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[Lakelands] Play By Post Now Recruiting [Full]
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<blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 1899803" data-attributes="member: 18280"><p>A Guide to Character Creation in </p><p>the Lakelands Campaign Setting</p><p></p><p>by Daniel J. Bishop</p><p>copyright © Daniel J. Bishop 2003</p><p></p><p>Not to be sold or redistributed without express permission of the author. All rights reserved.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p></p><p>The following information can be used to create the background and motivations of characters in the Lakelands. This information may be considered general knowledge.</p><p></p><p><strong>Long Archer</strong></p><p></p><p>Long Archer is an outpost village, running along the Selwyn River. It grew out of the gathering of masons and carpenters hired to build Caer Selwyn for the first Baron Archer. Over the long years of building, overland traders began to gather in the area, sheltering under the Baron’s guardsmen, and eventually Long Archer became both a regular stop and a place where overland traders could exchange wares, or sell to shippers and vice versa. A portion of the timbers felled to construct the keep, and later the village walls, was sent downstream. Soon enough, a thriving timber industry grew, and shipwrights began to ply their trade in the village itself. Today, many of the tall straight pines along the Selwyn River carry the mark of Baron Archer’s shipyards. Poaching these trees is considered a high crime.</p><p></p><p>Because of the natural abundance of wood, the defensive walls around Long Archer are timber palisades. Caer Selwyn itself, however, was intended to control the Selwyn River, and is constructed mostly of stone. Likewise, most of Long Archer is built of wood. Fires are a serious threat. Casting fire-based magic, or even allowing a fire to burn out of control, are serious crimes within the area controlled by Long Archer.</p><p></p><p>The folk of Long Archer have treaties with most of the local Lakashi clans, but they are forever vigilant against orcs and monsters of the wilds. As a result, many citizens go about armed. Most people will have a dagger, and many of the middle class or higher bear swords. Armor, while unusual, is not so uncommon as to draw comment.</p><p></p><p><strong>Selby-by-the-Water</strong></p><p></p><p>Selby-by-the-Water was once much larger than it is today, for more than half of the town now lies beneath Lake Elidyr. Locals now call this area “Selby-beneath-the-Waves.” What remains is still a bustling town, but folk avoid the ruined areas at night, including the docksides where Selby-beneath-the-Waves can still be seen.</p><p></p><p>Selby-by-the-Water was founded to protect a deepwater harbor on Lake Elidyr. A great wall surrounds the town proper from Weirwood the Great, but farms and small businesses arose outside of the village wall. There are now wooden partial walls and watchtowers that protect these areas. The village has grown in a radial pattern from the harbor, with several canals cutting through the central village.</p><p></p><p>Forty-seven years ago, Selby-by-the-Water was wracked by tremors, and more than half the town was destroyed. The tower of Amoreth the Arcane collapsed in smoke and fire. Underground explosions damaged buildings. Whole sections of the town subsided, and were covered by the lake. Amoreth the Arcane was never seen again – some thought he had died in some dangerous experiment, but others thought that he fled the disaster he had caused. In the aftermath, the sewers and undercity of Selby-by-the-Water have been broken and partly submerged, with new entrances appearing and old ones becoming lost. </p><p></p><p>Entry into the Wizard’s Tower is forbidden upon pain of death.</p><p></p><p><strong>Lake Elidyr</strong></p><p></p><p>Mist-wreathed Lake Elidyr is home to many islands, of which Tal Slathan is the largest. The lake itself is large, with a fey reputation. Ghost ships and long-necked monsters have been reported on the lake, as well as occasional merfolk and faerie creatures.</p><p></p><p>True sightings of lake monsters are rare, though false ones are common enough. Shifting mists, a family of otters, driftwood, and large serpents can all be mistaken for these beasts. Even when they are truly sighted, their long necks rising from the mist-wreathed waters, they are usually harmless. The lake monsters eat mainly fish, and occasionally birds. They have been known to attack swimmers, though, and ships during the springtime, when they become more territorial, and their bellows sometimes echo through the warm nights. </p><p></p><p>Few have seen their long necks entwined in mating challenges or courtship, but such a sight is said to bring good luck among the Lakeland folk. In the Deep Lakes to the east, there are people who hunt lake monsters for their blubber, hide, and meat. The carcass of such a creature is valuable, of course, and has many uses, but any so foolish as to attack a lake monster might well feel the creature’s wrath ere it sank out of sight.</p><p></p><p><strong>Weirwood the Great</strong></p><p></p><p>Weirwood the Great is a vast and ancient forest, with huge old trees, sudden standing stones, hoary mosses, hanging vines, and darkly shaded paths. It spreads north of the Lakes, reaching as far as the Grey Hills and somewhat beyond.</p><p></p><p>Strange creatures are said to dwell within Weirwood the Great. The Lakashi dwell there in small, mobile enclaves. Within its great trees communities of elves are said to dwell. Orcs and goblins, too, are known to create fortresses here. </p><p></p><p><strong>The Grey Hills</strong></p><p></p><p>To the north, Weirwood the Great gives way to a broken land of hill, canyon, and ravine, known as the Grey Hills. This is a wild, desolate place, the home of monstrous creatures and goblinkind. Beyond the Grey Hills rise the Trollshanks, a mountain range whose natural passes, though once guarded, are now seldom used.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tal Slathan</strong></p><p></p><p>Covered in forested hills, swampland, and small pools, Tal Slathan was colonized by dwarves long ago, and, though they are gone, the memory of the silver and gemstones they mined from Tal Slathan’s hills remains. The old dwarf-hold was known as Marrowgate, but it’s location and the means to enter therein have been lost to time.</p><p></p><p>Men followed to Tal Slathan, and founded the village of Oakhill, overlooked by Caer Pavallan. They traded foodstuffs to the dwarves of Marrowgate, in exchange for precious stones and silver, worked and unworked, then transported these to the farther villages of Long Archer and Selby-by-the-Water. This relationship long endured, and Oakhill grew prosperous. Other small communities were founded upon Tal Slathan, including the Temple of the Silver Cat, where the worshipers of Baerbeth conducted rituals following the moon’s phases.</p><p></p><p>Then, one night in the dark of the moon, orcs from the Grey Hills sailed across Lake Elidyr in many skin boats. They raided Oakhill and besieged Caer Pavallan under the banner of the Blood-Drenched Fist. Though messengers flew across the lake to bring respite from the siege, aid came too late to save the castle. The orcish shaman, Grodd du Grumdash, summoned a great infernal shade that swept through the castle, unmanning those who guarded its walls. So Caer Pavallan fell, and those who would have come to Oakhill’s aid were captured and enslaved, or else driven from the shore.</p><p></p><p>It was in this time that the dwarves of Marrowgate vanished, though whether they were slain, or fled, or sealed themselves within their delving no man knows. What is known is that, through haplessly captured slave labor, the orcs sought to mine the riches of Tal Slathan for themselves. Yet, while they long endured, they were in the end brought to ruin by the Shadow of Grodd du Grumdash, which had lain dormant for many long years while the orcs mined and prospered.</p><p></p><p>Now, Oakhill lies in ruins, and Caer Pavallan stands over it like both a shadow, and a beacon for the lost riches of Marrowgate. Adventurers still come to Tal Slathan to seek their fortune, and indeed some of them find it. There are those who return over Lake Elidyr with pockets dripping silver, but others return with little to show, and others yet do not return at all.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Raven Crowking, post: 1899803, member: 18280"] A Guide to Character Creation in the Lakelands Campaign Setting by Daniel J. Bishop copyright © Daniel J. Bishop 2003 Not to be sold or redistributed without express permission of the author. All rights reserved. [B]Background[/B] The following information can be used to create the background and motivations of characters in the Lakelands. This information may be considered general knowledge. [B]Long Archer[/B] Long Archer is an outpost village, running along the Selwyn River. It grew out of the gathering of masons and carpenters hired to build Caer Selwyn for the first Baron Archer. Over the long years of building, overland traders began to gather in the area, sheltering under the Baron’s guardsmen, and eventually Long Archer became both a regular stop and a place where overland traders could exchange wares, or sell to shippers and vice versa. A portion of the timbers felled to construct the keep, and later the village walls, was sent downstream. Soon enough, a thriving timber industry grew, and shipwrights began to ply their trade in the village itself. Today, many of the tall straight pines along the Selwyn River carry the mark of Baron Archer’s shipyards. Poaching these trees is considered a high crime. Because of the natural abundance of wood, the defensive walls around Long Archer are timber palisades. Caer Selwyn itself, however, was intended to control the Selwyn River, and is constructed mostly of stone. Likewise, most of Long Archer is built of wood. Fires are a serious threat. Casting fire-based magic, or even allowing a fire to burn out of control, are serious crimes within the area controlled by Long Archer. The folk of Long Archer have treaties with most of the local Lakashi clans, but they are forever vigilant against orcs and monsters of the wilds. As a result, many citizens go about armed. Most people will have a dagger, and many of the middle class or higher bear swords. Armor, while unusual, is not so uncommon as to draw comment. [B]Selby-by-the-Water[/B] Selby-by-the-Water was once much larger than it is today, for more than half of the town now lies beneath Lake Elidyr. Locals now call this area “Selby-beneath-the-Waves.” What remains is still a bustling town, but folk avoid the ruined areas at night, including the docksides where Selby-beneath-the-Waves can still be seen. Selby-by-the-Water was founded to protect a deepwater harbor on Lake Elidyr. A great wall surrounds the town proper from Weirwood the Great, but farms and small businesses arose outside of the village wall. There are now wooden partial walls and watchtowers that protect these areas. The village has grown in a radial pattern from the harbor, with several canals cutting through the central village. Forty-seven years ago, Selby-by-the-Water was wracked by tremors, and more than half the town was destroyed. The tower of Amoreth the Arcane collapsed in smoke and fire. Underground explosions damaged buildings. Whole sections of the town subsided, and were covered by the lake. Amoreth the Arcane was never seen again – some thought he had died in some dangerous experiment, but others thought that he fled the disaster he had caused. In the aftermath, the sewers and undercity of Selby-by-the-Water have been broken and partly submerged, with new entrances appearing and old ones becoming lost. Entry into the Wizard’s Tower is forbidden upon pain of death. [B]Lake Elidyr[/B] Mist-wreathed Lake Elidyr is home to many islands, of which Tal Slathan is the largest. The lake itself is large, with a fey reputation. Ghost ships and long-necked monsters have been reported on the lake, as well as occasional merfolk and faerie creatures. True sightings of lake monsters are rare, though false ones are common enough. Shifting mists, a family of otters, driftwood, and large serpents can all be mistaken for these beasts. Even when they are truly sighted, their long necks rising from the mist-wreathed waters, they are usually harmless. The lake monsters eat mainly fish, and occasionally birds. They have been known to attack swimmers, though, and ships during the springtime, when they become more territorial, and their bellows sometimes echo through the warm nights. Few have seen their long necks entwined in mating challenges or courtship, but such a sight is said to bring good luck among the Lakeland folk. In the Deep Lakes to the east, there are people who hunt lake monsters for their blubber, hide, and meat. The carcass of such a creature is valuable, of course, and has many uses, but any so foolish as to attack a lake monster might well feel the creature’s wrath ere it sank out of sight. [B]Weirwood the Great[/B] Weirwood the Great is a vast and ancient forest, with huge old trees, sudden standing stones, hoary mosses, hanging vines, and darkly shaded paths. It spreads north of the Lakes, reaching as far as the Grey Hills and somewhat beyond. Strange creatures are said to dwell within Weirwood the Great. The Lakashi dwell there in small, mobile enclaves. Within its great trees communities of elves are said to dwell. Orcs and goblins, too, are known to create fortresses here. [B]The Grey Hills[/B] To the north, Weirwood the Great gives way to a broken land of hill, canyon, and ravine, known as the Grey Hills. This is a wild, desolate place, the home of monstrous creatures and goblinkind. Beyond the Grey Hills rise the Trollshanks, a mountain range whose natural passes, though once guarded, are now seldom used. [B]Tal Slathan[/B] Covered in forested hills, swampland, and small pools, Tal Slathan was colonized by dwarves long ago, and, though they are gone, the memory of the silver and gemstones they mined from Tal Slathan’s hills remains. The old dwarf-hold was known as Marrowgate, but it’s location and the means to enter therein have been lost to time. Men followed to Tal Slathan, and founded the village of Oakhill, overlooked by Caer Pavallan. They traded foodstuffs to the dwarves of Marrowgate, in exchange for precious stones and silver, worked and unworked, then transported these to the farther villages of Long Archer and Selby-by-the-Water. This relationship long endured, and Oakhill grew prosperous. Other small communities were founded upon Tal Slathan, including the Temple of the Silver Cat, where the worshipers of Baerbeth conducted rituals following the moon’s phases. Then, one night in the dark of the moon, orcs from the Grey Hills sailed across Lake Elidyr in many skin boats. They raided Oakhill and besieged Caer Pavallan under the banner of the Blood-Drenched Fist. Though messengers flew across the lake to bring respite from the siege, aid came too late to save the castle. The orcish shaman, Grodd du Grumdash, summoned a great infernal shade that swept through the castle, unmanning those who guarded its walls. So Caer Pavallan fell, and those who would have come to Oakhill’s aid were captured and enslaved, or else driven from the shore. It was in this time that the dwarves of Marrowgate vanished, though whether they were slain, or fled, or sealed themselves within their delving no man knows. What is known is that, through haplessly captured slave labor, the orcs sought to mine the riches of Tal Slathan for themselves. Yet, while they long endured, they were in the end brought to ruin by the Shadow of Grodd du Grumdash, which had lain dormant for many long years while the orcs mined and prospered. Now, Oakhill lies in ruins, and Caer Pavallan stands over it like both a shadow, and a beacon for the lost riches of Marrowgate. Adventurers still come to Tal Slathan to seek their fortune, and indeed some of them find it. There are those who return over Lake Elidyr with pockets dripping silver, but others return with little to show, and others yet do not return at all. [/QUOTE]
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