Mabinogin [A homebrew setting]

Eosin the Red

First Post
The Cape of Sojen

The campaign will begin in the year 1075, play will primarily take place on the Cape of Sojen. The Cape is an ideal garden unprepared for the violence about to be unleashed on its shores. The land is comprised of pleasant valleys, undulating hills, dales, woodlands, and extensive meadows with a great abundance of water forming rivers, springs and lakes everywhere. It is truly one of the richest regions of the world. A good portion of the land is uncultivated and covered by forest or light woodlands. Sheep, horses, and cattle roam much of the cultivated land, while large herds of deer dwell in the wooded lands.

Much of the land has fallen into disuse and decay. Many sheltered glades hide the ruins of villages, churches, and older fortresses, these stand as testimony to the hard times endured by the people. Many villages were destroyed during the incessant wars with Lorain, Internal strife between the triple crowns, and during the legendary troll-fogs that occur with alarming regularity. Perhaps most costly in terms of life lost was the dual plagues that struck the area within a decade of each other, Yellow Eye Fever claimed nearly one fifth of the population in 1014, then Demonfever swept the area in 1020 claiming nearly a third of the survivors. During the dual plagues entire village populations simply disappeared, making an accurate estimation of the death toll impossible.

There are nearly 8,000 townships on the cape, but few have populations of more than a thousand. Chandra is the only metropolis on the cape and it boasts an impressive population of 65,000 souls. Ridderkirk, Starkwall, and Seacliff are the only other towns of considerable size; the largest is Seacliff with a population of 12,000. Few other towns even approached a population of 6,000. Most towns spring from within the confines of walls or palisades, while the immediate lands are cultivated for crops or livestock.

There is a network of roads linking many of the towns, but few minor roads. Many of the small villages are accessible only by forested trail. The upkeep of the major roadways is the responsibility of the lords whose land they cross, but few spare the coin to keep the roads in good repair. Visitors on the cape find that to do any traveling they must hire a guide.

When Sojen first conquered the triple kingdoms scholars estimated the population to be between 4 and 5 million, during the ensuing centuries instead of growing, as one would expect in such a bountiful land the population has been steadily declining; current estimates place the population between 1 and 2 million. A large percentage of those live in the townships and cities, so many in fact that the countryside often seems uninhabited.

Climate
The cape is blessed with mild temperature extremes year round. Summers tend to be long warm seasons with large amounts of rainfall. Temperatures peak during the 7th and 8th months of the year with an average in the mid 80’s. A light morning fog and afternoon cloud cover are routine during the warmer weather. If the summer experiences generous precipitation then the winters are drenched affairs. Volcanic activity in the Hearthstone Mountains causes a down-slope dump of snow and rain during the winter. Rare fogs that roll off of the high peaks are called Troll-fogs for the monsters they invariably bring. Although snow is plentiful the temperature is mild, rarely falling below zero.

While the temperature is benign, this region can experience violent storms year round. Great squalls occasionally hem in naval travel during the summer, while inland storms cause many of the bridges and fords to become impassable. The cape rarely sees flash floods due to its overly wet nature. Winter blizzards can halt all traffic in the northern lands. While the various storms are plentiful they usually blow over quickly and life resumes as normal.

Population
The people of the cape are often described as earthy, but possessing a volatile temper. In fact one scholar suggests the warlike inclinations of the region is one of the chief causes of its shrinking population. After being chased from Middea by an angry lynch mob he was quoted as saying ‘if these people could not fight Lorain, or Vindell, or Severn, or the inhuman monsters in the mountains, they would probably kill each other’.

Many are impressed by the standard of living; everyone has stout clothes, eats huge meals, and consumes vast amounts of alcohol.

There are several regions on the cape that defy borders; the northerners tend to think of the southerners as treacherous, cowardly, educated snobs. While the southerners tends to view the northerners as brash, rapacious, violent barbarians. Related and interrelated races populate the cape but difference in dress and dialect often lead to other prejudices. The men of Edain are loud, violent, love strong drink, and tend to boast outrageously, which often sets them at odds with the Middians, who value honesty. Neither the Middians nor the Edain can remain long in the presence of a Vindell without a fight occurring. The Vindell have a long memory for the wrongs done to their people by both countries. This disunity among the various areas on the cape leaves folk from one region either fearing or resenting those from another; foreigners have a much rougher lot.

The people of the cape tend to be fair skinned with a full range of hair and eye color. Many travelers comment on the legendary alabaster beauty possessed by the noble women, and are even more amazed by their forwardness. The capes history of conquest by foreign invaders has added to the diversity of races, the invaders include (from earliest to most recent) The Vanyian Empire, the Glacians, Ramanthian mercenaries, and most recently the Numerians.
 
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First was mundane now a little of the fantastic:

The Pit of Gorgos
Sages have speculated on the cause of Gorgos Pit for as long as they have known of its existence. Located near the Trollstone Mountains and just east of the border to Middea, the Gorge (the physical pit) is rarely ever seen by the eyes of commoners.

The gorge takes just under a day to circumnavigate, if one walks along the top of the Shining Walls. The walk is not for the faint of heart - the walls are themselves over 300 feet tall. The walls were built by one of the Elder races long before men settled the region but were abandoned during the great conflicts that destroyed them. Most common folk avoid the area believing it to be haunted, and many cry out in dismay when they approach for the first time. The Shining Wall has two exterior walls; the inner wall is made from subtly different shades of pale stone. Standing only a single pace from the inner wall is the outer lattice. This is an intricate weave of stone meant to provide many open spaces for the life like statues that seem to be struggling to break free. Jutting from the back wall these statues protrude through the lattice giving them a semblance of motion and depth. Use of shading and multi-hued stone is extremely frightening, especially to one uneducated or unprepared. Many scholars and artists have devoted their lives to rendering and cataloguing various aspects of the wall.

From the heights of the Shining Wall you can look into the heart of the abyss, a wound so deep it could not have been made by any known force. The pit has the appearance of a penetrating wound, as if something plunged into or out of our world. It is irregular, and the edges are jagged, although they have softened with time. You cannot fathom the bottom, even from such a great height as the walls, but it is possible to make out a stairway cut into the rough stone that begins near the northern tower. Before the stair has navigated half the gorge it is lost into the depths.

The Shining Walls are manned by some of the most elite fighting men in the world. They protect it from those who would plumb its depths. The warriors are selected from the great knightly orders on the continent of Relestia, and if rumor is believed some come from beyond our lands. All who serve on the Shining Walls are given gold cloaks that mark them for as long as they care to wear it.

It is said that the journey to the bottom takes more than a full day. Few other than the Muldegians Wizards who come every five years are allowed into the depths, so the truth remains unknown. The eldritch order always leaves a few of their kind behind to assist the knights in their endeavors. When the wizards come it is always during the holy nights when both moons are full. They bring with them infants and toddlers, each man and woman carrying one into the deeps. It is widely believed that these children are born with a Talent for sorcery and whatever occurs in the Gorge that is related to their powers. The children that are carried in will walk out within a week or they will not walk out. It has been noted by several disreputable sources and by the Synod that the numbers going in are always more than those returning.

A town has sprung up around the base of the Shining Walls. It normally works the other way – the town builds a wall around them, rather than building the town around the wall. Most of the people dwelling in the town are families of those who guard the walls. Some are former guardians.
 



Well, you know, it's clearly an allegory for the female vagina.


Hong "as opposed to, you know, the male vagina" Ooi
 

Listen, "Huh" (if that IS your real name), sometimes a wizard's tower is just a wizard's tower. And sometimes an allegory is actually a crocodile.

Less hijacking, more giant chasm explanation!
 
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Wow. To repeat what's been said: That pit is far too cool. Please tell us what is in the pit!

Interesting sounding setting.

Do many people still live outside of the towns?

Troll fog does sound quite... unplesant.
 

Hmm, I checked out this thread thinking it has something to do with gaming and the Mabinogian.

Instead find an intriguing mystery ;)
 

:O I started the thread to test the P&P theory of homebrew sinking extremely fast and getting lost in the crowd without any replies….I guess that did not work real well.

The interest however has encouraged me to continue with the thread and make this my “Homebrew Essay Corner.” I can’t just reveal the contents or the mystery of the pit right off of the bat but if you follow the thread for awhile you should be able to make some guesses just like the players in my game. Please, feel free to post your guesses, I will 100% steal anything that is cool. :) Speaking of stealing…This is my homebrew which means occasionally I steal some odd piece of text and edit the snot out of it to fit my world.

Finally, Mabinogin. It does have to do with “The Mabinogian” in the sense that my website is the Mabinogin meaning “Tale of Heroes” and it is meant to be an umbrella site for all my gaming stuff.
 

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