Building the Western Lands...

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wwwwwww
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 2:47 pm

Building the Western Lands...

Post by wwwwwww »

Has anyone here further developed the Western Lands using Gonnerman's skeleton presented in Morgansfort? I'd be really curious to see what's been created/built...
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orobouros
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Re: Building the Western Lands...

Post by orobouros »

My 10-session Roll20 Basic Fantasy campaign was located in the Western Lands. I dropped Brenton's Bend (a Dyson Logos map) onto a river close to Urd and came up with some background lore and information. Assigned utility to all the houses, came up with a bit of history for orcs living to the south (in peace, for now), and some characters for the village. Decided that water sylphs lived on the river and helped the towns fishermen get out to sea easily despite being far inland.

Came up with the Adventurer's Co-op, sponsored by the Baron, to give all the players a reason to show up in a tiny little fishing village. They'd be given food and shelter and taxed on their treasure by level.

Also added a seasonal tent town to the crossroads right outside of Morgansfort, since I felt there's be a bit more activity in the area and more than would fit into the walls.

Eventually added a classic B module to an area halfway to Morgansfort, hoping that after a bit of experience they'd be ready for the Olde Island Fortress.

Because I ran things as an open table, when Roll20 added the "Pick up game" option I used it. Unfortunately, this tended to really bring in a lot of players who were looking to just get wasted and play (which totally has a time and place, and of which I am fond), but that's not the kind of campaign I was running.

I think I was going to place a mountain range to the east of the Western Lands and place the midderlands (commercial OSR setting and dungeon) there, past a hard-to-cross mountain range.

Really just a bunch of me tossing in ideas. Not even 5% of it was used, but it was useful.
wwwwwww
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Re: Building the Western Lands...

Post by wwwwwww »

Sounds pretty cool! I would love to view what you created. Would that be possible? Either sharing it here, or through personal messages?
ken
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Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:50 pm

Re: Building the Western Lands...

Post by ken »

I know this is a years-old post; but, I'm interested in building out The Western Lands. I figure it is better to use this old thread than to start a new one. Has there been any more work on The Western Lands? I'm using it for a teaching campaign right now, and have plans to build out Slateholm and Novatia at a minimum. If anyone has information to share or a desire to collaborate on some new stuff, let's chat.
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orobouros
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Re: Building the Western Lands...

Post by orobouros »

I really don't have much to share. There's a hexmap I made of the area and a colored version of Dyson's map. Here's a few notes I put together on new content.
**Morgansfort Tent City** is a collection of tents near the crossroads of the main road and the path that leads off to the fort proper. The road is paved by ancient means that have withstood a thousand summers and winters. There are a large number of semi-permanent tents erected here, the ones along the road set up as shops and other similar stands. The merchants' shop-tents are also found somewhat away from the road, though most tents off the road are primarily for living. Three very large circular tents set up on the east side of the road are the only year-round structures; all other tents tend to be broken down at first snow. The tent and the inhabitants return in the spring, those coming early getting the prime spots along the road. Though tents, these structures are not the kind used by travelers for a temporary shelter, but portable structures that require significant effort to assemble and erect, but which also offer significant protection against the weather, some even having multiple inside rooms with headspace enough for even the tallest of humans to stand up fully. The tents to the west are arranged in a grid with a simple wooden fence surrounding it to the north, west, and south. The tents to the east of the main road are much more haphazard.

The inhabitants come from all over. Some claim to come from the south and travel great distances as migrants. Others are from local farms, there to sell foods or simple wares. Some lodge in Morgansfort proper over the winter, working as stablehands or latrine cleaners, giving up on real work during the temperate months. Many don't tell where they come from or where they are going. For others, rumor has it that a nearby cave serves as their winter hideout, cramped and dirty but warm enough underground for the coldest months; some even say they magically hibernate over the winter like bears or other creatures.

Tent City started as those who couldn't lodge inside the fort set up simple camp right outside the gates in hope of aid should they be attacked. As the tent city grew and became something of a slum, the baron made an agreement with the tent dwellers to set their camp by the crossroads, a few minutes' walk down the path. The baron would send regular patrols into the tent city to keep a degree of order and prohibit commerce. The tent city had become a black market free of Morgansfort taxes. Simple wares such as plates, cups, sacks, rope, farm equipment, and foods are allowed to be sold, though nothing of value more than 1 gp and nothing that can serve as a weapon, armor, or with a primary combat use. Some merchants sell low-grade weapons and armor, usually rusty and in poor condition, often taken from battles and slain monsters. Only the most desperate or foolhardy adventurer buys such goods, though some locals buy them as a last resort.

It's an open secret that the tent city has a black market, typically operated in the south east part of the area. Here money exchangers will sell specialized trinkets which can be exchanged for gold (illegally) inside the Fort. Standard grade weapons and armor are also available, though many a black market merchant will polish up low-grade armors and weapons to sell to suckers.
And a bit I made up about an Adventurers' Guild in the Western Lands:
## Roll of the Guild

The Adventurer's Guild is a kind of co-op supported by Slateholm and Ravenstone. The Western Lands are too expansive to control directly with a standing army and with only few population centers around no means of patrol are possible. Fortunately, humanoid incursions occur mostly to the south and are fairly few in between. Politically, Slateholm and Ravenstone have a desire to show control over the coastline near Corvis, to dissuade any ambitions of hostile incursion by the Urd.

Adventurers are promised a minimal living standard if they agree to take on assignments. These are often dangerous and often dull. But the prospect of discovering lost treasure (which is the common rumor of how many riches were won in the area) or adoration of the people is a strong draw to adventurers who come from far and wide. A license from Slateholm is needed is bought on loan in most cases. A tax of one percent per level of the character of treasures found is expected and rigorously enforced, though local guild leaders tend to allow the percentage to be taken after expenses if they are on good terms. This tax starts at level 2.

**Kazsin Urzu** is the local guild leader and lives in a smaller hut close to the ruins of the castle in Brenton's Bend. His quarters serve as both his private residence, the guild kitchen, and an informal meeting room. He maintains a small armory in a shed close to the water's edge. He leaves the key hanging in his quarters but is strict about allowing access to it. The weapons there are hardly grand but suffice.

The barracks are in a larger building to the north of Urzu's abode. It's big enough for a small entry way (on the south eastern side) into a much larger room. Ten bunk beds line the humble hall, five to a side, with little built in privacy. A few adventurers are already present and have claimed a few of the beds, each of which has a small, unlocked chest at the foot, and hung a few person affects (such as sheets as screens) in the room. The north end holds a latrine and a walled off section with a rudimentary bath. A fire outside heats some water, which can be poured into the bathing area as needed.
if you really want I can send you the background information on the locals, which I might use one day in the campaign and don't want to share openly. (I also left out a small bit about the tent city.) None of this Tent City was ever used, so it's just ideas. But the Guild was set up to get people right into the game in the tiny little fishing village nobody would want to go to.
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