Years ago, I completed Twenty Questions About Wargaming. While that one evolves slowly, I did discover a great post by JRients covering the basic questions that a player/character can bring up at the start of a campaign. A while ago I did his "20 Questions" about the World of Georic. With a sudden interest in Blue Book gaming, I felt it was right and proper to revisit and revise the 20 Questions for each of my "ongoing" campaigns. While we haven't played with the original NPCs in nearly 20 years, The original Burning Trogs Rule! Hackmaster campaign still had a few significant loose ends certain PCs would go mental over.
Everything is based on the world of Georic, the area of the vast Mer Kasp. Not the biggest sea in most library's geograhica, but of most import to the story.
Six years on the sea taught Zorin a lot about sailing, and an utter disgust for human and gnome sailors. Despite the finest armament on the Mer Kasp, his lack of naval tactics resulted in more than a few crews nearly getting wiped out from pirates. The City-States decided to recall the ship and its crew from the mission.
Zorin sank his small fortune into three new ships and tried to outfit them with proper crews, but his reputation for confusing independent merchants, and sometimes naval frigates, for pirate ships preceded him. After a few disasters, a few sunken ships, and a couple of replacements along the way, his two remaining ships are crewed by a swarthy, gung-ho band of halflings.
Of course, one while one major deity dominates, the pantheon it is part of is full of other gods. Guya, goddess of nature, Farmesk, god of war, and even Challon, God of Piegons are part of an acceptable Ferasean Pantheon.
3. Where can we go to buy standard equipment? Most major ports along the Mer Kasp will have standard supplies at reasonable (book) cost. For any more specialized equipment, the major cities on the western coast (Barthey City, Mirros, and Stronghome) would be your best choice.
4.Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended? Around the Mer Kasp? Possibly Barthey, although costs may be double. Less skilled craftsmen and armorers are in Mirros, Otherwise, one would need to go inland to the Dwarven or Gnomish communities.
5. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land? Wizard towers dot the countryside, although to fit the stereotype, most wizards do not interact with the public. The greatest concentration of great wizards is the confederation known as Hermetus, which is essentially a kingdom made up of wizard towers and the lands they protect. The most powerful spell-caster is Terari, a former Emron Ambassador to Marakeikos, who renounced their loyalty, and became head of the Marakeikan Magic School in Mirros. Second may be whatever mage is working with the Slavers of Roark to permanently hide their lair, a "Shadowmage." And somewhere, the aptly-titled "Bargle the Infamous" is hiding. Any information that we've had on that wizard has either under-represented his powers, or vastly exaggerated, so no one knows the truth.
7. Who is the richest person in the land? Royalty and nobility control the most. While much of his political and military power has been taken, the greatest treasures in the Mer Kasp region belong to Arsaces XXII of the Parthian Empire.
8. Where can we go to get some magical healing? The Churches of Akana and Guya offer magical healing for a sizable donation. Just make sure you're gnome-kind if asking a cleric of Pangrus for a spell.
9. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath? The three churches above cover most of those. Barthey, Mirros, Stronghome, and Shelley Harbor should have the capabilities to handle lycanthropy. Only the Church of Akana has powerful enough clerics to ressurect, and Challon does not deal well with undead.
10. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells? Mirros in Marakeikos hosts both a notable Magic Unviersity, and a thriving Magic-Users guild.
11. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC? Every sizable port city will have a host of experts, although many would suggest the libraries of Parthia are where to find true experts in their fields.
12. Where can I hire mercenaries? Barthey has been a staging ground for human mercenaries the moment the Ferasean Empire fell centuries ago. Both Halfling and Gnome marines and infantry are available in Stronghome and all of Gnomish City States.
14. Which way to the nearest tavern? Plenty of fine establishments in every known port. The halfling crew of Zorin Redrock prefer to take their leaves in the halfling port of Santello in Stronghome. There, all races frequent the Dusty, Heaving Keg.
15. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous? Rumors of sea monsters are as thick as the further lies told about them. Each nation sharing a coastline with the Mer Kasp has a host of problems inland.
16 Are there any wars brewing I could go fight? The western coasts have established political and trade agreements, some of which could be interpreted as alliances. Parthia has machinations around the eastern coats, and the various Galmar tribes could invade the northern countries, with very little true resistance.
17. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes? Legal fighting pits are around the Mer Kasp, although none are as glamourous as central and western Talaishia. True fighters would either venture down into Khemmet and Parthia.
Akorros, Treibezond, Barthey Empire |
18. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
19. What is there to eat around here? Western Mer Kasp is known for it's variety of fishes and grains for loves. Eastern regions have less of a meat portion, supplemented by more nuts and dates, and even fish eggs!
No comments:
Post a Comment