Post by cassusaevum on Feb 16, 2020 12:56:55 GMT -5
GM Note:
For me, Lost Lands falls into the Grayhawk tradition of worlds. It's big - like really, really big - but (even with the 500+ page setting book released) has a slightly unfinished feel. There's a lot of blank places on the map where the details haven't been fully colored in. It encompasses just about everything you'd expect to find in a fantasy world. You've got major cities and tiny hamlets, dark forests and jagged mountain peaks, lands ravaged by dark magics and other under the sway of terrible demon lords. There are places where the fey rule supreme, places where barbarian hordes ravage the tundra, and places where the dead walk the earth in vast armies. And (of course) there are vast underground complexes, forgotten mountain kingdoms, and tales of lost continents and distant lands across the ocean. In short, if it can fit into a D&D game, it probably has an analog in the Lost Lands.
What it doesn't have is a long litany of ancient and powerful heroes that stretch their shadows across the world. There are no richly detailed Eliminster's or Kelban Blackstaff's wandering the land. No near god-like champions of good that, for whatever reason, seem to sit idle when problems arise. Sure, there are adventuring parties in the world, and there are powerful wizards and kings and queens and questing knights of all ilk, but none of them have the... weight... of some of the more renowned characters of settings like the Forgotten Realms. While the characters might be overshadowed by the powers arrayed against them, the players, at least, should never feel like the weight of the lore of the world is working to make their characters feel like cogs in a vast adventuring machine.
Pantheon
There is an extensive pantheon attached to the Lost Lands, but, frankly, I don't feel like doing the work to fit it into the Pathfinder framework. As such, we're just going with the Pathfinder deities and domains. I'll do the cross-mapping on the back end as needed (so if there' s a temple to a harvest god/goddess, we'll just insert the appropriate Golaraion deity).
The Broad Strokes of History
The history of the world of the Lost Lands is detailed to a degree that isn't particularly helpful for gameplay (but fun to read from a pure world building perspective). Skipping much of the creation and the first few ages, here is what the "common man" might be expected to know:
Our Area of Play
The world of Lost Lands primarily stretches across two vast continents, Akados and Libynos. We'll be starting out in a small area of South Central Akados (see map in post below). The game will begin in Bridgeport, which is under the protection of the Free City of Brookmere, and the first adventure will take place in lands controlled by the Principality of Olduvar.
Nations of Interest
All of these nations are, at least in theory, under the dominion of the Kingdom of Foere. But it's a light yoke - the rulers are largely free to do as they wish, provided they pay their taxes. That yoke has lightened ever more in the past couple of years, with the King of Foere off on Crusade.
Principality of Olduvar
Boasting rich farmland, a number of small gem and gold mines, and control over a major trade route, the Principality of Olduvar is a wealthy nation that often acts on designs to expand and conquer neighboring cities and nations though with only moderate, and usually short-lived, success. Spread across a narrow strip of land between the capital of Mose in the east, to Bottomborough and towns to the west with a dip south to Tratai, the Principality of Olduvar remains under the control of the nobility given positions here by the Kingdom of Foere.
Free City of Brookmere
Governed with a motto of “High Walls but Open Gates,” the Free City of Brookmere controls the trade routes between Mose in the north, Bridgeport in the west on the Crescent Sea coast, and other points south. Massive stone walls wind their way around the ancient city and provide sturdy protection against any attacks. Although ancient in origins, the walls are carefully maintained as the protection they afford allow Brookmere to maintain its status as a free city.
Brookmere itself is a bewildering collection of old and new stone structures mixed with wood-frame buildings and a collection of tree-lined parks and avenues. Taverns, inns, and gambling houses line the main trade routes as they enter and exit the city while street vendors are found on every major (and some minor) thoroughfare. The skilled observer can easily determine that the walls of the city and some of the oldest buildings within are the sturdiest structures here, likely of dwarven construction. With generally pleasant temperatures, attractive surroundings and lenient laws, Brookmere is a favored stop for merchants.
Bridgeport
Modest fortifications and stone buildings hover over the rocky shoreline here, protecting the piers and docks that are the lifeblood of Bridgeport. Most of the shoreline stretching from the Falconmere Peninsula up to the Worntooth Peaks can’t support the large structures needed to form a good harbor as the shoreline varies from high and rocky to soft and swampy. Bridgeport is the closest safe port for large merchant vessels arriving through the Strait of Praeis and, of course, the
last safe port before departing the Crescent Sea, which provides it with very heavy shipping and merchant traffic that the city does its best to support and encourage.
Races
Lost Lands tends to have fairly cosmopolitan cities. Main populations tend to be human, but a scattering of dwarves, elves, half-orcs, etc... can be found in almost every town. We're going to extend this to goblins as well, because they're playable races in Pathfinder.
The "standard" stereotypes are alive and well in Lost Lands. Elves tend to be cool and aloof. Halflings tend to be jovial and enjoy a hearty meal. Half-orcs are often the by-blows of raids. And so on and so forth. Lost Lands isn't trying to recreate the wheel here... rather, it embraces the tropes of the genre.
For me, Lost Lands falls into the Grayhawk tradition of worlds. It's big - like really, really big - but (even with the 500+ page setting book released) has a slightly unfinished feel. There's a lot of blank places on the map where the details haven't been fully colored in. It encompasses just about everything you'd expect to find in a fantasy world. You've got major cities and tiny hamlets, dark forests and jagged mountain peaks, lands ravaged by dark magics and other under the sway of terrible demon lords. There are places where the fey rule supreme, places where barbarian hordes ravage the tundra, and places where the dead walk the earth in vast armies. And (of course) there are vast underground complexes, forgotten mountain kingdoms, and tales of lost continents and distant lands across the ocean. In short, if it can fit into a D&D game, it probably has an analog in the Lost Lands.
What it doesn't have is a long litany of ancient and powerful heroes that stretch their shadows across the world. There are no richly detailed Eliminster's or Kelban Blackstaff's wandering the land. No near god-like champions of good that, for whatever reason, seem to sit idle when problems arise. Sure, there are adventuring parties in the world, and there are powerful wizards and kings and queens and questing knights of all ilk, but none of them have the... weight... of some of the more renowned characters of settings like the Forgotten Realms. While the characters might be overshadowed by the powers arrayed against them, the players, at least, should never feel like the weight of the lore of the world is working to make their characters feel like cogs in a vast adventuring machine.
Pantheon
There is an extensive pantheon attached to the Lost Lands, but, frankly, I don't feel like doing the work to fit it into the Pathfinder framework. As such, we're just going with the Pathfinder deities and domains. I'll do the cross-mapping on the back end as needed (so if there' s a temple to a harvest god/goddess, we'll just insert the appropriate Golaraion deity).
The Broad Strokes of History
The history of the world of the Lost Lands is detailed to a degree that isn't particularly helpful for gameplay (but fun to read from a pure world building perspective). Skipping much of the creation and the first few ages, here is what the "common man" might be expected to know:
- The Hyperborean Empire stretched across all of Akados and most of Libynos and raised great works. (This can be thought of as an analog for the Roman Empire, right down to the "Pax Hyborea" that kept the peace for 15 centuries).
- After centuries of peace (and roughly 6 centuries before the "current" era), a great cataclysm struck the land, magical and natural forces that the Hyperboreans tried (and failed) to harness. The resulting explosion of energy devastated the imperial capital and set aflame wide swaths of the lands. The Empire, as a result, shrank, pulling back it's borders and entering a period of decline.
- During this decline, many tribal leaders and conquered nations reasserted their control and lands formerly under the control of the Empire rose as new nations.
- Over the last few centuries, the Hyberborean Empire has vanished entirely, replaced by a large number of nations and city states
- Most of these pay at least some level of tribute to the Kingdom of Foere, the spiritual and political successor to the Empire.
- Darkness has crept back into the world, no longer pushed back by the martial and magical might of the old empire
- In recent years, an invasion force has come from across the sea, led by the apparently immortal Ossimandius (a sort of Xerxes God-King figure). The invasion stalled at the walls of Bard's Gate and an allied force of many of the nations of Akados led by the King of Foere struck back, driving the invaders into the sea. The allied forces then followed after, enacting a great crusade to try and break Ossimandius' power at its source and ensure that no more invasion fleets would be coming.
- It has been two years or more since word was last heard from those who went to battle Ossimandius. The Lost Lands are on the verge of turmoil as the rule-of-law is stretched to the breaking point by the absence of so many lords and men-at-arms.
- The Lost Lands are in need of heroes now more than ever.
Our Area of Play
The world of Lost Lands primarily stretches across two vast continents, Akados and Libynos. We'll be starting out in a small area of South Central Akados (see map in post below). The game will begin in Bridgeport, which is under the protection of the Free City of Brookmere, and the first adventure will take place in lands controlled by the Principality of Olduvar.
Nations of Interest
All of these nations are, at least in theory, under the dominion of the Kingdom of Foere. But it's a light yoke - the rulers are largely free to do as they wish, provided they pay their taxes. That yoke has lightened ever more in the past couple of years, with the King of Foere off on Crusade.
Principality of Olduvar
Boasting rich farmland, a number of small gem and gold mines, and control over a major trade route, the Principality of Olduvar is a wealthy nation that often acts on designs to expand and conquer neighboring cities and nations though with only moderate, and usually short-lived, success. Spread across a narrow strip of land between the capital of Mose in the east, to Bottomborough and towns to the west with a dip south to Tratai, the Principality of Olduvar remains under the control of the nobility given positions here by the Kingdom of Foere.
Free City of Brookmere
Governed with a motto of “High Walls but Open Gates,” the Free City of Brookmere controls the trade routes between Mose in the north, Bridgeport in the west on the Crescent Sea coast, and other points south. Massive stone walls wind their way around the ancient city and provide sturdy protection against any attacks. Although ancient in origins, the walls are carefully maintained as the protection they afford allow Brookmere to maintain its status as a free city.
Brookmere itself is a bewildering collection of old and new stone structures mixed with wood-frame buildings and a collection of tree-lined parks and avenues. Taverns, inns, and gambling houses line the main trade routes as they enter and exit the city while street vendors are found on every major (and some minor) thoroughfare. The skilled observer can easily determine that the walls of the city and some of the oldest buildings within are the sturdiest structures here, likely of dwarven construction. With generally pleasant temperatures, attractive surroundings and lenient laws, Brookmere is a favored stop for merchants.
Bridgeport
Modest fortifications and stone buildings hover over the rocky shoreline here, protecting the piers and docks that are the lifeblood of Bridgeport. Most of the shoreline stretching from the Falconmere Peninsula up to the Worntooth Peaks can’t support the large structures needed to form a good harbor as the shoreline varies from high and rocky to soft and swampy. Bridgeport is the closest safe port for large merchant vessels arriving through the Strait of Praeis and, of course, the
last safe port before departing the Crescent Sea, which provides it with very heavy shipping and merchant traffic that the city does its best to support and encourage.
Races
Lost Lands tends to have fairly cosmopolitan cities. Main populations tend to be human, but a scattering of dwarves, elves, half-orcs, etc... can be found in almost every town. We're going to extend this to goblins as well, because they're playable races in Pathfinder.
The "standard" stereotypes are alive and well in Lost Lands. Elves tend to be cool and aloof. Halflings tend to be jovial and enjoy a hearty meal. Half-orcs are often the by-blows of raids. And so on and so forth. Lost Lands isn't trying to recreate the wheel here... rather, it embraces the tropes of the genre.