Settings

Greetings!

First let me apologize for the quality of last month’s submission on NPCs. I’ve cleaned it up and
posted it to the net at http://198.3.128.73/npcs.html. This month’s topic is settings, and I will describe
several in this article. The first setting will be the campaign world I have run for the past fifteen years. I
will finish with some additional settings which offer maximum opportunities for role-playing.

(I have been running a play by e-mail (PBeM) campaign for the past year set in this same
campaign world, and if there is sufficient interest, I will post the turns in _IR_. This issue’s information
could serve as an overview, and next issue I could put together some additional background information to
include the commonly known mythology. Who is interested?)

I. The Campaign World

Describing one’s own campaign world is a bit like telling other people about your child. :-) You
want to hit the highlights and skip over the runny noses and bed wetting. Whether a boon or a curse, my
campaign world is more like a collection of orphans than a single child of certain parentage. ;-) (That was
pretty discreet, right?)

I have enclosed a map at the end of this article. [The map is also available at
http://198.3.128.73/map.gif] Please refer to it any time you have a question about major terrain features.

I created the world using a combination of my “bottoms-up” and “top-down” methods [see IR#7
or http://www.hut.fi/~vesanto/world.build.html]. From 1979 through 1985, I used a bottoms-up creation
method, blending my own designs with published modules and RPG supplements. In 1985, I finally
decided it was time to design the cosmology and morphology from the basics. I elected to keep as many of
the original adventure locations as possible. Still, it took a good three months of part time efforts to fit the
world fragments together into a cohesive whole.

There is an old saying that talent imitates and genius steals. If so, my campaign world deserves a
Noble prize in larceny! :-) Before going further, I would like to explicitly mention some of the sources for
the world. Many of the people, places and items mentioned in the campaign world are copyrighted or
trademarked. My use of these terms in this article in no way or form constitutes a copyright or trademark
challenge to the authors, companies or estates. (By the by, I’ve had the opportunity to meet or
communicate with a disproportionate number of the game designers and authors whose items I’ve used,
and without exception, these have been some of the friendliest and most interesting folks I’ve had the
chance to meet.) Material has been stolen from but is not limited to the following sources: Chaosium,
Avalon Hill, RuneQuest, Powers & Perils, TSR, AD&D, Flying Buffalo, Tunnels & Trolls, I.C.E., MERP,
RoleMaster, Beast Enterprises, TS, White Dwarf, Games Workshop, Game Designers Workshop,
Traveller, MegaTraveller, Digest Group Publications, Judges Guild, Adventurers’ Guild, Pegasus, Fantasy
Gamer, Dragon, Fantasy Trip, the Fantasy Wargame, High Fantasy, Fantasy Games Unlimited, Palladium
Press, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Edwin Zimmer-Bradley, et.al.

The world is lozenge shaped. There are physical boundaries at the North, South, East and West.
The underside of the world is populated by creatures of darkness. The extreme North is bitterly cold and
only inhabited by creatures of ice while the South is exceedingly hot. At the boundaries of the world, the
lost souls and Chaos demons continually beat at the world, attempting to gain entry and bring the world
back to the form from whence it sprang. The recorded history of the world spans millennia, and what is
recorded in the remainder of this article represents the world that most of the gamers over the years have
experienced.

The scale of the world is one of its unique features. The world is approximately 120,000 miles on
each of its sides. There are two major continents, a northern one commonly known as Zhalindor which is
the largest of the two and a southern one called Palmalta. Zhalindor borders on the northern edge of the
world while Palmalta borders the southern edge. Both continents stretch across the middle two-thirds of
the world when measured from East to West. There are two major archipelagoes, one on the eastern edge
and one on the western edge of the world. The group of islands to the West is called the Thousand Isles.
The isles to the East consist of the Isle of Terror and its neighbors. Sailors have named the ocean to the
West Magasta’s Pool. The water between the continents is known as the Southern Ocean while the eastern
sea is widely called the Tears of the Dragon.

The Isle of Terror lies in the Tears of the Dragon. In the misty past of the world it was called the
Isle of Lei Po. It was this island where the Old Ones entered the world and brought about the end of the
world’s golden age. The island is about 12,000 miles from north to south and 5,000 miles from side to
side. The isle claims a circle of stones as a landmark, but little else is known of the land.

Palmalta is a land of jungle and savanna. The jungles line the northern coast while the southern
edge of the continent is covered with burning grass. Palmalta is inhabited by a variety of creatures. Fire
based monsters roam the far South while a mixture of jungle creatures live in the northern, cooler portion
of the continent. Five major groups of sentient creatures are commonly known to inhabit Palmalta. Jungle
trolls and elves inhabit the forested areas while dwarves live in the craggy portions of Palmalta. A hearty
race of humans dot the landscape, but by and large they have been enslaved by the Illian Fane, the fifth
group of sentients, a race of lion centaurs. The Illian Fane run a thriving slave trade with many other
groups in the world. In the northwest section of the continent is the largest Illian Fane settlement called
Palmalta, the home of some 500,000 Illian Fane and another 1,000,000 humans. The far northeastern
corner of the continent hosts the Temple of Pamalt.

The Thousand Isles contain the most eclectic mixture of races, cultures and natural phenomenon
in the world. Sailors of many races ply the islands with trade while terrible pirates raid the sea lanes. The
islands range in size from small boulders protruding from the sea to isles the size of Australia. Toward the
western edge of the isles lies Ishmon which boasts the best navy and longest lasting sea faring culture in
the Isles. On the eastern side of the Isles, the natives have a thriving trade with the mainland of Zhalindor.
The heart of the Isles contains many mysteries. The archmage Carrastinian has a sequestered base
somewhere in the Isles where he broods over arcane knowledge and uses that most potent of artifacts, the
Globe of Sorcery, safe from the intervention of mundane forces. It is legended that the famous pirate,
Black Hawk, was the last mortal to set foot on the archmage’s island, and Black Hawk is long dead and
buried in a carefully hidden tomb. The vampire lord Istalome was rumored to have been trapped within the
Isles in the same region as the dread dark pharaoh. Medicinal herbs as well as the drugs of swath and the
vile hamasim are raised in the Isles and shipped into Zhalindor and beyond. A circle of stones is on an
island within the huge archipelago.

The northern continent of Zhalindor is the largest land mass in the world. The northern edge of
Zhalindor is an icy realm inhabited by creatures of cold and darkness. Volind’s Glacier stretches from the
frozen edge of the world south some 10 to 15 thousand miles across the northern breadth of Zhalindor.

Moving across the continent from West to East directly to the South of Volind’s Glacier we find:
the Troll lands, the Lunar Empire, the northern portion of the Great Waste, the mountains of Lei Po, and
the Eastern Lands which is also known as the Empire of the Dragon-Newts. Nestled between the border of
the Lunar Empire and the Troll lands is Dialecti’s swamp where the mighty lich has carried on his magical
experiments since the world was young. To the East of Dialecti’s swamp is the Prax which borders the
Lunar Empire on the north and the Great Waste to the East. Portions of the Prax reach into the kingdoms
of Magrax and Eldenvaan to the West.

The Lands of the Overlord are bordered by the Troll lands and Lunar Empire on the North and
the foul swamp of Fess and the impassable Yagha-Tsorv mountains to the South. Magasta’s Pool forms
the western edge of the Lands while the burning sands of the Great Waste delineate the reaches of the
Lands to the East.

The Lands of the Overlord are bisected by the Dhortha river, the life line of the empire. The
Dhortha river stretches from the capitol of the empire, Xanduru, all the way across the middle kingdoms,
Eldenvaan, Hamarsin, and Tanarsa, before emptying into the ocean at the port of Alyrien. The kingdoms
are large by Earth standards, and even the smallest are roughly the size of the eastern United States.
(Charlemange would have been proud to control a duchy in these realms!) From West to East, the northern
most kingdoms are Tanarsa, Hamarsin and Magrax. Below these are Nerria, Hemen and Eldenvaan.
Tumeria is the last of the kingdoms and lies to the southeast of Eldenvaan and just to the North of one of
the few traversable passes through the Yagha-Tsorv mountains.

It would serve us well to briefly examine the racial composition of the these various areas and
describe some of the more prominent geographic features before moving on to the remainder of the
continent. The Troll lands are filled with trolls of many types: Dark, Trollkin, Cave, Ice, Great and the rare
Mistress. The lands are shadowy and dark. Huge fungi forests populated by giant spiders and insects
stretch across the Troll lands’ rugged surface. Caves and sinkholes dot the land, and it is rumored that
some of these serve as entries to the underworld. What is certain is that creatures of the light are best to
avoid these places by night. In the center of the Troll lands is the Citadel of Lead. The Troll lands have
existed since the dawning of Time in this world.

Between the Troll lands and the Lunar Empire is the area surrounding Skyfall Lake. The ancient
Cragspider rules this region. Old beyond reckoning, Cragspider is rumored to have known the Creator.

The Lunar Empire is a more recent addition to Zhalindor. Its patron deity is the Red Goddess.
Like many deities, the Red Goddess was once a mortal. The Empire has attempted to blend competing
world views into a comprehensive whole. In general, the outside world views these attempts as resulting
only in organized vileness and decadence. The Lunar Empire is inhabited primarily by humans, but many
trolls and more outre creatures inhabit the region. Major landmarks in the Empire include the great Red
Crater, and the Blue Crater and Plateau. Chaos monsters are not uncommon here, and it is rumored that the
Empire even trains a legion of vampires.

The Lands of the Overlord were settled between the founding of the Troll lands and the rise of the
Lunar Empire. The Lands of the Overlord are primarily populated by humans although other races can
certainly be found within its borders. The most ancient kingdom in the Overlord’s demesne is Tumeria,
lying directly north of the Yagha-Tsorv mountains. The capitol of Tumeria is Tiola-Moldre whose
crumbling edifices and weed choked thoroughfares were the glory of the world in Tiola-Moldre’s heyday.
It’s nadir is long since past though, and now ancient noble families battle for the vestiges of remaining
glory. Tumeria is a kingdom of hatching schemes and quadruples crosses in court intrigue. No one knows
what eldritch treasures lie buried in abandoned keeps and monasteries which lie scattered throughout the
kingdom.

Eldenvaan was the next kingdom founded in the Lands of the Overlord, and Eldenvaan is the
current political center of the empire. Xanduru is both the capitol of Eldenvaan and the site of the
emperor’s citadel. Xanduru boasts a population of over 10,000,000 souls (some of them living). You can
buy and sell nearly anything conceivable in Xanduru. The Sage’s Guild of Xanduru and its great
university are renowned throughout the world.

Magrax was founded next. Resserlin is the religious center for the empire and the capitol city for
Magrax. Snakepipe Hollow, the Halls of the Theocrat and the eastern portion of Dialecti’s swamp are all
claimed by the throne in Resserlin. Magrax and Eldenvaan are the bread baskets of the empire; most of the
grain consumed in the empire is produced in these two kingdoms.

Hamarsin is the educational and cultural center of the empire. Hamarsin is the geographical
middle of the Lands, and the capitol of Hamarsin, Lhormar, is at the center of the kingdom. Lhormar is
based on medieval Paris. Lhormar straddles the Dhortha river. In the center of the city is the isle of the
mages. The tower at the center of the island is the meeting point for the Council of Mages, and
organization which exercises considerable authority in the arcane realms and mundane political arenas as
well. The mages also sponsor a university and all kinds of academic interests are studied under the care of
ancient masters. It is thought to be of considerable advantage to have the young nobles of your domain
schooled here. Hamarsin also produces many of the manufactured goods forged and constructed in the
empire.

Hemen is the newest of the kingdoms, but its most famous claim is that it is not a kingdom at all.
Hemen is a democracy. Also, Hemen is primarily peopled by halflings. The halfling founders were freed
slaves fleeing from Tumeria. The eastern edges of Hemen and the western portion of Tumeria contain the
Great Oak, sacred forest and many elves. Beast Valley is also found in Hemen.

Tanarsa lies at the extreme western edge of the empire. The capitol city is Alyrien, and it is the
trading center of the Lands of the Overlord. Alyrien is built on the mouth of the Dhortha river as it empties
into Magasta’s Pool. Tanarsa’s economic strength is also generated by its powerful fishing fleets and
vibrant mining communities. The Overlord’s fleets are all resident in Tanarsa, and the fleets remain busy
protecting the coastal towns from the depredations of the pirates hailing from the Thousand Isles.

The last kingdom in the Lands of the Overlord is Nerria. Nerria hosts the coastal town of
Kalabay, a wild port resembling a Barbary coast town from the heyday of piracy. Interior to the kingdom
are such notable landmarks as: the Fairy Glade, the Hills of Madness, Gebnik Glade, and the Groaning
Fields. Nerria’s southern border is the dread swamp Fess.

To the east of the Lands of the Overlord is the Great Waste. Legends hold that the Great Waste
was originally a verdant state known as the Great Northern Empire. The Empire’s citizens turned to the
dark arts and the worship of Lord Eldar and the hosts of the Void to ease their lives. It is believed that a
party of three souls, Carrastinian, the Tien and Hrothmir the Bold, assembled an artifact of immense power
which they used to destroy the evil of the Empire utterly. Still to this day travelers in the wastes can find
evidence of the ancient cities of Trogaar, Permeganon and Cal Teegor. Adventurers have mentioned in
hushed tones that the Temple of Lord Eldar still stands. Other wonders are known to exist in the Great
Waste such as the Tower of Indomitable Circumstance and giant sand worms 1000 feet long or more. The
Lei Po mountains separate the Great Waste from the Eastern realms.

The Eastern lands are home to humans and dragon-newts alike. The dragon-newts rules these
lands in essentially benevolent neglect of the humans, or at least the humans have difficulty discerning
what purposes the dragon-newts might be pursuing. The Citadel of Dragon-newts lies on the sea coast and
is ruled by the Immortal Dragon Emperor. The lands to the South have a greater proportion of humans
than those to the North. The humans of this region produce many beautiful silks, pottery goods and
fantastic art objects. The southern most city is Titsu, the gateway to the Eastern lands and considered by
most non-dragon-newts to be less daunting than the Citadel of Dragon-newts.

The great swamp Fess is bordered on the West by the waters of Magasta’s Pool, on the East by the
Yagha-Tsorv mountains, on the South by the Yin Sloth jungles, and on the North by the kingdom of
Nerria. Fess is the abode of many Chaos monsters and the Immortal Vampire, legended to be the first of
his ilk. The Tower of Death lies within Fess’ confines, and the whole region is generally avoided by all
sane folk. Still, certain magical treasures can be found by the foolish or desperate such as magical herbs
and the Pool of the Moon.

The Yagha-Tsorv mountains divide Zhalindor nearly in two. The mountains are home to trolls,
dwarves and dragons. The dwarves claim their stronghold of Bold Home lies atop the mythical center of
the “World Machine.” Few passes lead through the mountains, and those which do exist are heavily taxed
and guarded. The Tower of the Rising Sun is another legendary site rumored to lie in the range as well as a
circle of stones.

The Yin Sloth jungles are a huge expanse of dense, triple canopy forest and habituated by vile
Chaos beasts and monsters. Many attempts have been made and have failed to settle these savage lands. It
is thought that the Slavers and certain pirate groups may base operations from this untamed land.

The Timerian Empire is the oldest continually settled human ruled region. It also contains many
halflings, elves and dwarves. The Empire is based largely on a long lasting Roman Imperium. Laws are
enforced, and the citizens of the Empire are generally amongst the most enlightened and tolerant folks in
the world. There are areas where the Empire is not so liberal. Although widely used in official
applications, magic is widely mistrusted here. The citizens tolerate practitioners of the arcane arts, but any
mishap is dealt with severely. (Under the Empire’s laws, the magician is responsible for all effects of his
incantations, expected and unforeseen.) Even so, the Timerian Empire is the center of such arcane studies
as elemental magic, summoning and psionics. The sailing vessels of the Empire are the most widespread
of any naval power in the world. The Yin-Sloth jungles to the West and the wolfen lands to the East keep
the Empire from sitting back and enjoying its past successes. To the North of the Empire are the Froud
lands. Here Halflings and Overmen make their homes. To the North of the Froud lands lie the Yagha-
Tsorv mountains.

The Wolfen lands are the home to the twelve tribes of Wolfen. The Wolfen launch frequent raids
into the Timerian Empire, but they rarely attack the Eastern lands. The Wolfen are in apparent league with
the Illian Fane of Palmalta.

There are other races found in the world as well. Mercreatures and other aquatic life forms swim
beneath the waves of the world’s seas. Creatures more closely tied to the Rune of Earth inhabit the hills
and mountains while creatures of Air flit through the skies.

(Next issue of IR I will publish the commonly known cosmology if there is sufficient interest in
this endeavor.)

Following are some additional settings I have always wanted to see run.

II. Space, the Final Frontier (several variations)

Mankind has begun exploring and colonizing the stars. It is still slow going though, and the entire
region of exploration is limited to a few dozen light years of Sol. Then, there is a technological
breakthrough. Scientists discover a method of opening portals which allow apparently instantaneous
travel. Unfortunately, the scientists cannot quite figure out where the portals lead to. Some clearly lead to
inhospitable environments (e.g. the inside of stars) while others apparently open in deep space. Several
portals have been opened to solar systems with seemingly habitable planets.

---Variation A (time travel)

The portals are actually tunnels through time and lead to the (distant past/distant future). This
setting is full of role-playing intrigue and adventure potential.

A future setting could revolve around initial exploration of the habitable systems. The parties find
evidence of an extensive Terran settlement, but the settlers have long since vanished. Were they killed by
some long dormant virus or plague? Did something get upset about the Terrans? Could the adventurers
find some way of preventing the disaster from occurring in their own future? Do the adventurers
unwittingly bring the disease or the menace back to their own time?

One particular variation is of particular role-playing potential. If the adventurers find out that the
cause of the disaster is someone they know and like or respect then the party is caught in an ethical
dilemma. Should the party act to attempt to change the future? Is that right?

If the party finds themselves in the past, there are a whole new set of issues. Is it proper to settle
worlds in the past? Could this have some impact on the adventurers original time stream? What if the
adventurers find that things are different when they go back? (Events could start off to be subtly different,
and the changes could become more pronounced as time goes on.)

If the party goes back far enough, could they actually bring about the creation of the universe or
the formation of life. Imagine someone with a bad cold landing on Earth 4.5 billion years ago! *Cah-
choo!* Dang if that snot, loaded with bacteria, didn’t start off the whole deal!

---Variation B (dimensional travel)

The portals actually lead to different dimensions. Differences in background radiation and
Doppler effects tell scientists that the portals lead to universes quite different than our own. The possible
locations are endless, but there is room for lots of role-playing here. If the portal generators are small, you
have a ready made endless adventure generator. By adding the “faulty portal unit” game ploy, the GM
could essentially introduce a new problem and setting each session.

One particular setting in this variation really grabs my imagination. I was a big Traveller(tm) fan,
but one problem in the original game was that there was not a whole bunch of room for. The Imperium
had essentially been there and done that. Now, assume that the apparatus to open these portals is huge and
takes a lot of power. You can initially open a small, unstable portal. This can only be open for a limited
period of time before there are major problems with inducted instability of the neutron flow (i.e. pick your
best pseudo-science explanation). Whenever you shut down a portal and open it back up, the portal leads to
a new location. It is possible to open the portal to a previous location, but it takes time and a lot of
readings. You can make an existing portal more stable, but you have to put a generator on the other side.
Typically, the exploration team opens up a portal and sends through a probe to determine the potential of
the area for exploration and colonization. If the area appears safe, apparatus is sent through the portal to
set up a generator on the other side.

The party is one such exploration team. The group the party is associated with has a “tech level”
of about 10 to 11 in Traveller(tm) terms. Initial findings in the area show a wonderful system, full of
habitable planets and unexplored mineral deposits. Then, things really get started. The team comes back
to the gateway to find that the main research station which has state of the art defenses has been trashed,
but they find one survivor who lives long enough to tell them that “something” attacked the station. The
something also stole the apparatus to create gates! Just about then, the something jumps back into the
system! The mission control opens up a portal near the wreckage of the station, and the hostile alien makes
a bee line for it. The portal is not close enough for the party to get to before the alien. The party has to
contact control and tell them to close the portal and keep it closed! The party flees, and barely jumps out of
the system in time to escape!

Now the party is faced with several difficulties which could be a lot of fun and very interesting to
resolve. They are faced with a star faring culture which is apparently hostile. The party has to figure out a
way of getting home. The party could become a Star Trek: Voyager(tm) spin off. The party might go after
this hostile alien and organize some type of resistance movement. Perhaps the hostile alien is just
misunderstood, and the party could open up a dialog. If the alien is truly hostile and a threat to the
characters home and family, the party has to figure out a way of preventing the alien from getting back to
Sol! Etc. Etc. Etc. In any event, the party is on the cutting edge of discovery. There is motivation galore
and room for good role-playing.

III. The World is a Strange Place

The ancients were right! The stars have a lot to do with our destiny. Apparently there was a time
when magic worked on the Earth. As folks explore the cosmos, they come upon the ruins of civilizations
which depended on magic. In each case, the magic eventually failed with various degrees of calamity,
depending on the culture. Some agency (e.g. the party, the government, your Mom) discovers a pattern or
path outlined by these effects and sends the party to investigate. The party investigates the trailing edge of
the phenomenon and discovers an airless world circling a dying star, the remains of a nova, with a strange
portal on it. Other worlds have been discovered with these portals, and all of them have been
unoperational. Suddenly, something comes out of the portal and destroys the party’s vessel along with the
unfortunate NPCs on the ship. The something cannot live without air though and soon perishes

---Variation A (on our own again)

The party is too far away from settled space to expect rescue. So, they go through the portal.
What do they find? How are they greeted? Do they ever get back home? What is the source of the magic?
All these questions leave the GM a lot of room for fun and excitement.

---Variation B (stake a claim)

The party contacts the nearest vessel and is greeted warmly by the authorities. The party is asked
to explore the portal and find out what it can. The party finds that it is not the first group to travel through
the portals in either direction. Sabotage, ambushes and intrigue are just the beginning of what the party
faces.

Review of _ the Book of Iod_

_The Book of Iod_ is the seventh book in the Cthulhu Cycle Books series by Chaosium.
Chaosium is the publisher of the well known “Call of Cthulhu”(tm) role-playing game, and the series is
designed to provide additional background to the CoC audience.

When Peter (the Ed.) asked me to review _ the Book of Iod_, I was delighted. I have been a
Lovecraft fan since age nine when I found a moldering Arkham House tome in a local used bookstore in
Wisconsin. Plus, I am a big Henry Kuttner and Chaosium fan. With great gusto I opened the book and
read the introduction by Reverend Price, the series editor. I was disturbed to find the line “...Kuttner’s star
shines neither so brightly no so high up in the firmament as it once did.” It was hardly the rousing
endorsement I was hoping to see.

Indeed, Reverend Price was right in his implication that the fiction in _ the Book of Iod_ is not
amongst the very best fiction of Henry Kuttner, but the book was an excellent read on many levels.
Lovecraft had an atmospheric quality in all his works that has enchanted fans for over sixty years. While it
is true _ the Book of Iod_ does not conjure up the same dreamy quality in the reader, for sheer fright
value, _ the Book of Iod_ is among the most compelling Mythos literature I have read.

Several of the stories in this book deserve special mention. “The Black Kiss” (written with Robert
Bloch) is one of the best depiction of the horror of unwilling and hideous transformation I have read. “The
Salem Horror” was a very fast paced piece that will likely keep the reader turning pages till the end of the
story. “The Jest of Droom-avista” was a very clever twist on the King Midas theme, and I heartily
recommend its five pages as worthy reading.

All in all, I rate _ the Book of Iod_ as a five on the scale (one being worst and ten best) for a
Mythos reader, seven for a CoC keeper looking for plot ideas, and a three for general horror readers.

Source: geocities.com/dr_games