Further Afield: Sandbox Playtest

[KingOfCowards]

Lost Delvudür, far, north (Bürd rolls [1d8] = 2)

Bürd learned about Delvudür from the ancient Dwarven songs his grandmother Ilswitha taught him.

Delvudür (always Lost Delvudür to the Dwarves) is a source of great sadness to the Dwarves, and great concern to all other races.

Once the capital of Dwarven engineering, Delvudür is now a ruin, intentionally closed and tightly locked away from the world. Not so long ago by Dwarven reckoning, the finest Dwarven engineers pushed their craft too far, creating machines that combined almost limitless mechanical power, the magicks of deep and powerful creatures and the minds and intelligence of living dwarves. In spite of the Chief Engineer Ashürmof's attempt to implant three laws of behavior within these living machines (the Dwarves in their shame never named them) they ran amok, killing many Dwarves, and escaping to raze a human village.

Overwhelmed, and unable to dismantle all of the crazed machines, the Dwarven King Brödsun ordered Delvudür sealed. The Dwarves still mourn the loss of so much fine technology and many hope to one day reclaim it.

The stories are true that a village was burned down by these creations, but it was not out of malice. The machines that had escaped their dwarven overloads were being hunted. Some of their kind had already been captured and dismantled once the dwarves saw that they could not be properly controlled. The machines took refuge in a human settlement, but their safety was short-lived when the hunters found their trail. In desperation, the machines used their magic to set fire to the buildings they occupied, believing that they would be more resistant to the heat then their makers, and be able to escape them in the chaos. Much to their dismay, the machines’ tactic had turned against them due in part to the strong winds that night. The human village was almost completely destroyed and many human lives with it. Some of the machines were damaged beyond repair in the ensuing fire, attempting to save the humans who had taken them in, others had escaped.
The Dwarven leaders had used this incident to condemn the remaining mechanizations, ensuring that they would never again find sanctuary among the civilized races. They have also never admitted to the other races that not all of the machines have been accounted for, and that there are still secret search parties looking for the few who remain on the surface.

[mb.]

[1d8] = 7: Source of Power

The Isle of Spirits is a medium distance to the NE of Herebury
Simon has heard tales of the island [CHA] from visitors who had fished upon the shores of Emerald Lake.

Cloaked in the mists of Emerald Lake, lies the Isle of Spirits. There are many legends revolving around this island, and its mystical properties and once upon a time leaders had fought over it for centuries upon centuries. One thing that all legends agree upon is that the island itself is not just alive, but had developed hostility towards humans. It is said that the trees feed upon the spirits of the dead, which give them power, and over time the plant life had grown stronger and more blood-thirsty with each life consumed.

The lake itself is about 25 miles across, and surrounded on three sides by mountains whose rains feed the lake. History says that the last man who tried to claim the island was King Dynnal II, who led his army across and never returned.

Faerie folk have been allowed safe access to the island, but even they get a sense of foreboding from the dense wilderness of the island.

Those who live on the lake not only believe the legend that it is alive, they know it's fact because the island moves. No one knows why it moves when and to where, but the island most definitely repositions itself on the lake. Beyond that, depending on who you ask (and how drunk they are), the island also completely changes size and shape, once rammed a fleet of fishing boats until all but one sank, its trees burn with white flames on full moon nights and the island itself is actually a Behemoth of the Southron Ocean, somehow transplanted to the Emerald Lake.

There's one thing all stories agree on: a white tree (made of bone... or stone?) at the exact center of the island is a well of immesaurable magical power, used (for what and how we know not) by the fae and rare mages who have set foot on the island and lived to tell of it. The tree is also said to be intelligent, talkative, and controls a great number of not particularly friendly red caps.

[zebediah]

Second Location, [1d6] = 5 "Inhuman Settlement" (Seen - Wisdom) (Distance - Middle)

Blacktusk Clan

About 35 miles North of herebury there is an orc clan that has settled down near the base of the mountain. They have been there since before the village of Herebury ever came into being. They are led by a very powerful and wise chieftain, he is both mighty warrior and wise and powerful shaman, leading his people to victory over the other, now destroyed or subjugated, Orc clans and leading his people to make peace as well. He leads his people with the confidence and strength needed of a leader but also see's his peoples future.

Because of this the Orcs are mostly hunters and shamans(or clerics) they sell what they do not use to the other civilized races around them or to the other Orc clans and have even set up trade relations for goods such as gems and minerals from their mountain home in exchange for food and other goods that they cannot get themselves. They are still a proud people and will not hesitate to kill or injure those that disrespect them but they are not what people would call evil as well.

Marcus learned of them as a child, traveling far from the village and ending up lost, a roaming Orc hunter found him and, adhering to his clans codes and not wanting an innocent child to be killed, brought the young Marcus to their village, giving him food, water, and directions to get back to a place he was familiar with. He has never forgotten the kindness of the Blacktusk Orc Tribe

Let me know if this one is acceptable, I personally never liked the fact that all orcs were dumb and evil, while sure through the generations of the historical "Orcs" they could be like that I think there should also be those few that choose to not be that, just like with any other race. If you don't want these types of Orcs in the campaign I'm fine with changing it to something else though.

There are many stories about how the Blacktusk adopted such an orderly worldview that is unfound among other orc clans. Some say the Blacktusk leaders refused to slay the children of another clan with which they were making war, something that disgraced them in the eyes of other clans and embedded the notion of honor into their people. Another story goes on about how one ancient orcish god punished the Blacktusk, cursing them with a conscience in order to make them weaker than their kin. Others talk about a mission that would have been entrusted to the Blacktusk ages ago, to dedicate themselves fully to the protection of something of great value. Versions of that particular story disagree on what was the subject of said protection: sometimes it is an object, others say that a scared place is what was put under their vigilance and there are also some vague stories about a bloodline touched by the gods which was being preserved either among the Blacktusk themselves or which was found on a settlement close to the area they settled in.

All of those tales go many generations back, so it is uncertain how much truthful they are.

[mb.]

Are we still playing in the sandbox?

[Pulpatoon]

Are still playing in the sandbox?

I think we're just waiting for GreyWolfVT to chime in!

[GreyWolfVT]

wait what was I needing to chime in on ? I made my 3 places I thought that was all I needed to do.

[Pulpatoon]

wait what was I needing to chime in on ? I made my 3 places I thought that was all I needed to do.

No worries. The next stage probably came up while you were under the weather.

We're embellishing, now. Take someone else's location,and add to it. More info and examples are up-thread.

[GreyWolfVT]

crap but I don't want to embellish....

[Pulpatoon]

crap but I don't want to embellish....

No problem.

Okay, next stage then!

This is something that is not part of the playtest, but which I'd like to add. We have some locations, wouldn't it be helpful to have a little history? Remember making NPCs during character creation? I'd like to make some Historical Figures. These will be NPCs (although most of them will be dead or never really existed in the first place), and they will be tested for accuracy. I guess these guys can only be Learned or Heard.

Historical NPCs can be:
• Legendary: Epic figures from the misty past. If this person ever really existed, their legend has eclipsed the actual details of their life. (-10 on accuracy roll)
• Historical: Great figures from a few generations ago. May or may not have existed; hard to separate story from fact. (-5 on accuracy roll)
• Recent: A figure from the previous generation. There are still plenty of firsthand accounts on this person’s accomplishments.

Cycle through the different age ranges of the Historical NPCs. You can’t make a second Legendary figure until Historical and Recent figures have been created.

An historical NPC cannot be an active mover in the world at present. There may be tales that the Great King will awaken, or that the Dragon will return, or that the Dark Wizard is rebuilding his Army in the South, but there must be at least one generation since the historical NPCs last period of influence.

Okay? GO!

[mb.]

Just to be clear: these can be anyone, not necessarily connected in any way to the places we've created, right?

[GreyWolfVT]

I think yes they can be anyone

[Pulpatoon]

Anyone!

[GreyWolfVT]

I'm still thinkin'

[KingOfCowards]

Simon has read of the ancient "hero", Menaequis, who fought against the old gods and some say brought about a new age where the old gods started to be ignored and men controlled their own destiny. In the stories, Menaequis had lost his love, Violetta and challenged Volos, god of the Underworld to get her back. But Volos stood firm to the rules of the Underworld, no mortal can return once they had entered. Menaequis used the combined powers of the mortal races to fashion a suit of armor that would withstand Volos and his plane. Mithril plate forged by the dwarves, enchanted by elvish runes, and lastly empowered by human blood magic, which was commonplace back in that day. Wearing this armor, Menaequis rescued his love. But the humans were cursed by Volos, who was also the god of magic, and their blood magic became less potent. Without its powers, the old ways started to decline amongst the human cultures. This is where the story ends from most people's knowledge, with Menaequis and Violetta living a long a joyous life together, happily ever after. But a less common ending is that Violetta was touched by her time in the Underworld, haunted by ghosts, and eventually went mad. In the end it was Menaequis himself who had to put her out of her misery before she could harm herself or others.

[GreyWolfVT]

Blake Hayes Legendary evil man long ago it is said he tried to rule all lands with his tyranny. He caused a lot of death and destruction much of which has been rebuilt over the years. This man was so evil he would kill men and women and leave the children without parents. Young lads would be taken in as slaves later trained to be his soldiers. Others just stayed slaves to build his kingdom. Eventually he took on more than he could handle with his slave army. He was said to be killed very near to one of the inhuman settlements in the northern area's far from herebury. But his tactics and tyranny have been remembered and taught to the people over the years.

[MonkeyWrench]

Legendary, Heard.

Marcus heard many tales from the retired adventurers Maya and Victor, one such tale was the time they went delving into an ancient crypt and found there a tale written and depicted into the walls of a great room. The tale told of two ancient warriors, Kalaign and Gegahn. They led a massive army that conquered all who stood in their way, creating a massive empire that stretched throughout the world.

The two warriors killed whole cities, slaughtering masses of people as they searched for a worthy opponent to their skill and might. In order to excel past their limits the two turned to dark magics, their army half merciless humans and half nameless dark horrors as they ravaged the world, turning everything to chaos. A champion rose from the world, nameless and without origin he challenged the two warriors to combat and after days of constant battle he prevailed against them, cutting them down and ending their tyranny; but not before they said their last words. The two warriors cursed the nameless champion, claiming they would return to the world of the living and take their revenge upon his living kin. As the two warriors lay dying a massive chasm was rent from the ground, swallowing them up; The dark horrors screaming in pain, dying and fleeing away, the humans either surrendering or fleeing as well.

That nameless champion restored order to the world, giving the people their freedoms again before fading back to wherever he came from, vowing to return and stop the evil warriors should they truly re-surface again.

[mb.]

Berta Ladysmith was a hulk of a woman, the blacksmith of an insignificant town to the south of Tallinmar. While at work on the forge one day she saw a vision in the flames: a perfect circle bisected by a vertical line, glowing a white so pure it could not belong to this world. She drew it from the flames barehanded, which entered the annals as the first miracle of Bertalamaia the Builder, the Chaste and the Holy, Champion of the One True God Angat and Bringer of His Truth.

Transformed by this experience, Berta began to wander far and wide, telling of her god Angat and the visions he sent her, and showing his symbol. Those who listened usually believed, and built with her a temple, raising Angat's sign to the sky. Those who refused to listen usually tasted The Weight of His Judgement, Berta's terrible mace. Berta's travels over many years raised a zealous army and a thousand temples, and brought many a skeptical man low.

None are certain how Bertalamaia the Builder met her end. The annals record her bodily ascension to Angat borne by dragons of light, though it is commonly believed that she was poisoned by the rulers of Tallinmar. Angat's Truth, the religion she built, is still strong in the world and the thousand temples still stand.

The Weight of His Judgement rests in the first temple Berta built. It is said that any woman (or man) strong enough to wield it shall take Berta's place as Angat's champion.

Berta is an historical figure. Bürd learned about her reading books of human history.

[Pulpatoon]

Holy Crap, guys. That is some great history encapsulated in those bios!

[zebediah]

Jonas heard the story of Aurelios, travelling minstrel and sage, from his father Barton. Aurelios is a recent character in the history of the northern region of the continent, being well known and beloved among most of the barbarian folks from the north and by many civilized folks of that region as well. Barton spoke of meeting Aurelios when he was participating in the barbarian wars, when Aurelios was an elderly man who sometimes was lost in remembrance of his ancient songs and tales, but still retaining enough of his vitality to maintain his insatiable wanderlust. According to Barton Aurelios wrote many scrolls, tomes and other records preserving the oral traditions and folklore of all the different clans and nations from the north.

[Pulpatoon]

Alright, guys, I've been working on the sandbox, trying to figure out how all the ingredients can come together to make the tastiest stew.

I'm finding particular inspiration in the embellishments you guys put on each other's locations. Would you be up for a second round of embellishment? It can be a totally new location, or one that has been embellished before. The addition can be big or small. Feel free to tie things in with any of the historical NPCs, if you'd like.