I would like to add:
Geanavue: Stones of Peace
According to the Kenzer Co. message boards, it should be in stores the first week of March. The books were printed on Feb 22nd and were shipped immediately to the distribution centers.
K&C1108
ISBN 1-889182-10-9
$24.99 (estimated)
Release date: February 2002
A Kingdoms of Kalamar D&D Sourcebook by Ed Greenwood
Looking for more excitement than your local town or village can give you? Missing that hustle and bustle of city life? Or do you just need a place to hide out from those raiding giants, pirates and other dangers? If so, look no further.
Welcome to Geanavue, the Stones of Peace: a completely detailed fantasy city for D&D® campaign play, set in the popular Kingdoms of Kalamar setting. From the pen of Ed Greenwood, one of the best-known D&D writers of all time, comes this richly-detailed setting. Geanavue is a haven of justice and prosperity for your characters — but one that, for the unwary, can be just as deadly as the monster-haunted hills. Join fully-developed guilds, and ready your weapons as you become involved in the long-running intrigues of colorful, detailed noble families. See famous landmarks and be guided to interesting shops and underground societies. Hear the local rumors and seek the dangers that lie behind them. Welcome home, adventurers.
Geanavue is a city designed to be used either as a 'home base' or simply as a stopover in a Kalamar campaign. From the daily lives of commoners and castle officials to precarious conditions in the lawless port of nearby Loona, this sourcebook presents a firm foundation for years of adventure.
Introduction
Urban areas are perhaps the most challenging fantasy environments to DM successfully. Stepping into a new city presents players with an overwhelming array of people, places, items, situations and events. Detail is what breathes life into such environments, but presenting the dizzying amount of creative detail necessary to bring a city to life in an entertaining and manageable fashion is one of the toughest challenges facing a Dungeon Master.
RumourQuestÔ encounter system solves this problem. It is a new method of immersing players in detailed, true-to-life urban environments. Players will receive possible encounters and information, overheard bits of news, gossip, etc., as they mingle through the city’s streets and taverns, just as they would in real life. Buried in these rumours are tidbits of history, opportunities to buy, sell, gamble, pickpockets and other minor encounters, and the critical information that attentive players will use to launch them on the path to adventure.
The key to the RumourQuestÔ encounter system is allowing players to make connections. A casual comment overheard days ago together with a strange tidbit heard this morning and a whispered comment over dinner will combine to create sudden and exciting insights, exposing the players to adventure hooks, intriguing mysteries and the true richness of the urban setting. With this kind of interaction, the players will soon find themselves completely at home in their new environment."
A sample rumor:
“— everything been quiet in your side of town then, Otoo?”
“Yes… but I’m a little concerned about the weekly street reports. A lot of thefts this past week.”
“Thefts? I hadn’t heard that. Anything valuable?”
“Just the opposite. Fish!”
“Someone’s stealing fish?”
“Yes. Not much, but a little each day. Five different vendors hit in the last week alone, always by the same band.”
“Odd…”
And another:
Two young boys are talking loudly as they pass you.
“— I don’t believe it! There’s no such thing as a rat that big!”
“I saw it myself. One of Raadurar’s men fished it out of Daaraun Pool. As big as a dog!”
“Was it dead?”
“Of course it was dead. It had teeth as sharp as a blade. It would have chewed his arm off if it wasn’t.”
“Eeeugh! Do you think there are more, under the city?”
“Hundreds, probably. Old Fadeer said the goblins ride them, through the old sewer runs…”