EN World City Project: Geography

[Conaill]

"Frontier", remember? So far we have Kul Moren in the north, the river heading ENE and trade routes to the east. That would put the actual frontier off to the southwest. We don't have have enormous caravans coming from that direction.

Besides, if I were that caravan owner, I would gladly pick a short, safe trip across the lake over slogging my way through the swamp, across a causeway that is in poor repair and in some places nonexistant, with goblin raiders jumping out every mudpit....

So there!

 

[Lalato]

Caravans coming back from the southwest can be just as laden with goods as ones that are heading southwest. It's not a one way trip.. and a good caravan master won't make the trip back empty handed.

Still... I'm not saying that boat service won't be available... just that not everyone would use it.

Here are some questions a typical caravan master might have...

Who provides the boat service?
Who provides protection on the boats?
What about Lake Pirates?
How big are these boats?
Is there insurance if one of the boats sink?

This isn't a simple ferry crossing. It's a 100+ mile trek. A lot could happen.

I'm just playing devil's advocate. I think both types of transport could easily co-exist...

--sam

 

[Conaill]

Here's a little sketch of the bridges crossing the river at the Citadel:

 

[jdavis]

I'm just playing devil's advocate. I think both types of transport could easily co-exist...

--sam

Call them Plot hook "cheap route" and plot hook "safe route"

Plot Hook "cheap route"
The adventurers decide to help a poor pilgrims coming up the swamp road. They can't afford the ferries at (Ferry Landing?) and are forced to take the swamp road. What dangers will the adventurers face?

Plot Hook "Safe route"
The adventurers are hired to find out why barges are disappearing on the lake, the ferry masters are loosing money as more and more caravans take the route with known dangers as opposed to the route with unknown ones. Can the adventurers figure out who is trying to put the ferry masters out of buisness and why?

Double the routes and you double the plot hooks.

 

[TGD@work]

Sorry for the delay.

So, here's the generic map modified according to the latest requests, I think.

I'll try to post a closeup from the city from home tonight. Otherwise I'll have to send it to my office to post it tomorrow noon (CET).

 

[Lalato]

Grey Dwarf... I like it... Keep up the good work...

The mountains come all the way down to the lake forcing a river crossing at Mor's End. No one has been able to find a safe route through the mountains. The yakmen ferociously guard the few passes that exist. And even those passes aren't wide enough for most caravans.

--sam

 

[Krug]

Grey Dwarf... I like it... Keep up the good work...

The mountains come all the way down to the lake forcing a river crossing at Mor's End. No one has been able to find a safe route through the mountains. The yakmen ferociously guard the few passes that exist. And even those passes aren't wide enough for most caravans.

--sam

By the way, who came up with Entropy Swamp? Doesn't quite work for me...

Perhaps something that doesn't use En or Mor. Lets not overdo it.

 

[Lalato]

I came up with a few names in another post... my favorite was...

Soggy Bottoms Swamp...

I don't why... I just like it... It seems like something the Squatters would call the swamp...

"I was in the Soggy Bottoms today fetching pickles... but I only came back with a few. I heard orcs so I high-tailed it out of there."

--sam

 

[Krug]

Yes, I think the Squats would call it that. I'm sure they would have their whole slang... but not the official name. Sogath's Swamp? Perhaps derived from name of an ancient Goblin King?

 

[Lalato]

Yes... but would the city recognize a goblin as "owning" the swamp. Wouldn't they city call it something completely different...

I agree that Soggy Bottoms is a bit slangy and tongue in cheek... I still like it...

Here are a few to play around with...
Festering Fen
Boiling Bog
Beastly Bog
Dire Mire
The Dark Moor

What if the swamps used to be part of the network of underground warrens... but long ago... long before the dwarves came... the warrens south of the lake/river collapsed and that's why there is a swamp in such an unlikely place. Evidence of this can be found in the ruins that appear to lead down into dark watery depths...

--sam