JG Wilderlands Vs. Aihrde

[Snoring Rock]

I have been using the Wilderlands as my go-to setting for a very long time. I picked it up in 2004. It is old-school as in, it is what you think, when you think old-school. On the side of the game I have ben running, I have been collecting Aihrde maps and modules, and anything Aihrde/Erde I can get my hands on, in the vague chance that one day, I may use it.

Yesterday I was looking over the map for City State of the Invincible Overlord and spotted a river system that looked funny. I looked closer and realized that the river system starts in the mountains and flows over a continental divide. OK, I can get around that somehow, but then I notice that it runs into a river running up hill coming from a valley. The center of the system runs from two directions, and has no termination. I know this is fantasy but I struggle with river systems that cannot exist. This makes me crazy.

The other day I was surfing and reading and found comments on the JG Wilderlands setting that described it as "Gonzo". Ha, remember Gonzo from the Muppets? Well, I am beginning to agree. It is a fabulous setting with all kinds of neat adventure hooks and sandbox areas to play in. But some of the "Gonzo" is getting to my better sensibilities.

I am exploring the serious thoughts of Aihrde as a setting for my campaign. I would like to hear anything you think of either setting. Pro's, con's good, bad, and the ugly.

[docdoom77]

Well, I just got After Winter's Dark last night, so I'm no expert, but I wouldn't expect any realistic geography. The creation "myth" is very fantastic, but has a cool way of mirroring real-life events and features with magical equivalents.

For instance, Airdhe was flat, until Unklar took control. He twisted it into a sphere, trapping the dragon that help up the world inside. He took the magical field that protected the world from the void, gathered it up and blew it into the air, creating a shroud of darkness that sent the world into an ice age (not unlike certain meteors or volcanoes).

After nearly 1000 years, the shroud began to weaken and let more light through, but is still a barrier weakened barrier between the world and the void (i.e. the ozone layer). It's filled with that kind of stuff.

[rbledsaw3]

I have been using the Wilderlands as my go-to setting for a very long time. I picked it up in 2004. It is old-school as in, it is what you think, when you think old-school. On the side of the game I have ben running, I have been collecting Aihrde maps and modules, and anything Aihrde/Erde I can get my hands on, in the vague chance that one day, I may use it.

Yesterday I was looking over the map for City State of the Invincible Overlord and spotted a river system that looked funny. I looked closer and realized that the river system starts in the mountains and flows over a continental divide. OK, I can get around that somehow, but then I notice that it runs into a river running up hill coming from a valley. The center of the system runs from two directions, and has no termination. I know this is fantasy but I struggle with river systems that cannot exist. This makes me crazy.

The other day I was surfing and reading and found comments on the JG Wilderlands setting that described it as "Gonzo". Ha, remember Gonzo from the Muppets? Well, I am beginning to agree. It is a fabulous setting with all kinds of neat adventure hooks and sandbox areas to play in. But some of the "Gonzo" is getting to my better sensibilities.

I am exploring the serious thoughts of Aihrde as a setting for my campaign. I would like to hear anything you think of either setting. Pro's, con's good, bad, and the ugly.

What part of the map are you talking about? I'll have to look this up. I have a few ideas based off what my grandpa had told me but I'll need to be sure we're talking about the same thing haha.

[Treebore]

I've never let maps that look "funny" ruin anything for me. In the case you mention, the mountains are obviously higher than the continental divide, just like they are down around here by our continental divide (AZ and New Mexico area), so the run off from those mountains flows just fine through our divide area. As for the Valley to Hill area, I'd just imagine that there is a deep "cut" between the two, so the sides of that river are basically high walls, much like you see in parts of the Grand Canyon and its River. These maps are not micro scale, they are macro scale, so wouldn't show such details, so I give them to them. Plus, have you found a write up on those rivers? The write ups may give those details.

Could you give the hex numbers? It may be that since your original river from the mountains runs into the other, it could be the river does flow properly, from mountains, over the divide, into the hills area, and down into the Valley.

[Snoring Rock]

I have been using the Wilderlands as my go-to setting for a very long time. I picked it up in 2004. It is old-school as in, it is what you think, when you think old-school. On the side of the game I have ben running, I have been collecting Aihrde maps and modules, and anything Aihrde/Erde I can get my hands on, in the vague chance that one day, I may use it.

Yesterday I was looking over the map for City State of the Invincible Overlord and spotted a river system that looked funny. I looked closer and realized that the river system starts in the mountains and flows over a continental divide. OK, I can get around that somehow, but then I notice that it runs into a river running up hill coming from a valley. The center of the system runs from two directions, and has no termination. I know this is fantasy but I struggle with river systems that cannot exist. This makes me crazy.

The other day I was surfing and reading and found comments on the JG Wilderlands setting that described it as "Gonzo". Ha, remember Gonzo from the Muppets? Well, I am beginning to agree. It is a fabulous setting with all kinds of neat adventure hooks and sandbox areas to play in. But some of the "Gonzo" is getting to my better sensibilities.

I am exploring the serious thoughts of Aihrde as a setting for my campaign. I would like to hear anything you think of either setting. Pro's, con's good, bad, and the ugly.

What part of the map are you talking about? I'll have to look this up. I have a few ideas based off what my grandpa had told me but I'll need to be sure we're talking about the same thing haha.

Bob, good to see you here. Snore is my AKA. My real name is Clovis, your biggest fan on Facebook!

The river of which I speak is the rived that runs from north of Thunderhold, south-west through the Fastness, just west of the Rory Stone Rd.. It runs to a confluence with Sorcerer's Stream and then on to Council Lake. It is map #1 JG (Map #5 Necromancer Games) CSIO.

What is the story on that?

[Snoring Rock]

I've never let maps that look "funny" ruin anything for me. In the case you mention, the mountains are obviously higher than the continental divide, just like they are down around here by our continental divide (AZ and New Mexico area), so the run off from those mountains flows just fine through our divide area. As for the Valley to Hill area, I'd just imagine that there is a deep "cut" between the two, so the sides of that river are basically high walls, much like you see in parts of the Grand Canyon and its River. These maps are not micro scale, they are macro scale, so wouldn't show such details, so I give them to them. Plus, have you found a write up on those rivers? The write ups may give those details.

Could you give the hex numbers? It may be that since your original river from the mountains runs into the other, it could be the river does flow properly, from mountains, over the divide, into the hills area, and down into the Valley.

If that is the case, then the description of Council Lake should include that it is salty and dead. There is no outlet. The description is thus:

"Council Lake (Calm Aquatic): Nomads (mostly
Tharbrians) from the various plains travel here yearly to
trade goods and celebrate springtime. The forests around
the lake, however, are quite dangerous. Encounters: bandits,
barbarians, goblins"

[rbledsaw3]

Huh.... I thought maybe the outflow would be the River Buckol in the City State of the World Emperor Map. It gets close to the coastline, but doesn't empty into the Trident Gulf... Weird...

An explanation would be that maybe the River Briskly is the outflow, leading to the Marling Stream which feeds the Witches' Court Marshes.

Then there is the possibility that maybe the River Gnarith (or one of the other candidates for outflow) runs underground.

If not, then Council Lake would have to be a dead lake.

[rbledsaw3]

I'll be sure to make note of this when we get around to doing our Wilderlands of High Fantasy book.

[Snoring Rock]

I'll be sure to make note of this when we get around to doing our Wilderlands of High Fantasy book.

That would be so cool! I know others out there scratch their heads in that one. If there were and explanation, it adds adventure hooks and more ideas.

I approve!