --> completed, Scorchio PIRATES' NEST --> completed, Saibot SKULL'S EYE --> completed, Saibot KABAL TRIBE --> completed, Saibot KRACHBAR --> completed, Fletchez GREAT FOREST --> under construction, Saibot AZARH --> scheduled, Fletchez MEMALA --> under construction, Saibot LIAMURIEL --> under construction, Saibot ROADS --> completed, Fletchez SEAS --> completed, Fletchez Normal Priority: These are the areas that we hope to create soon after the mud starts, for they are fun and expand the world to be a much more colourful place. HOBGOBLIN HEGEMONY --> scheduled, Fletchez SAMOSUD --> completed, Saibot DARK ALLIANCE CAMP --> ? DESOLATE PLACES --> ? DOLOR --> scheduled, Fletchez HESPERIA --> ? THE GUARDIANS --> ? NAMUNDA --> ? SKRIETSCH --> scheduled, Fletchez IMPERIAL PALACE --> scheduled, Fletchez Low Priority: These areas we certainly want to be in at some time, but others have more priority. Most of the time because of a more centralized position. DESPAIR --> ? GREAT DESERT --> completed, Fletchez NOXIA --> scheduled, Fletchez VULCANOES --> scheduled, Fletchez SUNKEN LANDS --> ? LAKE OF TEARS --> ? GNOMES --> ? LIZARDMEN --> ? CIRCUS --> scheduled, Fletchez Others: I named all the areas described in this file in the priority list. Besides these, some people are working on their own or newer area ideas, or have completed them already. AMAZON VILLAGE --> completed, Darkness Area is to be placed somewhere in the Great Forest. AMAZON BURIAL-SITE --> completed, Darkness Addendum to the Amazon Village area. MAD BOTANIST --> completed, Darkness FELDOR'S KEEP --> rather large project, undertaken by Frank. He is busy creating a large forest, in which he plans to place a number of areas. Forest is placed somewhere north of Hearth, or south of the Paradise. SISTERS OF SANITY --> completed, Fletchez ROBBERS' HIDE-OUT --> under construction, Peer. Area is placed somewhere in the Harkanian Empire, possible westwards from Hearth and the Fire Hills, close to a Harkanian main trade route. STONE OF RECKONING --> under construction, Refused PARK OF STATUES --> under construction, Atreana SNOTLING TREE --> under construction, Atreana ARCADION'S MOUND --> completed, Ethar RECRUITMENT CAMP --> completed, Saibot NEUTRAL ARMY CAMP --> under construction, Saibot CONFIDANT VALLEY --> completed, Saibot Introduction When you get started to write an area, it is nice to know for sure the area will blend in with the rest of the mud, to form one large consistent world. Areas should not be different worlds on their own, they ought to form one world, not create many. That's why I drew a map of the world along with a lot of important places I think should be worked out. Every area writer can get a copy of this map, so he/she knows what region we are talking about. In this file I want to briefly put down my ideas for several areas. I hope you will all be inspired by them to pick an idea and work it out well. The brief outlines I give of each area are just ideas and quite rough. You will still have a lot artistic freedom! Also we encourage people to come up with ideas of their own. You will notice there will be 50 or so ideas for areas worked out, so there will still be a lot more to make. Again we encourage area writers to come up with new ideas for areas, this file is in no way meant to pin you down. The sky is the limit (just don't let your fly spell wear off). Overview of the World In the centre of the world lies the mysterious island called Hesperia. Surrounded by thick mists it is the nightmare of any experienced sailor. The island is said to harbour the strangest beings. Many a brave man has ventured there, and hasn't returned. Hesperia lies in a large inner sea: The Sea of Claws. This sea is surrounded by the main land, a large oval circle surrounds the sea totally. Only at the southern point of the inner sea there is a sea- opening. This opening is one of the saddest points in history. The city that protects the opening is called Dolor and for the last few hundred years it has been one of the main battlefields of the armies of the Dark Alliance and the Covenant. Almost nothing remains of the once proud city, and still the armies rage on, fueled by their insane masters. The surroundings of Dolor are usually referred to as The Battlefield. East of the Sea of Claws lie the Lands of Light, a huge area under the influence of the Covenant. In it lies the Great Forest crowded with all kind of rare beings, Elves, Uyaite, rare plants and wildlife and all kinds of other exotic manifestation. In the northeastern part lies the Watchtower, the tower filled with scholars that study the newcomers from the Earth Realm that find their way through the Crack into the world. The Halflings have their home in the hills near. In the northeastern point of the peninsula lies the legendary Paradise. This is rumoured to be the equivalent of Heaven in the Earth Realm, a beautiful creation of Fletchez. Only those of pure heart and true faith may go there and return. In the southern part of the peninsula lies Krag- Zardak: The Roof of the World. A huge conglomerate of mountains and peaks. It is here that Dragons, Centaurs, and other strange creatures still live. Krag-Zardak is surrounded by a desert. In the southern tip lies a notorious Pirate Nest, whose Pirates frequently raid the boats of Namunda, a city that lies southeast in the Lands of Light, at the other side of the sea. North from the Sea of Claws lies the powerful, wealthy Human Empire of Harhaken. The Emperor of Har wields great power, and commands vast (mercenary) armies. The main source of wealth for Har is trade. Aided by their own fertile soil and abundancy of other natural resources the Empire is THE leading trade nation. The capital of the Empire is Harhaken. The city is extremely rich, truly the land of gold. The armies of Har protect the land from both Fletchez as well as Randall's minions. They are a power in their own, and they do not worship The Covenant or Dark Alliance. They do however worship the Neutrals, and try to remain as much neutral as possible. This has nothing to do with princi ples. It's just that it is better to sell the weapons than to fight with them. Har does nothing to prevent the Covenant and Dark Alliance from fighting. It protects only it's own interests and tries to make profits everywhere. The only exception to this is the constant war with the Hobgoblin Hegomony, huge fortifica tions have been made to protect the western border of Har. Westwards from the Sea of Claws, over the Great Mountains lie the Dark Lands. Eternal night shrouds these lands, which seems to erupt from the centre of it: The Black Fortress. Home of Randall, the face of eternal evil. Huge armies of Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Kobolds, Dark Humans, Drows and countless other corrupted creatu res have their camps here. Breeding and waiting for their ma ster's command. The place is terrifying, and it's Randall's promise to the entire world as soon as the other armies are crushed. Northwards lies Samosud, The City of the Dead. Once a great city, now a big ruin. A dark, damp place filled with Undead, lead by a powerful necromancer. The lake it lies at is one of acid and death, filled with digusting dead beings. Despair is the fort of the Dark Alliance that protects the only bridge over the river Drgah. In the southern part lies a vulcanic and instable part of the country. Big streams of magma, and terrible earthquakes make it a harsh place to live. In the fork of the mountains also lies the Great Desert, and it it lies the Desert City of Noxia, crowded with nomads. In the huge chains of mountains live several creatures. Lizard men, Dwarves, Gnomes, Ogres, etc. Also swamps are formed in various parts of the world as well as other strange areas. The Area Ideas The names as stated for the areas are not final, a lot of them are choosen for clarification, not for permanent use. Come up with your own name, if you know a better one while writing the area. One good hint before starting: when you are planning an area, try to get into it! I mean when you are describing a harbour, why not go to the library and fetch a book on the subject? I have quite some experience with writing plots for RPG's and books from the library helped me a lot in the past. Immortal Plane As an immortal you of course want your own quarters. To invite guest in your living room for an audience, to sleep in your own bedroom, and to bathe in your luxurious bathroom. This of course is a privilige every imm thinks essential. Therefor anyone who is promoted into the immortal ranks may make himself some rooms. These will all be incorporated in the Immortal Plane area. Of course this area will not be accesible for mere mortals, unless transferred in by other imms. The Mudschool The mudschool is separate from the rest of the mud. At creating a char the player gets the option to go through the school and learn the very basics. While playing a player can always go back to the school (which is equivalent to recalling to school). The command for that is SCHOOL. This seperation is done to make the game a bit more fun/realistic. After all have you ever seen a school that teaches you how to type your way through life?? The seperation makes it possible to explain into technic detail how the mud works, without spoiling the fun. The Mudschool will be written by me, and will contain the basic commands, some test mobs etc. The Watchtower Starting point for the players, this will be the main recall point. The crack where the people from Earth come through to this world is carefully being studied by wise and neutral Scholars. They built a tower around the crack, to study the newcomers thoroughly. The players will therefor be greeted a lot by the Scholars (with mudprogs), and they will chatter quite some about the world. This gives an opportunity to guide people a bit, and make them aware of the world. The tower is one of the few places of enlightment in the world, the different religions all have their holy places near. So players can pray there to seek guidan ce. The Scholars themselves are neutral and indifferent to religion. Their Study is everything. They are quite powerful and some are great spellcasters (around the recall point a few will wander that casts spells to aid the players). In no way the players can attack the Scholars (all rooms they are in are safe rooms). The Scholars also have training facilities for all classes for the first 20-30 levels or so. Also there is a Coachi- ng Inn near the Watchtower, from there it is possible to travel to most major cities in the mud. However this does not come for free, newbie players won't be able to pay all trips. This is a very important area, and I have a very distinct idea about it. The tower may be made quite large with parts not being available to low levels yet (mysterious rooms you can't go into yet are quite stimulating). Therefor the tower forms one specific area. I will write it myself. The Forest Around the Watchtower, and easily accesible lies the forest. Players will be able to go there easily, for we don't want them to get lost in the Watchtower while all they want after the mudschool is get some new impressions of the world and pull of some fights. The players are still weak, but no worries, the forest is not particularly dense, there are several open spot. It is therefor crowded with all kinds of wildlife. Birds, little animals, a few bigger animals, an occasional snotling (a little irriating gibbering goblinoid slave), a few reptiles, just name it! We need to make quite some mobs here, that wander around. That way there will be enough exp. to catch for Earthlings. Also the forest needs nice descriptions. It will probably have a lot of nice spot (overgrown old statues, hollow trees with a special item?). Also a nice levellling item will be good to include (a rabbit's foot?), to higher wis or con or int. Remember we need to interest and stimulate new players immediately. If we succeed in this, they are lost :), they will be addicted soon then. Ant Hill I especially like the Ant Hill area in the meadow of Avatar. The idea of Giant Ants living in a big hill in the forest is really kewl, and nice. I can imagine myself as a newbie slaughtering giant ants! I don't know if this is a standard area, anyway I hope somebody will find the time to either adjust&improve the existing one or create a total new area. It shouldnt be too hard, and is really funny. I advise you to get a book on ants and their ways of living, and make the area accordingly to it. The Gobbobase In the large forest around the Watchtower is also a Gobbo camp. It will probably consists of several cracky huts, and a bunch of Gobbo's that boss their slaves around, these slaves are called Snotlings. They are even smaller then Goblins and always whining and sniffing about anything. The Gobbo's boss em around all the time, and whip em a lot if they don't serve well. Needless to say the Goblins enjoy pestering others for they are so often pestered themselves. The Goblins are in this camp near to the unofficial northern path to Harhaken, they raid it often to rob travellers. They aren't a real threat to the experienced, but well...the players are not exactly really experienced, so they will prove to be quite a task. The camp of course should be fleshed out well. Describe the terrible rubbish, the slaves being bossed, the Goblin Warboss wandering around, surrounded by his Bodyguards, the other Gobbos, the Spruts (goblin kids) and YOBs ('useless ol' bunch = the old gobbos that still live) living in the camp. Furthermore the incredible ugly Goblin Women should not be left out. Let them flirt with the players!! Rofl! After all these women probably think of themselves as really handsome. The hills are near the camp too, and the Gobbo's may have a little hole near there where they hid 'treasures' (a few coins and some glittering stuff). Also don't forget the infighting many Goblin camps have (they always fight each other when no-one else is near it seems), and their riding animals (Giant Spiders, Giant Wolves and the toughest Gobbo's may imitate an Orc and try ride a War Boar). Of course all these animals are locked up in corrals. Oh, and don't forget some human captives, tortured to bits. Goblins love unnecessary cruelty. And what about the insane Goblin Shaman? What is that guy doing all day? The mood of this area should be one of a mess, and fun. I mean Gobbo's are a destructive primitive and evil race. But well, they and their Snotlings are no match for hardened people and rather funny weak opponents. Make the area a lot of fun. Mudprogs are of course THE way to make that one Goblin Woman go flirt with the Warrior Player :). If you need inspiration for this area, I have some material myself on the matter. But most RPG systems have background info on Gobbo's too. Deserted Mines As the title implies this is a deserted mine, that lies in the a little mountain cluster. Probably the mine was once used by Dwarves, or Gnomes. For some reason however it is deserted now. Is there a terrible monster inside? Why was it deserted? Make a nice plot of this. The mines can be vast tunnel system, in which it is easy to loose your way. Skeletons of the unfortunate can be found, as well as all kinds of remains of former occupation. Maybe even a few gold chunks deep deep down? Big giant beetles, rats, and other creatures may roams the levels of the mine. Maybe even a few ghosts may appear, that tell of the golden days of the mine. Or are quite insane. This mine has great potential, so make something of it. I once wrote a Vampire Story situated in a natural cave system, and did some research on it. I got some books in the library, filled with pictures of caves. You should do that too if you want to make this mine area. It will open your eyes and fill you with ideas. Anyway it greatly inspired me. Village of Lufter This is one of those nice little villages next to the road to Harhaken. It's inhabitants are farmers, lumberjacks, a few essential craftsmen (smith, grocery, carpenter etc), trappers, that kind of folks. Try to convey the view of a nice sweet cosy town. Make the village in good detail. Surrounding the city are of course the woods (lumberjacks work in them), the fields (farmers working there) etc. A typical of course will be fun to describe (a hay pile, the dog at watch, the farmer and his family, the cows, pigs, chicken etc). This village you can really make very kewl. And don't forget to add some plots, hehe a real dark one would do nice underneath the layer of sweetness. To be clear, the area should be both the village as well as the near surrounding of the village. Again you dive into the library to find details on medieval villages, craftsmen etc. The road splits at Lufter, one road goes further to Harhaken, the other leads to the Great Forest. Hearth: The Halflings Territory Deep in the Grassy Hills, well-hidden from all bad influences lies the land called Hearth. This is the Homeland to the Half lings in the world. Most Halflings prefer to live their quiet life and eat a lot. They enjoy good life, having parties, inviting friends over for dinner, giving each other presents and generally hate everything that has to do with adventure (considered a bad thing) and violence. Of course not all halflings feel like that, but the ones that live here do! They live in nice holes under the ground and have a social structure that consists out of families. I don't want to explain things in too much detail here. Remember that the Hearth should be a warm cosy place. A place people don't want to leave soon. It will be cosy, Halflings will give you food (you look so thin, stranger, are you hungry?), and you should feel at home. If you want to make this area, The Hobbit from Tolkien is obligatory material. That will give you a good idea what the Hearth should look like. I know there is already an area on the Moot of Tolkien. I don't want to use this, nor do I want you to make a Tolkien clone of the Moot. It is good to let the book inspire you, however we don't want the Moot. We want the Hearth. So make it special and unique. Krachbar: Village of Fishermen A side way of the main road to Harhaken leads to this tiny Village of Fishermen. The village lies at the inner sea, the Sea of Claws. It's fisherman are a rough people, used to harshness. They don't behave very social towards strangers. Make it a rough town. Desribe the toughness and strange look people have at players. The harbour, with a few battered ships. Nets are everyw here. As well as facilities to salt fish, a merchant that is buyin it so sell it throughout the Empire of Har. Again get your butt out of the chair and go find some one these kind of villages in a library. That will give you great info on what should be present at such a village. To avoid being boring in villages, try to find a unique plot for this village. Maybe a ship has just sunk and the people are mourning at the beach, throwing flowers in the sea. 'She is a harsh bride...' and old man says to the players. Or you can add some Orcs or other vermin around the village that are doing occasional raids on merchants. For example a caravan near the village that is under attack! That would be nice to add some spice. Of course players should be able to obtain a very simple boat here. Harhaken The capital of the Empire of Har, it's streets and gates are said to be paved with gold and ivory. Untold riches are said to be kept in the city, in the safes of the many banks. The city is VAST. Is is truly large. The city area will be really large, probably exceeding the 100 rooms. It looks somewhat like Mid gaard, though much more wealthier and trade orientated. There is a large harbour, filled with ships, marketplaces, several monu ments, banks, warehouses, the immense city hall, countless stores of craftsmen and traders. A huge amphitheatre as well as Arena (for PK-ing/cage fighting etc.) will be in this city for amuse ment. The cultural significance of this city is amazing, and it is filled with art. The city is ruled by the Emperor and the City's Senate (advisory function). The city has risen to the status of mega-city in the last few hundred years, and outlawed all religious extremities. Only the neutral gods are worshipped here. Followers of other Gods are a minority, and are hunted down fiercely by Witch-Hunters. The people of Har don't like religious fighting, they like money. They are the once that deliver the arms, not fight with them. I advise anybody who wants to try to make this city to REALLY do research. Ancient Greek and Roman cities will give a shining example. Especially Rome. The making of this city is quite hard and I advise the person who wants to do this, to first do a few other areas to get some experience. That way the city will become a really good area. It is meant as one of the main centres of the world. Harhaken itself will give birth to a lot of 'attached areas'. E.g. The Emperor's Palace in the centre of the city on a hill, Catacombs and Sewers beneath the city, and other things you may come up with. Remember even a magic book can lead to a 'dream area'. Outside the city also lies a permanent Circus, as well as Saava, a small village for the most wealthy of all, to have their holidays. I will keep the description on this city short, but you ought to understand now this city will be a centerpiece in the mud. Make it worth it. Emperor's Palace A beautiful palace, covered in gold, silver, tapestries, pain tings, art, statues etc. It is truly amazing, the Emperor takes every chance to show off his wealth to impress his guests. The Royal Guard is everywhere and loyal to Death. You can make court intrigue a vital part in the plot of this area. Imagine all the military staff members, trading commisionaries, senate represen tatives etc all fighting for the Emperor's attention, while the Emperor himself fills the day eating fruit and playing with his many women. If you want to get a good idea of a truly decadent emperor, get a book on the Roman Emperor Nero. Catacombs and Sewers Every huge city like this has a complete subterranean city as well. Think of the Ratman that plot deep down in the sewers. The restless dead that live in the Catacombs. The outlawed Sects of the Dark Alliance and the Covenant that may have their sanctua ries hidden here, for their hidden followers in the city. They may even openly battle each other. Of course the Thieves' Guild is probably active too in the sewers, having secret storages of stolen goods, and hide-outs. Think of all the stinking rats, carrying pestilence. I am sure it will be easy to think of a lot of thinks to really make this area nice. A lot of literature should be easy to find on the topic. This is especially useful to make good sewer descriptions. The Circus Remember ancient Rome. The people need entertainment. 'I wish either to be entertained or fed'. Food is no problem for the wealthy leaders of Har, and they supply there people with it a lot, to keep them happy. The entertainment is sought in the amphitheatre, the arena, museums, monuments, horse races and so on. Outside the city lies a big circus, permanently, to amuse the people of Har. The original Circus in standard Envy could be adapted for this, or a totally new one can be written. I think adaption would do, only the circus should get a bit weirder look. Some kewl freak shows would do fine (a Goblin with 3 heads, a man with wings, the man with 8 arms (Octoman) etc). Also more people to play games with are fun too. Get hold on a bunch of attracti ons and circus acts and make something of it! Saava A sickening decadent village full of terribly rich people's second (or subsequent) houses. The fountains are filled with wine, the roads are of the finest little stones which form beautiful patterns. The backstabbing, political infighting, gossip, information source and decadency of the rich should be the main theme of this village. Try to flesh out a few totally different landhouses in detail. Put a lot of guards everywhere. Come up with several nice plot lines to make the village come alive. Grins, you can get yourself some flyers on buyin a second house to get in the mood. Or even better get terribly rich and put your experience in the area. We count on you. The Great Forest A vast area of ancient woodland, crowded with all kinds of strange and rare beings, as well as beautiful wildlife and nature. This is not just a forest, this is a wood filled with the most ancient of trees and both sinister and beautiful. Make sure you don't make this tree too dark since it has to contrast with the Haunted Forest area. There is but one large path through the forest, and innumberable small animal paths. As said it is really big, and therefor there are several areas possible in it. I name 3 here, but of course you can come up with other ones. For an idea what the Great Forest will be like, it is like the ancient forest of Loth-Lorien, known from the Lord of the Rings. There is a village of shapeshifters in it, the area called Azarh. Also Elves consider the Forest their home, the area called Liamuriel. Near the Elves live the Uyaite, in their treehouses, the area called Memala. The area names are chosen without much thought, if you want to write the areas, you may propose new ones that are more appropriate. Again, you can make all kinds of other features in the great forest. Azarh Throughout the world, were-creatures are treated with contempt and hunted down. Even the Dark Alliance treat them with suspici on. This is a great mistake. Though individual were-creatures may be bad, they can just as well be good as any other being. Were- creatures is the term used for a being that sometimes shifts into another creature, mostly a bestial form. They are born my chance, they are freaks of nature. Most of them end up being exploited by a circus, or hunted down and killed. Some of them however manage to hide it, and eventually make their way to the hidden village of Azarh. Azarh is the name of a lesser obscure deity. He is the old deity of shapeshifters, and is said to protect the village with his powers. The village consists of a couple of wooden houses in a little open spot deep in the Great Forest. In the centre of the village of course is a wooded statue of Azarh, a bestial form with all kinds of animal features. The Priest of Azarh is the leader of the little village and it's 30 individu als. They live a simple life, free from the other people and their hatred. Try to picture that simple life. Mudprogs will be a vital part of this village. Make them all one of the 10 civilized races, but make mudprogs to let them shift at fixed times (during the nights). You can them let them be really other beings. Make something of it. I once made an adventure about this village, and therefor may consider writing it myself. Not sure about it yet. Liamuriel Elves love nature, and therefor it is not strange most of them choose to live in the most beautiful forest of the world. They love their own isolated life, and try to keep strangers at bay at all cost. Their full magic potential is used to create illusions that hide their village from strangers. The village itself is a beautiful in it's own way. Treehouses, wooden cabins, etc. Elves of course have a choosen leader (probably and old and very distinguished Elf). A nice plot for this area may be an Elven party that is going on. Long tables of exquisite food (no meat of course). All kinds of fruits, vegetables, juices, wine, etc. Elven musicians, minstrels, storytellers, acadamics, wizards, etc etc. All kind of acts will be there, and the Elves will be dancing, eating and celebrating. However, what is really going on under this party? Is their a dark force at work? A threat to the village without the Elves knowing? Or is it nothing? For you to find out. Memala Looks much like the Elven town of Liamuriel, but much tinier. The Uyaite even more protected their village from 'Big Uns', as they call all other beings. They live in little treehouses high above the ground. These treehouses are connected by small bridges, and several ropes, and form a little village. The Uyaite have a social system totally based on age, and the eldest 7 Uyaite hold positions in The Council that make the decisions for the other Uyaite. However everyone has it's vote. And voting they are, since they quiet life is threatened (a nice plot!) by an outside force. For example, a large monster may be hunting their kind, and already killed a few Uyaite. If the players succeed in killing this monster (use mudprogs to set up this little quest), and bring prove of it (a piece of gear?), they will be richly rewarded of course! Try to convey the peaceful and sweet atmosp here of this village as much as possible. Uyaite are much like little angels, beautiful winged beings, that love nature and peace. Make sure the players feel bad about them being threatened in this nice existence, and feel really like helping them out. Lake of Tears Totally enclosed by mountains, lies the Lake of Tears. Once, hundreds of years ago a powerful mage called Nomagionysos had his tower in the middle of the lake. However Nomagionysos had to fight a terrible oppononent called Brodovitch. He won, but at great cost. He did manage to kill Brodovitch, but got enclosed in a stone tomb, sealed by 7 magic locks. His tower, no longer fed by his magicks, sunk deep into the lake, along with the tomb. The tower in haunted, and undead live in it. The 7 locks can be opened by a strange ritual, which the players can perform. Of course if Nomagionysos is ever freed, he will reward the players very well. Remember this area is a quest in itself. Outside at the edge of the lake there will be a deserted campsite room. If the players sleep there, a mudprog will be triggered, giving them a dream of Nomagionysos asking them for help, and telling them to be near the lake at 12 P.M. At that time, a mudprog makes the tower come up from the lake, so that the players can enter the tower, and begin to roam the tower, possible freeing Nomagiony sos. At 1 P.M. the tower will again sink into the lake. This area is based on an adventure I once wrote, and therefor I will probably write this area myself. However a friend of mine once translated the adventure in english and put it on the internet. So if anybody feels like doing this area, he/she may get a copy of that and work from that. Namunda A fairly large city, based at the southeastern part of the world and most reknown for it's splendid harbour. It is a human city, and it's inhabitants almost all make a living out building ships. Make docks, building places, half finished ships etc etc. Of course all the people that work on ships need to be kept alive, so there will also be numerous of other shops, warehouses, fishermen etc. Namundan ships are the best known in the world, and requested in all sizes and forms throughout the world, especially by the people of Har. The city is ruled by a Council of 10, led by the Mayor, who is elected every 5 years. The city is a thriving one, and manages fairly well. However recently there have been a lot of troubles with pirates, that haunt the coasts. The Council has responded by employing mercenaries and city marines on warships to protect the new ships that go to buyers all over the world. However the Pirates are skilled seamen, and manage to isolate and capture a lot of ships, even with protection. This damages Namunda considerable. Try to flesh the city out as well as possible. Of course you will be able to find books on old ships, harbours, construction techniques etc. in the library to give you an idea for your description. The general mood of this area should be one of hard working decent citizens that try to make a living, and do very well. Don't forget that this city is one of the Covenant, and most of the citizens worship Fletchez. A big temple will be dedicated to him. But of course, deep in the sewers a small shrine may be dedicated to the Dark Alliance... Pirates' Nest A rough town, lying at a natural harbour, this is the main refugee place for the Pirate Fleet. This is the safe haven for the pirates that raid the Namundan ships. They can sell their plunder here, and there are enough opportunities to spent it too. Make it a rough place. The boss of the town is a retired Pirate Captain, that is not cruel, but is clearly THE boss. He employs a bunch of Pirate which form the 'law enforcement'. Which roughly means they collect taxes for staying, making sure other pirates don't wreck the city, and beat up a lot of people when you are bored. A huge black market will be here, for selling stuff. Depict a great amount of taverns, casinos, gamblers everywhere. Make sure you make some brawls going on, as well as pirates walking around really drunk. This area can be made a lot of fun, all those drunken mudprogged Pirates wandering around, spending their money on drinks, gambling and women. Of course a lot of nice subplots can be in the area. Who is the real power behind the raiding of Namundan ships? A dark sorceror? The Dark Allian ce? Or the Empire of Har it's Intelligence Service, trying to make sure Namunda is not taking a larger piece of the pie? Who knows. Of course the daughter of the Pirate Captain is really really beautiful... and all those pirate suitors are fighting over her. But is that only because she is beautiful? Or are the rumours in the taverns true, and has the ol' captain a huge treasure hidden somewhere? (Skull's Isle for example?). You decide on it. Skull's Isle In Namunda or the Pirate's Nest, players may get hints on the existence of this island, in the form of a skull. There are rumours of great treasures being hidden on the island, and who knows that may be true. Of course the inspiration for this island, is the book Treasure Island. Everybody knows that story. Don't make it a copy of the book, but let it give you an idea of how the island should look like. There may be an old deserted overgrown village on the Island. Maybe even some cannibals? Of course there are the remains of earlier occupations, and the occasional skeleton testifying of the 'rich history' of the island. Maybe at the moments the players arrive, a ship is just there, and pirates are digging a hole to hide a treasure! Again the ideas are numerous. And getting on the Island is in itself an adventure, since sea travelling is quite hard. Skrietsch This is the Capital city of the Ratmen. These terrible vile creatures are among the most loyal servants of the Dark Alliance. These vermin have succesfully spread themselves among the whole world. Through their tunnels and dark magic they swiftly spread everywhere they choose to go. They prefer damp stinking places to live, and therefor Skrietsch is surrounded by a huge swamp. This swamp is almost impossible to cross by normal people. You really need to make the city terrible. Ratmen are trully evil and worship the most dark sides of Randall. They live for torture. Their capital city will be a great complex of tunnels. There will be breeding rooms for the young new-born rats, big females, and A LOT of slaves, as well as Grey Seers (magicians, all appear as grey or white albino ratmen). The Ratmen have a strict social class order. Lower castes serve as slaves, whereas warrior castes get all the respect and are being served by the lower castes. The lives of the lower castes are expandable (their are also SO many of them) and will be sacrificed without doubt. The capital city will most probably have ten thousands of ratmen, of which only 1000 or so will be warrior. Of course it is in no way the idea to make thousands of mobs, but this is just to give you an idea of the amount of the vermin. When players encounter slaves, a mob can be 'A bunch of Rat slaves'. Making this city should be a real challenge. Try to make it come alive, and don't forget the huge swamp surrounding it. Krag-Zardok: Roof of the World Krag-zardok, or as the humans call it, Roof of the World, is a cluster of the highest Peaks in the world. It is surrounded by a terrible desert, incredible hot and feared by all adventureres. Still lots of adventureres try to cross it, because they are heading for the Peaks. The rumours of ancient Dragons lying asleep deep in the mountains are numerous. Untill now, however, nobody has returned. Are there really a few ancient very old, strong and wise Dragons asleep in the cavern of Krag-Zardok? If so they probably are on top of a huge treasure. And what other mountain creatures are living here? Stone Trolls, Ogres, Giant Spiders, Wolves, all these being can make the small mountain paths unsafe for travellers. And there may be a little village along the road, with human trappers and herdsmen in it. Most probably these people will have all kinds of tales about Dragons. For ideas, you can read the book The Hobbit. I can imagine a large dragon sleeping in the remains of a once beautiful town, on top of his plunder. Paradise Floating a hundred metres up in the air is a giant island called Paradise. It is the creation of Fletchez, and truly a paradise. Only true followers of Fletchez are allowed to enter it (at least that is the policy). In it lie beautiful gardens, wonderful wildlife, villages filled with nice people, and so on. One big happy family (are we getting sick already? grins). In the centre of all this will be the splendid home of Fletchez, a white shimmering Palace, which structure in itself is not really of this world. The Palace exists in a distortion of time, and is permanently in a multitude of worlds. It will become a really nice feature. However things are never as they seem, so there may be some clues that are rather strange. After all after many years of war even the leading imm of the 'good' side gets corrupted. The Paradise will become a very special place, and opposite to the Dark Fortress, Randall's home. I think I will write it myself, after all it is supposed to be 'my creation'. Dolor As mentioned before, this is one of the saddest places in the world. Once a beautiful, and huge city, built on the two parts of the southern seagate of the Sea of Claws, the city was prosperous and powerful. However the turning point for Dolor was when The Empire of Har was powerful enough to keep the Dark Alliance and Covenant from fighting their war on the Empire's ground. The two sides, now cut off from that battlefield, and afraid to make Har switch sides to the enemy, found itself forced to lead their armies southwards instead of northwards. So both sides started to infiltrate Dolor, the centre point of the future Battlefield. The city went into civil war, and broke in to pieces. That was centuries ago. Due to the river inbetween, and the constant steady stream of new troops, the fight continues still. Sometimes raging, sometimes nearly asleep, but always present. The city now lies totally ruined, one hug battlefield. Bones are everywhere, and small bands of fantatics are fighting among the ruins. Some partly fortified pieces are still defended fiercely by both sides. The mood of this area should be one of darkness, sadness, fanaticism, decay, fallen glory and death. Making this area should prove to be a real challenge. To get a good idea, you could think of the Crusades held in Medieval times. A lot of the Warriors on the side of the Covenant serve as such, they are Crusaders that think it is their religious duty to fight for a couple of years in Dolor. The Dark Alliance mainly employs the citizens on the other side of Dolor, as well as vast armies of Trolls, Goblinoids, Orcs etc. The Guardians Lying about the southern seagate, in the Sea of Claws are The Guardians. Five legendary Islands, where all sailors speak of in fear and respect. Legends has it that on each island stands a stone Guardian. These 5 guardians together protect the seas of the world, without them everyone would be lost. Is this legend the truth? Or do the Guardians actually serve a far darker cause? Dark sorcerors suspect the Guardians from being a great tool to create a portal to the another realm, the so-called Shadow Realm. The rituals to trigger this device are lost, but maybe they can be refound. Others say they are the remniscants of an old extinct civilization. Whereas some say they were made as an beacon in the early days of Dolor. The truth remains unknown. Fact is that there are five great statues on these islands, all having similar features. These statues appear as huge terrifying daemons, all in a static pose (therefor they are called guardians). Think of a great plot of these islands, they have a lot of potential. Maybe this is the place where a Daemonologist has it's secret hide-out, studying what is the true meaning of the Guardians. The Great Desert Though there is a desert around Krag-Zardok, that is a playing ground compared to The Great Desert. It is HUGE. And i mean really HUGE. A lot of rooms look the same (Sand sand sand), and you can add some random exits, to get the players lost in it (hehehe). Of course a desert has it's own specific mobs (look them up in the library), and features everyone can think of. You can again use mudprogs for kewl effects (like a sudden Sand Storm, blinding the players, or damaging them a bit). Of course there will be oases, and maybe some nomads living there, sitting on their camels, living with their herds. There is a city in the Great Desert, the area Noxia. Of course if you come up with any other ideas that are kewl to add as an area to the Great Desert, it will be easy to put them in. Personally I like to mention the idea of a lost ancient city, maybe occasionly uncovered by a sandstorm (mudprog?), and filled with all kinds of strange beings and not to forget: treasures! Noxia Not a really large city, and maybe The Great Desert and Noxia can be put into one area. The city consists of tents owed by human Nomads, and is concentrated in the middle of the desert, around a big oase. Think of all the kind of animals they probably will have. Horses, Camels, etc. They will have their own specific clothing, culture, way of living etc. Try to really document yourself on this subject. Again: libraries. Being an Area Writer is being a Researcher :). Of course there will be a few different big families with a lot of infighting. And a leading family of which the family head will be the Sjah. Try to make this human nomad camp very different from other human cities. Try to really describe the other culture, and make them feel strangers. Of course you shouldn't forget to include a Slave Market. A really good source of inspiration may be the Disney movie Alladin (in this case you may consider replacing the nomad tents by a splen did white city, along with a Sultan's palace etc.). Vulcanoes A place where the forces of nature are constantly at work. Great vulcanic eruptions happen regularly here, creating great clouds of smoke, and streams of magma. Also huge earthquakes may be felt in this area. This is an area in which a fragile human has to watch out. Use some mudprogs to create lava streams (damage etc), and earthquakes. Think of all the strange beings and elemental that can live in holes or near the vulcano. Maybe even a powerful Elementalist has his/her homebase hidden near the 'beautiful vulcano', surrounded by all kind of earth and fire elementals. Don't forget the soil around vulcanoes is extremely fertily, so a beautiful forest may cover parts of the area. Make it contrast sharply with the burned ash covered plains that were ruined by outbursts. There are some movies on this topic lately (Dante's Peak & Vulcano), which may help you get an idea, as well as the occasional documentary on tv. But again getting a few books on vulcanoes will do a very good job. Just to get you in the mood while watching pictures. Maybe you can make a village near the vulcanoes, that is just subject to an eruption (Burn Burn Burn!). Burning people everywhere, panicking etc. Haunted Forest This is one of my personal favourites. A dark gloomy forest, with a mind of it's own. Make it look normal around the edges, but as soon as the players get deeper into it, the mudprogs start to make the forest come alive. When you sleep in here, you get terrible dreams. When you enter rooms the flowers and tree leaves wisper threats, or may even attack you! In the heart of the forest all kinds of giant insects may live, hunting for the players. E.g. giant spiders in their webs, trying to web players. Of course some other traveller is already struggling in a web, near dead. Think of the forest in Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'. The only water in the area is a big black river, that may be poise nous, or force the players into a sleep on drinking it. This forest has so much potential, it can become really kewl. Think well of it, and you may better read The Hobbit to get a feel of how to make the area. Oh, and dont forget to put in some nasty kobolds, that make the player's life miserable, grins. Desolate Places The lands under the control of the Dark Alliance are cold places. Lifeless, black rock covered plains. Well, not entirely lifeless. Sinister abominations roam these plains, ready to kill the unweary travellers and eat their flesh. Who knows what kind of groups of hungry monster the players may encounter here. And what kind of little camps with warriors. Make the plains BIG, and quite empty. Add a few truly horrific places. E.g. altars with human sacrifices on it, a sinister statue of Randall or another deity of the Dark Alliance, etc. The mood you should put into it should be one of darkness, desolation, horror and feeling lost. Of course any other areas that fit into such a mood, can be put into this area. Dark Alliance Camp This is the area that details the part of the Desolate Places, where the armies of Randall are training and waiting for new raiding opportunities, or missions to Dolor and beyond. It is both a waiting place, as well as a recruiting and training site. Depict a large camp full of Randall's servants. Goblins, Orcs, Goblins, Snotlings, Trolls, Dark Humans, Drows, all kinds of other races that defected, mercenaries from all part of the worlds etc. In NO way there will be a well-organized camp or structure or something. Forget that. It is a big bunch of aggre sive, waiting armies, fighting each other sometimes, and the biggest, most cunning and cruelest are the leaders. Dark battle magicians may give supports, and live in dark tents near the army site. The army itself has dug a lot of trenches, and has made heavy fortifications (though messy and rough) everywhere. The mood of this area should be one of aggresion, a mess, and brute force, and of course the players should reallly become impressed by the immense army of evil mobs that Randall can command. Samosud Samosud was once a noble Elven city. An elven race lived here, that loved to live in their splendid city. The world had, has and will never see a more beautiful city again. But the Dark Alliance her agents slowly infiltrated in the city, and corrupted it's leaders. After decades of preperation, they succeeded into fully corrupting most of the leaders. Greed turned their hearts to stone, and the Elven leaders gained more and more power, and filled their treasure rooms with gold and luxeries. Meanwhile Randall's agents awaited the right time to strike. And so they did, they stimulated riots, and a civil war broke out. In the following rage of dark magicks and the Elven warriors fighting each other, the city was depleted of most of it's force. Then Randall himself sent his Dark Sorceror, the Necromancer Kahnal to conquer the weakened city. By the time the Elves recognized the true enemy it was too late. Kahnal's magicks and vast armies had no difficulty conquering the city. 'Only one year' was needed to break the resistance, and take over the city. Several Elves defected, and corrupted ever since, they are now the Drows, or Dark Elves as they are called by many. They hate other Elves (due to the civil war), and fiercely fight for Randall. Kahnal was rewarded by Randall with the remains of the city and part of it's rich treasures and vast library. Since that time, Kahnal has turned Samosud in a great Undead city. With his experiments he has created the weirdest of undead beings, and undead war machi nes (e.g. Undead horses, Undead Skull Chuckers, Vampires, Ghouls, Liches etc etc). He has enough material to work with, for around the city lie the world's greates cemeteries, remains of the big siege. Don't forget to work out these cemeteries as well, as well as the big ruins of the once big city. The city lies near a corrupted lake, filled with acid and filth. Terrible creatures may live in this lake. Rotting corpses float through the lake. Make the area one of decay, of living dead, and of fallen glory. And not to forget, what is that terrible ancient Necromancer up to. Why is he creating such a large army of Undead. Does he want power of his own? Is he planning to become a world player him self? Or is he just 'serving his master Randall'? I don't think so, try to find out what he is up to. Make the Necromancer terribly. Remember he had centuries to prepare his plans. Despair The only bridge across the black river Drgah is protected by a fort named Despair. Followers of Randall serve military time here, to protect this centre point. However they allow occasional coaches to enter the Dark Alliance territory. For proper payment of course. The fort will most probably appear as a big dark stone castle, with several towers, and guard houses. Find some intere sting subplots, and this fort may prove to be great. Hobgoblin Hegemony Vast steps lie between Despair and the Empire of Har. Here live the Hobgoblins. These goblins live in tribes, and are nomads by nature. They are harsh, and fierce warriors. They practically live on their horse, and only make temporary tent camps to live in, they do not built permanent cities. They often organize raids into Har, and have treaties with The Dark Alliance, they can be considered members of this side. Make a few tribes (they may even fight amongst themselves), and flesh their culture out. The role model for these hobgoblins are the Mongols in our world out of the medieval times. Get some books on the Mongols, and their history and way of living, and you will know how to make the camps look like. Also I have quite some material myself on Hobgoblins as Mongols. So if you are writing this area you can always ask me for it. Black Fortress Dark, black, and massive, the Black Fortress towers above the lands of the Dark Alliance. It is surrounded by a terrible swamp, filled with stinking corpses, and other horrifying beings. Make sure you make this swamp REALLY bad. All kinds of barely alive, and vaguely human beings may threaten the players, or merely lie here dying. This is Randall's garden. You may even make a comple te area on the Swamp alone, this really huge and very dangerous. Use mudprogs to make this swamp both terrifying and interesting. The Black Fortress should be nearly impossible to enter. Make a quest of it to get in at all. The Fortress itself is a place of Terror and Agony. In the centre of it is the Hall of Agony. In the centre of it stands the big throne of Randall, where he spends his time sitting and thinking. Surrounded by cages filled with tormented prisoners and hung creatures, Randall feels at home. Through the whole fortress a mood of cruelty and harshness can be felt. Everywhere corpses lay and hang rotting. Vermin is eating from them. Torturers are everywhere whipping, cutting, burning and destroying living beings. Make it really, really terrible. Mass executions are performed everywhere. Deep dungeons run below in the black rock, and all kind of prisonors (most of them mad after years of despair) can be found here. The Fortress is filled with Black Orcs, Dark Humans and Drows. They form the different divisions of the Death Guard, Randall's most loyal servant, that form his bodyguard. They will die form him without hesitation. Of course a lot of other beings may roam the huge fortress, and all kind of dark mages may be present. Daemons may roam the deepest places, eating on prey. And a Daemonologist may be busy experimenting with human sacrifices, as well as several Necromancer running tests on the near dead, and already dead. The making of this area should only be done when you already did a few areas, it will take quite some skill. Your job will be to balance the mood of cruelty, sickness and torture, yet don't make it too shocking. I mean little kids may be playing our mud too, so don't overdo it with cheap tricks. That is the hard part: balance. Sunken Lands Near the coast of the Swamp surrounding The Black Fortress, once was a beautiful and peaceful land. Centuries ago, Randall took control over the land, and was sickened by the atmosphere. He used all his powers to shatter the land into pieces and consumed by the sea. Now the land and it's inhabitants are at the bottom of the sea. This area should prove to be quite a challenge. Of course it's inhabitants are not all dead. Fletchez watched the destruction, and gifted them with permanent water breathing, so that they could live their lives underwater. And so they do, in a nice underwater town. Make the players go deep underwater, into the misty unknown water realms. You may make it very hard to get it (e.g. only through a whirlpool that is at variable place somewhere near the coast (use mudprogs for that)). The place is of course filled with sea-creatures, fish, shells etc. And the humans that are gifted by Fletchez with water breathing. Show the players the structure of the village, think of all the new adaptions in the city. Life underwater of course isnt the same as above! And think of the peaceful nature of the town. A nice subplot may be a huge seamonster that threatens the city. And they players are 'the chosen ones' from the ancient reckonings, that are treated as saviours. Seas All Sea areas will be implemented by Randall and me. I am not sure at the moment where we will all make Sea areas. I think around the whole worlds, as well as the Sea of Claws. Of course this would mean A LOT of rooms, which can be fixed a bit by making the sea rooms stand for a great travelling distance. Mountain Chains The several large mountaineous areas will be coordinated by Randall and me, and we will mention it in response to your concept if you are writing an area which borders to mountains. Anyway, these vast formations of rock are of course a rich source for possible areas. I would like to note a Dwarven City, as well has homes for the Lizardmen and Gnomes. Of course A LOT more things can be thought of, little villages hidden away, dark beings roaming the few paths through the mountains, all kinds of wonders. Those are up to you to create! For now I will limit myself to the 3 races homes as before mentioned. Their homes may be placed anywhere in the great chain of mountains, and may be quite large. Dwarves Living in their splendid underground cities are the many Dwarves that crowd the world. They are craftsmen above all else, and their cities are underground beauties. Beautifully carved long hallways, enormous cathedral-like great halls. All heavily decorated with stone carvings and all kinds of crafting. When you are going to make an area on the Dwarves, make sure you convey the status and dignity of an old race. They have lived for centuries under the ground, most in the same cities. A typical city will have a High King of course, and quarters for that King to reside in, and have a court. There will most probably be quite some Dwarven Clerics worshipping and honouring their deities, but not many mages. Of course their will be numerous shops of craft smen. Carpenters, stoneworkers etc. At the edges of the city their are of course rough mines, where the Dwarves get their materials from. Make it a silver mine or something, or a gold mine. For Dwarves love gold above else. They are quite greedy on that subject. Their King will have a heavily guarded, filled treasure room (include all kind of items that are worth A LOT), of course this room is sheer impossible to rob unnoticed. A personal bodyguard will protect their king, as well as their will be normal guards making sure the Dwarven Stronghold is safe. But in the mines, strange things may happen.... Ratmen may be coming up from deep below, or Lizardmen their tunnels may cross the Dwarven tunnels. Which gives way to a connection to other areas. If you need more info on Dwarves, you can contact me, I have quite some background info. Gnomes Whereas Dwarven cities tend to be built underground, but have exits to the normal world, Gnomes prefer really deep tunnels. They are even more greedier, and quite harsh sometimes. Read the 'GNOME' help file to get an idea, it is in the RACES file. They do not like sophistication as much as Dwarves do, and their tunnels are somewhat cruder, and less decorated, though still made with a lot of skill. They don't live in large cities like the Dwarves, for they are not as numerous, and also can't stand too many people around them. They tend to live in smaller villages. I leave it up to you to think out a reall kewl area. Do keep in mind to make it a lot different from the Dwarven area. It may be a very good idea to write this area after the Dwarven area is in. Lizardmen Again, in the RACES file is a help file on 'LIZARDMAN', which will help you get a good idea what they are like. They live deep under the ground these reptiles. They typically live in small communities of up to 50 Lizardmen. These form a tight band. Often the whole tribe goes on a raiding party together. They employ Troglodytes as their bodyguards. Troglodytes are rather dumb, and strong, so well equipped for the job. They are really good fighters. Put a few in your area. Also Lizardmen use mounts called Carnivorous Snappers. These large lizards are tough mounts, and spread a horrible stench that makes their enemies sick. They can be trained well, and therefor most Lizardmen prefer to ride into combat on one. I advise you to make the village a crude one. They are a primitive society. Think of humans in the Stone Age. Though they do have some crude weaponry (e.g. sharpened sticks, plundered weapons, sharp stone axes etc). They live in large holes, with straw on the floor. In the centre of the village always are the corrals with the Carnivorous Snappers in it. A nice subplot for this area is to make the area such that the village is just preparing (or coming back!) for/fr- om a raiding party. They may have prisoners if coming back (a lot of fun to free them, use mudprogs to set up such mini-quests). I am sure you can make a good area out of this race, they have a lot of potential. Hesperia In the middle of the Sea of Claws lies the mystic island that is called Hesperia. It will become home to Acolyte areas, and a very mistic, strange place. Not going into detail now, since this part of the world is best to flesh out at a later date. I hope I haven't left out any vital points at this stage. Try to pick an area you like to write, or come up with one yourself. I wish you luck. (c) April 1997, by Fletchez Comments to: fletchez@panic.et.tudelft.nl