Civilization Prototype

[ripx187]

I had originally planned on Durn being a Germain model, but the more I think about it, the more I think that I should stay with the traditional English fantasy and have the Germans be a neighbouring rival kingdom. This way I can use that Language like Tolkien did. Start off with a known English language, but the further away from the Kingdoms you get the odd languages pop up and it is easier to bastardize know languages than it is to come up with my own.


I think that I am about ready to start drawing my prototype map; this part is the scariest for me. The scale is an issue, but I noticed that Robert E. Howard didn’t scale his map of Hyboria, it just was. I think that this is the way to go. We’ll only worry about scale later; the prototype will be a general idea of things that I can fill in when the ideas come to me.

The Kingdom of Durn, I think, is very large and will be able to support many adventures, but I would like to get an idea of Durn’s neighbours. The South I almost have, as the current game city is on this Southern border.


Now, a time-line is also a problem. I am going to set a year one of the standard calendar as the year that people claim to be free of the Eastern Empire. That is kind of weak though. Perhaps it should be the year that Steal was discovered? Probably stolen from the Dwarf, but the people can claim what they want. It was Steal that allowed them to defeat and run off their Empirical enslavers. That nation is still trapped in the Iron Age.


The Elvan time-line must be revised. I think that I will have some active Silvan Elves out in the wild territories, but in Durn they are neutralized. Maybe 200 years ago a tribe of rebels sacked a city and spawned a 50-year war against the Elves, the Silvan King was executed or something and the elves left behind are in a serious depression. The life-span of new born elves is much faster, dying of old age at 65, but this is more of a matter of nutrition and being cut off from their life-style. The existing government of the Elf took a stance that we wait it out, and though it was wrong they fail to see it. One or two elders are proper Wood Elves, and while the young have either excepted their fate or attempt adopt human ways, the true wood elf, who can have a lover’s tiff last for centuries, they are unperturbed by these events. Eventually, all these people will kill themselves with all of their short-term wars and plans. What does disturb them is the dramatically short life-span of their children! This idea will have to be developed, but it is solid enough a premise to work with.

[mao]

Like where you are going w the elves especially.

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Keep us updated ripx187, as I want to see how this develop. In my world there are elves cut off from the Fey Wild and the magic that sustains their long lives, this loss has created massive changes not only physically but psychologically.

[mao]

Aug 30, 2018 12:21:21 GMT -5 Hexenritter Verlag said:

Keep us updated ripx187 , as I want to see how this develop. In my world there are elves cut off from the Fey Wild and the magic that sustains their long lives, this loss has created massive changes not only physically but psychologically.

OH this is nice too, may have to steal this or above. But which one........

[El Borak]

How is this project going ripx187?

[ripx187]

The project is going well! A bit too well, it is hard to capture in some cohesive way that others can understand. 

I have my prototype map done, I don't know if I want to keep it the way that it is as I kind of want to develop terrain features as we go, but in starting with a map an interesting thing happened. I saw how the gamestate started. On the people front I've been assaulted with many ideas very quickly, I developed another Empire up north which is inspired by Russia, there is a kind of buffer between them and where the elves chose to stay, a rough monster dominated land that is peopled by tough Northmen that got more civilized as you head east to more habitable country. They are my Germans who were linked to the Russian Empire and did bloody battle with the Roman-inspired Empire that left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. A sea separates the two and they've been at a stalemate for a long time. 

The Romans did manage to get a foothold on the area, however, they are so wealthy now that, like Germany, they are more or less independent of the Roman Empire. It is based on Spain, but they pay their tariffs and keep their own laws, at least for right now they are playing both sides. 

Far off of the map, you've got your England and France, but something happened there. This part of the world has (or had) a higher level of technology, not sci-fi or anything, just a more advanced military, they were forced to leave and found this Great Plain, (owned by the wood elves, and the Spanish) the French attacked and got a foothold onto the area, followed by the English. The French pushed north, taking lots of German lands and eventually cutting them off from their Russian allies completely, while the English hold the southern plains which the French carved out. 

While France, itself isn't large enough to be an Empire, it has the greatest army in the area and a good alliance with the English who has the strongest Navy. There is a third nation linked to the English but separated which forms a buffer between England and Spain, but this land, as I've hinted, has been compromised. 

That was a lot to process all at once, but now I've got to flesh these countries and empires out better. I've also ran into an issue with my Elves, I originally wanted to lift Native American languages but so little is known about them now that they are difficult to work with, and what is known is so common that it would destroy immersion, so I've got to rethink that move.

[El Borak]

Sounding really good ripx187.

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Aug 30, 2018 16:44:30 GMT -5 ripx187 said:

The project is going well! A bit too well, it is hard to capture in some cohesive way that others can understand. 

I have my prototype map done, I don't know if I want to keep it the way that it is as I kind of want to develop terrain features as we go, but in starting with a map an interesting thing happened. I saw how the gamestate started. On the people front I've been assaulted with many ideas very quickly, I developed another Empire up north which is inspired by Russia, there is a kind of buffer between them and where the elves chose to stay, a rough monster dominated land that is peopled by tough Northmen that got more civilized as you head east to more habitable country. They are my Germans who were linked to the Russian Empire and did bloody battle with the Roman-inspired Empire that left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. A sea separates the two and they've been at a stalemate for a long time. 

The Romans did manage to get a foothold on the area, however, they are so wealthy now that, like Germany, they are more or less independent of the Roman Empire. It is based on Spain, but they pay their tariffs and keep their own laws, at least for right now they are playing both sides. 

Far off of the map, you've got your England and France, but something happened there. This part of the world has (or had) a higher level of technology, not sci-fi or anything, just a more advanced military, they were forced to leave and found this Great Plain, (owned by the wood elves, and the Spanish) the French attacked and got a foothold onto the area, followed by the English. The French pushed north, taking lots of German lands and eventually cutting them off from their Russian allies completely, while the English hold the southern plains which the French carved out. 

While France, itself isn't large enough to be an Empire, it has the greatest army in the area and a good alliance with the English who has the strongest Navy. There is a third nation linked to the English but separated which forms a buffer between England and Spain, but this land, as I've hinted, has been compromised. 

That was a lot to process all at once, but now I've got to flesh these countries and empires out better. I've also ran into an issue with my Elves, I originally wanted to lift Native American languages but so little is known about them now that they are difficult to work with, and what is known is so common that it would destroy immersion, so I've got to rethink that move.

sounds really good, have you decided on names for these various peoples/realms?

[El Borak]

Aug 30, 2018 19:55:23 GMT -5 Hexenritter Verlag said:

sounds really good, have you decided on names for these various peoples/realms?

Good question! I love to see the names people give things.

[ripx187]

I am not entirely comfident with this list of names. Some are in English which shouldn't be.


The section of land which I have mapped is currently called "Mull Mahaska" but not totally in love with the name.


The roman empire is called The Empire of Leodium. They have a strong foothold on Mull Mahaska known as Mevania. Mevania is a colonial mix of German and Roman blood. The Empire is not kind to this place, much of the valuable bounties of the land is shipped back to Leodium and exists under tight martial law. It is only accessible to Leodium by ship through the Sea of Verona, and is boxed in by the Baulk Mountains which protects the Kingdoms of Durn and Adams from major attacks.


To the North is my Russian Empire which I call Gukovo, prior to the French this land was all known as Valdov, but currently Valdov is reduced to horrible stormy and rocky lands which produce little crop but is funded by Gukovo to keep Troll-kin out of the country. Voldov must sail the Sea of Norn and raid Durn and the French, however, the French do see the benefits of the Voldovians, Trolls are vicious and violent, so there is some degree of diplomacy between these two peoples.

A small mountain range in Valdov along the coast of the Bemidji Ocean is avoided by the tribes of men, this is Wapello, or The Fells. I'd like to find an Old Norse name for it, this land is sacred to the Fey and legend says that little men kill any who set foot in its borders. Men are not tolerated here, which says something because the Valdov are tough as nails but they honour this border.

After the French divided Voldov, the section which was cut off from Gukovo is my Germans, the Kingdom of Silbowitz, this is a kingdom surrounded by enemies. It is good rich land, and they do their best to keep it. The French are always trying to take away more, and to their south is The Sea of Bones (English, where it shouldn't be) which was the navel wargrounds that was Mull Mahaska's bloodiest conflict. A narrow stretch of land still borders Mevania, but Silbowitz defends this too. There is actually a huge area the size of a country which both the French and the Silbowitz claim is their land, Silbowitz also does it's best to retake what it can from Durn. The Silbowitzers are stubborn and angry tacticians,  much of their naval forces have never recovered, but on land, though they are outnumbered by their enemies, they are brilliant tacticians who understand that defence wins wars. 

The French I am calling the Kingdom of Fayette, but I'm not happy at all with this name. I see it as kind of an Enchanted and positive place, unlike the rest of Mull Mahaska, perhaps this name is a French take on what the elves call it, but I do want the French to be more assertive in their power than just keeping Fayette as a name, perhaps this is an insulting name to them? I have some more work to do here.

I also wanted a place that would contrast with the enchanted forests up north, and create a small suspicious and superstitious people reminiscent of Romania, people who live in a magical place and are terrified of it but too stuborn to leave. Cultish country folks who force a living in the mountains of the Baulk. It isn't a very imaginative name "Baulkins" but I think that that name would make for some cool monsters.  These people are important to the setting, as everybody is terrified of them and this area. If Leodium sent a billion men into those mountains to invade Durn or Adams, those men would all disappear and never be heard from again. Centuries ago the old German Nobles died, yet these people are still there, a conundrum of people who both hate magic but their culture is entrenched and dominated by strange rituals of protection.

Durn is the English kingdom. The king is competent but his nobles are not. This is actually many kingdoms who claim loyalty to one crown, but many nobles see themselves owning it. Worse, the Kingdom of Adams successfully left, taking more than half of the country with it. Discovering how this happened is one of my jobs. During my original write up, I started with this country and named the King Septomus Germaine. Taken into the context of what I've developed so far, this is very interesting to me. There is a mystery here, as that is not an English name.

My Spain is called Alora, this is the bounty of Mull Mahaska, and is governed by wealthy men who are masters of Diplomacy. I may change this to a mixture of Spanish and Arab cultures, think two-faced sea-dogs who can smile as they kill you. I have time to further develop this country though, as it is so far out. They make the best wine, grow the sweetest fruit and are in the position to trade the exports between Leodium and the rest of Mull Mahaska and always get the best of the deal. They no doubt had something to do with Adams succession from Durn, but if they did it would be so subtle that it could never be proved. 

I have also named a large island that had drifted away from Wapello, as Risley. This was how Fayette was able to invade Mull Mahaska, and this would be the oldest "Western" civilization that was independent of Gukovan influence. I see it as having ancient elvan ruins, older than these old cities themselves. The High Elves were definitely here, but this place was long abandoned by the time that the French and English discovered it and used it as the base of operations centuries ago. I think that this is the source of the fake religion and the cult of the Architect, they are keeping secrets here, things that they don't want to leak out. How many people even know about this place, I don't know. It's existance could be a secret known only to the most royal of noble blood. They are guarding something! Perhaps it is for the good of mankind, or perhaps it isn't. 

There are still area's on the map that I haven't dealt with yet. Places that I marked for unnamed cities but the lands themselves are blank, which is fine! The main goal was to figure out who were the neighbours of Durn and to get a general idea of who they are. Now I can focus on creating Durn itself. I did make some mistakes on the southern border of Durn, trying to find exactly where the Black Muddy river is within the context of the map and I ended up with some strange lines and borders. I can either correct this on a finalized map or just go with it and enjoy the mystery of figuring out what those lines mean. I kind of like having mysteries on maps