Sorry for the blurriness, and I don't have a good scale yet ^_^
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THE LAND OF NORWYN
Westermarck: A great trading capital, Westermarck on the southern coast of Norwyn is technically a traditional monarchy, with a ruling king and an inordinately large noble class. However, these are mostly considered flashy relics by the common populace, who all know exactly who is actually in charge - the cartels, the organized crime syndicates, and the merchant princes. Capitalism is the lifeblood of the country, and protection payments are considered more important than taxes - but so long as you're paid up, it's considered one of the best places in the world to live. Mostly humans, although any race can hail from the mixed culture of Westermarck.
Ellisver: An elven nation, Ellisver is one of the more isolationist countries in the world. Aside from border trade with Westermarck, few have ventured into the massive forest's boughs who are not elven. The nation is run almost anarchistically, with only a security council that functions to protect society without concern over morality or the usual elven reverence for the sanctity of life. Elves and half-elves alone may hail from Ellisver.
Mydael: A great Dwarven kingdom under the mountains separating northern and southern Norwyn, Mydael is mostly ignored by outsiders, considered unimportant in the affairs of the world. The king of Mydael rules in the typical Dwarven manner, wherein the code of law is short but absolutely incontrovertible. Dwarves alone may hail from Mydael.
Jungodr: A small kingdom nestled in a grand valley between the mountains of Mydael and the sea, Jungodr has a rich naval military history, mostly composed of raiding nearby countries. Its centuries-old feud with Tethan was diminishing through diplomacy and the mutual respect of honor until the Revolution, and the king of Jungodr, backed by the House of Lords and the Executive, have extended a promise of military aid to insurgents in Tethan to restore the country they once considered honorable enemies. Humans, half-elves and halflings are most common in Jungodr, though some dwarves have left Mydael in search of glory in war, and half-orcs are not unseen.
Vargas: Little is known about the grand marshes of Vargas, except that long ago a group of necromancers claimed it for their own, and noone who has passed the borders since has returned alive.
Arrenthya: The most populous nation in the world, Arrenthya is a constitutional monarchy with an incredibly aggressive-expansive bent. Having already conquered two nearby nations, Gormalin and the Republic of the Sun, and expanded their borders almost a hundred percent, this massive juggernaut has focused on the plains and deserts of Durn as their next target, and a bloody war has raged for three long years. Somehow, the king and his ambassadors have used their diplomatic ties to convince Caldyr, Westermarck and Mydael not to intervene in any of these wars. Anyone (apart from Half-Ogres, who are not tolerated) may hail from Arrenthya, although once again, humans are the most prevalent species in these grasslands.
Durn: The great plains and desert of Durn are home to some of the finest horses - and finest riders - in the world. A nomadic people, what little government exists serves only to stabilize the various tribal chiefs of the hundreds of small tribes. Their army was hastily formed out of raiders and riders, and the Outrunners of Durn, as they call themselves, see Arrenthya's expansion as a personal challenge, each one swearing to take no fewer than ten Arrenthyan soldiers with him when he dies. Anyone may be from Durn, although humans, half-orcs and halflings are most common in the plains.
Caldyr: Eleven years ago, the wise and benevolent King Steadfast the Third, passed away. On his death bed he proclaimed his youngest child, Prince Devout, as his successor, but this break with tradition caused his eldest child, Prince Steadfast the Fourth, to attempt to politically wrest control away from Devout. The spiraling feud eventually ended in all-out war, with all three princes claiming control of parts of the Kingdom of Caldyr - Steadast IV forming North Caldyr, on the premise of his seniority, Devout claiming Castle Elaycal and most of the country on the basis of his mandate from his father, and Prince Harmony the Second taking the easternmost provinces and forming East Caldyr, on the basis that his brothers could not lead a kingdom wisely. This massive schism has led to three countries where constant civil war has taken a toll on the populace. Humans, halflings, and a smattering of elves and half-elves come from Caldyr.
Akqu Peninsula: The ancestral home of the orcish tribes, the Akqu Peninsula is divided into three lands ruled in semi-peaceful co-existance by the three grand leaders of the orcs - the Warlord, the Shaman, and the Creator. (The lands are named after the orcish titles for these leaders - Libeq, Tureq, and Saleq, respectively.) Though they are by no means evil, they are extremely warlike and intolerant of outsiders - however, half-orcs are welcomed "in spite of their deficiency" because, by rule of the Shaman, leaving anyone of the tribe's blood to be raised by outsiders is a great sin. Though they used to live primarily by raiding Caldyr, they've turned to a growing civilization, guided by the Creator, as their new lifestyle, and raids happen only rarely. Only half-orcs can come from the Akqu Peninsula.
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THE ISLAND OF AUWYN
Tethan: Once, Tethan was a democratic republic with a history of honor and fairness to both its people and outsiders, and a raging but almost good-natured feud with the warriors of Jungodr. Rumor has it that the feud began with an argument of beer compared to wine, or perhaps rapiers compared to greatswords... but such rumors and jokes are long forgotten now. Six years ago, the Free-Thinkers Revolution swept through the nation, massacring, raping, pillaging and burning. The government did not react in time, perhaps stunned by the suddenness of the revolt, and all of the old leaders were captured and executed. The patron of the Free Thinkers, a man named Regalion, was installed as supreme leader of Tethan... and the nation has devolved into a psychotic dictatorship of the lowest measure, with people starving while the leader feasts, and a level of censorship and suppression unheard of in the history of the world. Humans, elves, and half-elves may hail from Tethan.
The Au Provinces: The large belt of farmland, woods and plains mid-island in Auwyn has been divided into a collection of small, close-knit provinces, each self-governed and watched over by a benevolent dictator who does little but punish lawbreakers and organize the trade of goods between the provinces. A standing army has only just been raised in this area, for the sole purpose of guarding the border with Tethan, and for the most part, these provinces are treated as neutral and ignored in global politics. Humans and some gnomes are most common, but anyone may hail from the relaxed culture of the Au provinces.
Cliffspray: Rocky hills, devoid of good farming soil, make most of eastern Auwyn unappealing to most political entities in the world. However, buried deep within the earth there are large gnomish, halfling and dwarven communities, who have banded together primarily for the political power to push their ores and inventions upon the rest of the world. The nation is named Cliffspray after the largest underground city in the world - built directly into several square miles of cliff face on the very easternmost cliffs over the sea, and connected not only by tunnels within the cliffs, but great elevators and mechanical conveyances along the cliff's face - truly an amazing sight to behold. Gnomes, halflings and dwarves hail from Cliffspray.
Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:44 am Post subject: Whispers of a New Module
This is my first Arcanum module, but I'm a hobbyist programmer (code kiddie, really), and I feel like I already have a good grasp of scripting, so I think I can handle this. I'd of course like to release new bits of the module as I make them, and I'll try to keep this forum post updated at least once a week or so with my progress...
