DCC #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms

[Hjorimir]

Would somebody in the know comment on these two recent events?

3198 - Whitefang Citadel is built atop Aurora Pass in the Dragonspire Mountains. (What is Whitefang Citadel and why is it important?)

3199 - Spring: A trio of hurricanes strike Argalis and neighboring coastal towns. Winter: The Star of the Black Sun appears in the night sky. (I'm particularlly interested in what the Star of the Black Sun is or is thougth to be.)

Thanks much!

[Jezza]

Whitefang Citadel is where DCC#26: The Scaly God starts. Don't know about the other one.

[Harley Stroh]

The "Black Sun" a reference to the events that culminate in Dungeon Crawl Classics #18: Citadel of the Demon Prince.

The storms reference the Stormbringer series, DCCs #21 and #22.

If you don't plan on using these adventures, you can leave the events out of your campaign's official timeline, or twist them to your own diabolic purposes.

//H

[Arakor]

Quickie Questions about the books:

In the Gazetteer, the Southlands chapter describes how the Spectral Moon is responsible for the 30 month of 12 day calendar (Timekeeping & Celestial Bodies). The Lostlands chapter talks about a 10 month calendar of 35 days with an additional leap month of 15 days every 3 years.

However, the Northlands chapter just talks about a sidereal calendar of 365 days, and an older lunar calendar.

I've done Wikipedia and Google searches, and am assuming that the Crieste calendar consists of: 12 months of 30 days; divided into 3 weeks of 10 days; with 5 intercalary days. This is what the original Sidereal/Khemetic calendar was.

Any chance of some further clarification? What names do they give their months? Or is Sir Galwaith's journal more accurate in 35A: Hall of the Minotaur when he dates his entries as Month 4 Day 21, etc. ?

In the GM's Guide, Denithae is listed as a Lesser God but there is no entry for her.

[Jeff LaSala]

Some good questions, Arakor.

If I recall, we deliberately didn't include month names for the Northlands (or Aéreth, in general) precisely because to do so would be to contradict a few earlier DCC references to standard Gregorian months (July, etc.) and we didn't really want to commit one way or the other. With the Southlands it's a little different, since their way of measuring time—like the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Incas—is certainly different.

In the GM's Guide, Denithae is listed as a Lesser God but there is no entry for her.

Also correct. Denithae isn't the only one, you might notice. There's a handful of gods listed but not described in greater detail. Also intentional, but mostly one of space issue. The ones not described in this way are assumed to be gods less likely to be chosen by regular PC clerics. But of course that's not always going to be the case. Somewhere in one of these threads—I'll see if I can find it soon—there is a bit more info put down for Denithae specifically.

[Jeff LaSala]

Ahh, here we go. From page 22 of the original DCC World thread, I had posted this:

Denithae (Lady of the Field)

Lesser god, N — Agriculture, Harvest

Denithae (den-ih-thay), Lady of the Field, the Gathering, is the diety of agriculture and horticulture. As the patroness of farmers and plowmen, she surveys and protects all that can be harvested, cultivated, or tilled—whether upon a tract of soil upon Aéreth’s surface or in the fungal forests in its subterranean depths. The vast majority of her followers are simple farmers and commoners who owe their livelihood to the land’s bounty. Many villages erect stone shrines at the hub of their communities as a place for divine supplication.

Priests and priestesses of Denithae typically wear earthen tones, and no particular vestments are required in the faith, save one: at least one garment, be it a sash, scarf, or shirt, must be black. To Denithaens, black is the color of death, which they acknowledge as a natural and seasonal phase of life. Adventuring clerics of Denithae favor light armors, and usually wear black leather bracers. Village-dwelling druids and rangers who revere the Lady of the Field usually choose domesticated animal companions, such as dogs, horses, ponies, or owls. Underdeep followers of Denithae know her as Shav’lar, the Gathering Queen, whose mushroom bounties provide food, medicine, and even poison.

The domains associated with Denithae are Earth, Plant, and Protection. Her favored weapon is the sickle or scythe. Among surface dwellers, Denithae’s symbol is a bundle of wheat bound with leather strips, while beneath Aéreth’s surface she is recognized by a mushroom-shaped sigil.

I hope this helps?

[Arakor]

Super. Thanks for the information about Denithae. That will come in useful for the module that a friend and I are writing for submission to GG.

If I recall, we deliberately didn't include month names for the Northlands (or Aéreth, in general) precisely because to do so would be to contradict a few earlier DCC references to standard Gregorian months (July, etc.) and we didn't really want to commit one way or the other. With the Southlands it's a little different, since their way of measuring time—like the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Incas—is certainly different.

I've done Wikipedia and Google searches, and am assuming that the Crieste calendar consists of: 12 months of 30 days; divided into 3 weeks of 10 days; with 5 intercalary days. This is what the original Sidereal/Khemetic calendar was.

Okay. Leaving aside the naming conventions, can you confirm that I'm on the right track with the above divisions in time?

[Jeff LaSala]

We might need Harley Stroh, Master of the Northlands, to field that one...

Harley?

[Harley Stroh]

Arakor, Jeff,

Sorry for the hold up. I don't check this thread often enough.

Arakor, your research has served you well. You are indeed on the right track. Carry on the good work!

//H

[davidfryer73]

Maybe this has been mentioned before, but why are there no goods of love, passion, lust, etc. ?

[Jeff LaSala]

Maybe this has been mentioned before, but why are there no goods of love, passion, lust, etc. ?

We tried to think outside of the box a bit regarding gods of Áereth. So, davidfryer73, go here:

http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... p?=&p=9141

The eighth response (my post) from the bottom of that page. That's my main reason for no god of love. That said, invent one if you really feel there ought to be one.

[Warduke]

quoted here for truth ........ don't know that i'd do the same, but it is a pretty cool concept.

.....
The only reason I might steer away from Myna for love/art/beauty is that this would relegate both her and the tenets of love into that realm of fickle affection. Most settings do this: most goddesses of love are chaotic and flighty, like Sune Firehair or Venus/Aphrodite. They're more about pleasure than love.

In keeping with the other gods of Áereth, I'd want to avoid that. What's probably more appropriate is that there is no singular god of love, but rather mortals, depending on what they believe, turn to their god of choice to affiliate it.

So, for example, someone who wants only whimsical affection or "puppy love" might in fact pray to Myna anyway, since she is the goddess of fortune and change. But a man who wishes to wed his true love might pray to Valdreth, god of longevity and integrity, or Gorhan, god of chivalry...or even Thormyr, god of duty and honor. In turn, a young noblewoman seeking to make a binding marriage (for her family's fortune) might instead make an offering to Teleus, god of law. Make sense? This isn't why there isn't one god of love; because love has many different angles. Something like that.

[Jeff LaSala]

don't know that i'd do the same, but it is a pretty cool concept.

What would you do, Warduke?

For me, it's the same as someone asking, why isn't there a god of hate? Well, lots of evil gods hate (and lots of followers and non-followers hate, too); should any one of them really get hatred as their purview?

So, too, is love.

Now, the method by which you love or hate someone...that's another thing. That fits into the scheme of gods of Áereth. If you show love with loyalty, then Thormyr's your god. If you show love by smothering people with hospitality and care, then maybe Elyr's your patroness. And if you hate by waging war, you can do no better than praying to Klazath and Xeluth. However, if your hatred is more the cunning, subtle sort, then you're probably offering a sacrifice at the shrine of the Hidden Lord or Yvyn.

That's the reasoning.

[GnomeBoy]

For me, it's the same as someone asking, why isn't there a god of hate? ... So, too, is love. ... That's the reasoning.

So, the short answer is the gods of Áereth are divinities of actions, not emotions.

[Jeff LaSala]

Hmm. Sort of, I guess. Maybe more correct to say that the gods of Áereth are divinities of methods, not emotions.

[GnomeBoy]

Hmm. Sort of, I guess. Maybe more correct to say that the gods of Áereth are divinities of methods, not emotions.

Excellent refinement. I was thinking "how things are done, not why" - I bow to your superior vocabulistic nuancing (okay, I made those terms up).

When the Greek and Roman pantheons come up for revision, I nominate you for Editor-in-Chief.

[Barrataria]

Greetings all... I've been looking at reviews and samples and unable to determine... how big is this thing?

I see somewhere that the Northlands are about 3000 miles across... how big is the whole map?

As you can probably tell I'm trying to guess how hard it would be to cram into another world... just wondering.


Thanks!

BB

[frank5471uk]

Here's a new question about the Gazeteer, specifically about the Prison Island of Crieste (The Graves).

The gazeteer states :-

"Officially known as Sirael Citadel, the prison island of Crieste is better known as the Isle of Many Graves, or simply the Graves. ........ In the years since its creation, Sireal Citadel has grown to encompass the entire island."

However, a quick peruse of the map of the Northlands shows that the island in question is an unnamed island (part of "The Wreckers") that has a city "The Graves" marked on it is the only habitat. The unnamed island is at least 100 miles long, so is unlikely to be filled up by Sireal Citadel.

Is this a map error ? Is it simply a scale thing ? Is there something obvious that I am missing ?

Thanks in anticipation.

Frank

[frank5471uk]

Greetings all... I've been looking at reviews and samples and unable to determine... how big is this thing?

I see somewhere that the Northlands are about 3000 miles across... how big is the whole map?

As you can probably tell I'm trying to guess how hard it would be to cram into another world... just wondering.


Thanks!

BB

Barrataria

The Known Realms are BIG.

The mapped area covers about 5000 miles east to west and 10000 miles north to south.

You would need a lot of spare space to drop it whole into an existing world/campaign.

Frank

[Jeff LaSala]

That said, you could always rescale it, even if you just drop a zero off all measurements. It's still just one small portion of the whole planet. You could make it just one continent in the other campaign world you have in mind.

[frank5471uk]

That said, you could always rescale it, even if you just drop a zero off all measurements. It's still just one small portion of the whole planet. You could make it just one continent in the other campaign world you have in mind.

Jeff

That's good advice. I certainly wouldn't let a little thing like map sizes and scale put anyone off from using the Aereth campaign setting.

Perhaps rather than working out how to fit the Known Realms into your campaign, Barrataria, it might be easier to think about fitting your campaign world into Aereth.

I have agreed to run the WoTC Campaign "Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde" for my group next, and I am using it as an opportunity to launch Aereth on the group. Integrating the setting for SGoS into the Northlands turned out to be a breeze. The Valley of Obelisks nestles nicely into Crieste, between Dhavosin and Tarrasine and the Battle of Slaughtergarde has become part of the whole war between the forces of good and the Priest-Kings of Nimoria in the history of the Northlands. I am delighted with how well it has meshed.

Frank

[Harley Stroh]

I have agreed to run the WoTC Campaign "Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde" for my group next, and I am using it as an opportunity to launch Aereth on the group. Integrating the setting for SGoS into the Northlands turned out to be a breeze. The Valley of Obelisks nestles nicely into Crieste, between Dhavosin and Tarrasine and the Battle of Slaughtergarde has become part of the whole war between the forces of good and the Priest-Kings of Nimoria in the history of the Northlands. I am delighted with how well it has meshed.

Frank,

That's a great idea. I might have to steal your idea when I run Slaughtergarde.

//H

[PeelSeel2]

Is their anyway to buy a PDF of the maps in The Known Realms Box? I assume that the PDF on RPGNow has the maps, but I do not want to pay that price just for the maps. Then I can just print off the area in which my characters will be adventuring.

[frank5471uk]

Frank,

That's a great idea. I might have to steal your idea when I run Slaughtergarde.

//H

Thanks Harley - and it gets better. The Order of the Sable March replaces the The Luminous Order and the Ordo Arcana replaces the Ebon Cabal. The whole campaign fits so snugly into Crieste it's uncanny. I can't wait to start running it - especially as I now have enough Dwarven Forge scenery to recreate the whole of the three dungeons (Laboratory, Temple and Armoury). My players are in for a treat.

Frank

[frank5471uk]

Hi All

Having spent some time preparing some starting material for the start of my Aereth Campaign (using 1st level characters in the WoTC adventure Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde), I have found that it is not easy to readily explain the geography of Aereth without unleashing the poster sized maps. Even then this gives the following issues

1) The paper maps give away more info than I want for the players

2) The paper maps aren't too good at showing the spatial relationships between the three continents (very confusing for newcomers)

3) They are a tad unwieldy.

4) Scale is not apparently obvious to the players

I therefore used the PDF maps supplied in the electronic version of DCC35 to create the following two maps to orient my players. Each prints out readily on Letter sized paper.

The first map is a modified version of the players map showing the continent names and scale.



The second map is a modified version of of a couple of PDFs to show the entirety of Crieste, again with scale.



There is a 3rd map, which is a modified version of the Valley of Obelisks from SGoS, but I won't post that in case WoTC get worried about copyright. Joseph has already given me permission to post the GG derived maps here.

Hope you find them interesting

Frank