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Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 1207579" data-attributes="member: 945">The Bluffside world - Alterra.For the record, I have permission from MEG Hal to divulge this information.  Seeing as how the Bluffside line has ceased as a product category from MEG, it's not like I'm selling the farm here.  Yes, I was one of the lead writers for Bluffside, and much of the framework that was used to build Bluffside has formed the basis for what is now my campaign world.  I've dubbed it Alterra, but that's not intended to be an official title.The History of the world:The History of Alterra is steeped in mystery.  Around 200,000 years ago, there was an event that shook the very foundations of the world - an even known as the Great Cataclysm.  During this event, a great asteroid (asteroids?) flew down from the heavens and struck the world.  Some accounts describe this as "fires from heaven", though most scholars agree that it was likely a physical celestial body such as an asteroid.    This Cataclysm ended most life on the surface of the planet.  First, the skies grew dark, and the air became thick with layers of ash and dust, choking out most breathing life.  Plants died, and animals perished from lack of food.  Many survived by making their way underground, but those conditions were just as harsh.  Soon after this cataclysm, the Age of Ice began.    The Age of Ice is a period wherein the whole of the planet was encased in a thick blanket of ice, that is, except for a few temperate regions near the equators.  An ice bridge, connecting the northern and the southern continents enabled survivors from the northern continent (where Bluffside resides today) to travel to the southern continent.  It was on this southern continent that the remaining denizins of Alterra managed to eek out a meager existence.  All races - elves, halflings, dwarves, gnomes, and humans made their way here.  The land here was considerably warmer (though still cold), but here they would be able to farm, and sustain themselves.  Because the world became thick with ice - white dragons, and frost giants became extremely powerful.  White dragons evolved into Ice dragons, and they became a serious problem for the inhabitants.  But, together at their new-found oasis, they could combine their forces and protect themselves.  It was here that the Bastion was formed.  The Bastion was initially a large fortress, with large walls and towers constantly manned by archers and spellcasters to watch for monstrous forces that would seek to eliminate them.  It was here that the survivors were able to make their way.  Over time, the Bastion grew - constantly adding more walls, and more defenses.  Other good monsters - Fey creatures, Storm Giants, and even metallic dragons came to seek refuge at the Bastion.  There, they could utilize their own talents to provide security, and be safe at the same time.  Today, the Bastion is a city-state, and consumes a large chunk of what is the Southern continent.  Eventually, the ice began to recede, and the oceans became sailable once again.  The ice bridge to the north had long since gone away, and the secrets these other lands held had long been forgotten by the inhabitants of the Bastion.  Exploration became the driving theme of the land, and explorers and archaeologists sought out to rediscover those things that had been lost.  It was not long before the northern continent was "re-discovered" and it was here that the ruins of Sem-la'vah were found.  Adamantine was discovered here, and Bluffside grew up over night as stories of wealth and tales that tickled the imagination invited those hungry for power and adventure to sail to her docks.  This is the world of Alterra - a place where exploration thrives, and journies into the unknown are perilous, yet tremendously rewarding.  The heroes of the day are explorers and archaeologists who bring back tales of untold power and wealth - and above all, knowledge of forgotten lands.</blockquote>

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