The City-States of Coryll (Maps and Setting Notes)
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:56 am
to the Moderators: if this isn't the appropriate forum for this post, I apologize in advance.
I'm working on preparing my campaign and have jotted down a few notes regarding the background of the starting area, and I did up a couple of maps this past week while I was on vacation (Lots of free time when you are sitting around an Army hospital waiting for your daughter to give birth to a young'un).
First, the background notes. . . these are not overly coherent or organized at the moment, primarily a set of notes to kick start my thinking.
The City States of Coryll
A brief history
For centuries, the peninsula of Coryll was home to the Empire of Coryll, with her shining cities and advancements in magic, arts and education.
About 600 years ago, the forces of the demon-lord Anabraxus attacked the Empire from all sides, and a mysterious mist arose from the depths of the Vast Deeping, just east of Itari.
Ships that sailed into or near the mist were attacked and destroyed by huge monsters of the deep, preventing the Empire from seeking aid from the continent to the east.
Although Anabraxus was ultimately defeated, and his forces scattered, the Empire was broken beyond repair. Cities had been reduced to smoking piles of rubble, the demonoic powers of Anabraxus and his allies had apparently disrupted the sources of magical power and the survivors of the Empire had retreated into a handful of strongholds or gathered together to travel in nomadic fashion simply to survive.
As the survivors began to rebuild and attempt to restore their lives, civilization once again began to return to the lands of Coryll. Nine City-States have evolved from the ruins of the Empire, each controlling and protecting an increasing amount of territory in its areas.
Magic has returned, albeit without the force and grandeur that was evident during the days of the Empire. Many scholars believe this to be simply a loss of knowledge, not a loss of actual magical power in the world and many search the ruins of the Empire for lost knowledge and records of magical techniques.
The areas outside the reach of each City-State is typically wild and dangerous, doted with the ruins of the Empire and overrun by bandits, barbaric tribes and by monstrosities that were created or awakened during the conflict with the forces of the Demon-Lord.
===============================
A few current events
The forces of 'The Necromancer' threaten the City-States of Clest and Dragonspire.
The Chelar nomads of the isthmus and traders from Baalbekis report increasingly aggressive activity from the Beastmen along the edge of the desert and the mountains that separate them from the lands of Coryll.
================================
The Explorers Society
Founded by a group of retired 'adventurers' over 20 years ago, the Society maintains a chapter house in each of the City States of the region, and have a few, isolated strongholds throughout the land as well.
Dues for the Society are 100 Gold Imperials per year, per individual.
The benefits of membership include reduced rates on rooms at the chapter houses, discounted training, supplies and identification of magical items. The Society also offers banking services and letters of Credit for those who deposit their valuables with them.
==========================
The Maps.
I did a color and a black and white version that has a wilderlands style hex overlay (about 50 miles per hex is the scale). A 3' wide version of the color one is mounted on my wall above my monitor to aid in inspiration and planning.
_________________
A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions--as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
I'm working on preparing my campaign and have jotted down a few notes regarding the background of the starting area, and I did up a couple of maps this past week while I was on vacation (Lots of free time when you are sitting around an Army hospital waiting for your daughter to give birth to a young'un).
First, the background notes. . . these are not overly coherent or organized at the moment, primarily a set of notes to kick start my thinking.
The City States of Coryll
A brief history
For centuries, the peninsula of Coryll was home to the Empire of Coryll, with her shining cities and advancements in magic, arts and education.
About 600 years ago, the forces of the demon-lord Anabraxus attacked the Empire from all sides, and a mysterious mist arose from the depths of the Vast Deeping, just east of Itari.
Ships that sailed into or near the mist were attacked and destroyed by huge monsters of the deep, preventing the Empire from seeking aid from the continent to the east.
Although Anabraxus was ultimately defeated, and his forces scattered, the Empire was broken beyond repair. Cities had been reduced to smoking piles of rubble, the demonoic powers of Anabraxus and his allies had apparently disrupted the sources of magical power and the survivors of the Empire had retreated into a handful of strongholds or gathered together to travel in nomadic fashion simply to survive.
As the survivors began to rebuild and attempt to restore their lives, civilization once again began to return to the lands of Coryll. Nine City-States have evolved from the ruins of the Empire, each controlling and protecting an increasing amount of territory in its areas.
Magic has returned, albeit without the force and grandeur that was evident during the days of the Empire. Many scholars believe this to be simply a loss of knowledge, not a loss of actual magical power in the world and many search the ruins of the Empire for lost knowledge and records of magical techniques.
The areas outside the reach of each City-State is typically wild and dangerous, doted with the ruins of the Empire and overrun by bandits, barbaric tribes and by monstrosities that were created or awakened during the conflict with the forces of the Demon-Lord.
===============================
A few current events
The forces of 'The Necromancer' threaten the City-States of Clest and Dragonspire.
The Chelar nomads of the isthmus and traders from Baalbekis report increasingly aggressive activity from the Beastmen along the edge of the desert and the mountains that separate them from the lands of Coryll.
================================
The Explorers Society
Founded by a group of retired 'adventurers' over 20 years ago, the Society maintains a chapter house in each of the City States of the region, and have a few, isolated strongholds throughout the land as well.
Dues for the Society are 100 Gold Imperials per year, per individual.
The benefits of membership include reduced rates on rooms at the chapter houses, discounted training, supplies and identification of magical items. The Society also offers banking services and letters of Credit for those who deposit their valuables with them.
==========================
The Maps.
I did a color and a black and white version that has a wilderlands style hex overlay (about 50 miles per hex is the scale). A 3' wide version of the color one is mounted on my wall above my monitor to aid in inspiration and planning.
_________________
A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions--as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all.
- Friedrich Nietzsche