Setting Notes

[marcq]

I've completed a couple of pages of the setting describing some of the signature features of the world: floating islands and the bargehounds who ferry people between them.

[sivousplay]

The bargehounds don't seem the most likeable sorts ... sounds expensive to be a caster too.

I like the idea of pathfinders ... seems a cool role for several of the figs in the draft.

Thanks for putting all this stuff together ... lots of character to it all. Still trying to decide if I have any desire to be firstborn or not.

jim

[marcq]

Originally Posted by sivousplay

The bargehounds don't seem the most likeable sorts ... sounds expensive to be a caster too.

I like the idea of pathfinders ... seems a cool role for several of the figs in the draft.

Thanks for putting all this stuff together ... lots of character to it all. Still trying to decide if I have any desire to be firstborn or not.

jim

The Bargehounds aren't the nicest of fellows. In case you missed it, I purloined the concept from Dune (the Guild).

On the expense of barge travel, everyone in the party will be considered martial and charged accordingly so the spellcaster surcharge won't make any real difference.

On the pathfinders, I was just going to leave the concept as is (undeveloped basically) but if there is interest, I may consider ways to work it into the draft, either as a suit card, or also just as a prestige class. It could also just be a 'role' in the sense that pathfinders are any PC or NPC that likes to find portals.

Glad you liked it. Next I plan to work up Eidon (starting nation) and then get back to the suit cards once I have more setting to work with.

[cc22153]

Thanks for clarifying that everyone will be considered martial. I was thinking of playing another spellcaster and wondered about that.

Yeah, Bargehounds sound pretty unfriendly.

One question though, I didn't understand the concept of the shells. Can you please explain that to me? I didn't quite make the connection between the shells and the islands. I'm embarrassed to have to ask but I want to be clear on it.

Thanks!

-Christina

[marcq]

Originally Posted by cc22153

Thanks for clarifying that everyone will be considered martial. I was thinking of playing another spellcaster and wondered about that.

If you have weapons, you are considered martial. Between that and spellcasting, I doubt there are many in the party who will pass as non-martial. Besides, you'll all be rich adventurers, what's a 100,000 GP ticket to you?

Originally Posted by cc22153

One question though, I didn't understand the concept of the shells. Can you please explain that to me? I didn't quite make the connection between the shells and the islands. I'm embarrassed to have to ask but I want to be clear on it.

I started trying to describe it better and failed so I decided to try a picture:



The picture isn't perfect (sorry) but hopefully it helps illustrate that the floating islands are arranged in shells. If this isn't clear yet, let me know and I'll try again.

I also added the image to the islands page. I like doing these little illustrations of Ophir so if anything is confusing or you just don't have a great mental image of what I have in mind, let me know and I'll make a picture. I intend to do more as I go along but I'm always up for ideas. Just don't expect anything too elaborate (the Storybook princess took probably 60 hours; if I spend time on that type of picture I'll never get my website done or the game ready to go )

[marcq]

I'll be using the map below for the initial starting islands:



It's a concept map I did 20 years ago. I was trying out a technique for a series of maps I drew later that year.

[SuperBeast]

Cool! Do you want me to use that map to make a detailed CC2 map?

Now that there is cool picture of Ophir and it's shells, what do you want me to make maps of?

[marcq]

Originally Posted by SuperBeast

Cool! Do you want me to use that map to make a detailed CC2 map?

Now that there is cool picture of Ophir and it's shells, what do you want me to make maps of?

Let's just use the scan of my paper map for Eidos; it is good enough. How about working up another island complex similar to this one? I can use it for additional regions.

One note: when I did this, the map above was intended to be normal islands sitting in an ocean. The Ophir floating islands are actually hunks of earth taken from the ground. They wouldn't normally have such convulted shorelines. More typically, they would be more like rough rectangles. (Image cutting chunks of turf from the ground. You aren't going to cut out weird shapes, you'll mostly do this in rectangular chunks or at least more regular chunks)

(In the case of Eidos, I have a rationale to explain the more exotic shorelines- Eidos were real islands ripped from the earth and the Archon who did this followed the shoreline.)

[SuperBeast]

Originally Posted by marcq

Let's just use the scan of my paper map for Eidos; it is good enough. How about working up another island complex similar to this one? I can use it for additional regions.

One note: when I did this, the map above was intended to be normal islands sitting in an ocean. The Ophir floating islands are actually hunks of earth taken from the ground. They wouldn't normally have such convulted shorelines. More typically, they would be more like rough rectangles. (Image cutting chunks of turf from the ground. You aren't going to cut out weird shapes, you'll mostly do this in rectangular chunks or at least more regular chunks)

(In the case of Eidos, I have a rationale to explain the more exotic shorelines- Eidos were real islands ripped from the earth and the Archon who did this followed the shoreline.)

Sounds fun! I will start making up maps in my free time. When I get some early images done I will post them here and you can let me know if that is what you have in mind.

[marcq]

Originally Posted by SuperBeast

Sounds fun! I will start making up maps in my free time. When I get some early images done I will post them here and you can let me know if that is what you have in mind.

Sounds great! Looking forward to seeing them.

[marcq]

I've added some basic stuff on the Eidos page. This will be the starting location for the campaign.

An Eidos Blockhouse (click on it to go the Eidos page):



BTW, I also fixed the image of the shells (scroll back up on this page a ways or here) which hopefully makes it easier to understand.

[cc22153]

Thanks Marc, the picture looks great and I totally understand the concept now. =)

-Christina

[marcq]

I started a section on the web page from the Pathfinder Draco. I'll use this section to write notes on various campaign setting aspects in (hopefully) a reasonably concise and accessible manner. Right now, there is just a little bit on a current war. I'll add some color pieces to give you a feel for how the various races live together, life on the floating islands, etc. You can also request a piece if you are curious about something.

[marcq]

I'll be starting on the key gods next. Above is Marquella, your basic purple solar-archon-goddess and patron of the lands you will start in.

[marcq]

And Marquella's nemesis, Osrid.

[marcq]

Originally Posted by marcq

I started a section on the web page from the Pathfinder Draco. I'll use this section to write notes on various campaign setting aspects in (hopefully) a reasonably concise and accessible manner. Right now, there is just a little bit on a current war. I'll add some color pieces to give you a feel for how the various races live together, life on the floating islands, etc. You can also request a piece if you are curious about something.

Draco has undergone a little sex change. More pictures of the sage at the link above.

[marcq]

I've added a small page on time, names of the months, weekdays and moons (there are two).

Campaign will start on the first day of the year 2513, (Firststar 1, 2513).

Time page.