[kjc note - For reasons I can no longer remember, this post is a merging of two posts, one from 1992-11-07 and the other - Dennis' final posting of the Atlas - from 1993-02-25. Specifically, I added these pieces from the 1993 posting to the 1992 post: New this week: Return of the City of Magira, which mysteriously vanished from the last couple copies of the Atlas. (Sorry, Mithy!) Entries for Grale and Parahan. Revision of Rameshan entry. ...and I also used the map from the 1993 posting. Plus, I formatted all the entries so that they're a consistent line-length. One other issue - when I copied the ascii dragon, I left out the ascii "dragon's inn" that used to be to the right of it because I couldn't get it to fit and line-wrap correctly. If you want the original(s) dig 'em up on www.google.com] -- From: Dennis Brennan (djb6@ellis.uchicago.edu) Subject: [ADMIN] Atlas & Map of the Known Lands Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Date: 1992-11-07 09:19:40 PST __+__ _,-------_, _/ + \_ /~~>' _-~ | (O + O) | / _-~ \ \ / / | _-~ | \ / | / ~ ~~~~-_ \ |( " )| / | \ | | \./ | | / |\ | \ _/ |/ | | | | __ _-~ \_/ | | /-~ _-~ \ | |__ / _-~ ~-_ \ \ \\ | ~~--__--~ / _ \ \ | | | \ _-~ | //|\ ||\ ~~--__ / / ___ /--__ / /^\ ~~--___/ _-~ / /^\ / ~~~-----~ /___ _____/ _-~---~ /___ /| _ ~~--~~ /^\ /^< ___ ~~--~~ /^\ _-~/ / ~--__ ~~--~~~\ ~~ ~~--__ ~~--~~~\---~~ | / ~~--___--~~\ ~~--___--~~\ V THE OFFICIAL ATLAS OF THE KNOWN LANDS AS USED BY THE CARTOGRAPHER'S GUILD OF GENERICA A GAZETTEER OF THE LANDS OUTSIDE THE CITY OF GENERICA New this week: Thomas Kettenring's improved version of the ASCII map of the Known Lands, which locates the Great Heath more-or-less correctly as per Aaron Humphrey's instructions A number of new locations created by Kelly J. Cooper. Alasir: Lying on the coast of the Great Blue between Generica and Ydoine, the land of Alasir is expanding at the the expense of its neighbors in response to the growing power of its rival, Ydoine. Its most recent conquests include the lands of Sanakin, Vascondy and Varande. Some speculate that the next target of the Alasyrians is Specifica of Cod, the northernmost of the Specifican Triad. The capital of Alasir is Aragat, where three kings (respectively ruling Alasir proper, the annexed provinces and the military) sit under a single emperor, called the Grand Lord. Antilles: A collection of islands, of various sizes, between Generica and the Dark Continent. The dark-skinned inhabitants, mostly fisherman, have at this stage in history mostly fallen under the thumbs of seagoing powers like Alasir, Ydoine, and Rameshan. The Western Isle and Valkeer are north of the Antilles. Camequeva is the largest and best-known. Bottleneck Pass: The pass is located toward the southern end of the range, through the narrowest point along the Mysty Mountains. It was excavated from the original path a few hundred years ago by a group of ambitious merchants. Open to any who chose to travel there, it is lightly patrolled by a volunteer army of civilians from Verland and its nearby smaller towns to the west and some of the militia of the Barony of Stifer to the east. Its only features are Broken Stone, a huge boulder with a reputation and the Ranger's Cabin, a small but sturdy wood and stone structure near the apex of the pass, on the east side of the Range. The cabin is lightly stocked with food and firewood for travellers who get caught in bad weather. Camequeva: A tropical island in the Antilles. The people there, and on nearby islands, are similar racially to the inhabitants of the Dark Continent. They are mostly fishermen, and spend most of their lives on the sea. Many of the fishermen tattoo themselves intricately in patterns denoting their family and personal accomplishments. They speak a dialect of Dark Common which I have chosen to render as somewhat like Jamaican English. The Dark Continent: To the south and west of Generica's continent lies a large continent, for the most part unexplored by white-skinned man. Most of the inhabitants are dark-skinned. The central portion of the continent is covered with the Savannah, a wide grassland which has until recently been roamed by the nomadic tribes of the Aradneh. Now priests of Ilmater have come to the tribes and taught them agriculture, as well as the Common tongue and other Northern culture. East of the Savannah is a high mountain range, over which lies a deep bay, all that remains of the once-great Aradneh civilization after it was destroyed by the gods centuries ago. To the west lie swamps, populated by lizard men and similar creatures. To the south lie great jungles, populated by pygmies and wild beasts of all kinds. To the north lies a great desert. (Note: The Savannah and the ruins of the Aradneh civilization are reserved by myself.) There are several civilizations still extant on the Continent. On the north coast, a formerly great kingdom is now under the subjugation of the kingdom of Ydoine from Generica's continent. On the south coast are several warring kingdoms that are somewhat Aztec in flavour. The language of Dark Common is spoken in trade across the continent. There are also several strange races to be found here, including the lion-like Dragas on the Plains of Drotshava, far to the west of the Savannah; reptilian Drists living in the northern deserts; and elephantine Loxorians in the southern jungles. The DiamondGate of North Glacier: Over a thousand leagues north of Generica there lies a mountain range with a big glacier in its center. On the top of a mountain surrounded by the North Glacier lies the DiamondGate, a magical crystalline doorway to the world of Titania. The other side of the gate is in the center of the city of DiamondRise, last city of the Giants of Titania, still fighting a war against the Hordes of the Demon Mother. Etarus'ta: An Oriental-type realm, mostly pending description by John Charles Fiala. Known for its exotic cuisine, Etarus'ian food is available in many of the more cosmopolitan cities in the Known Lands. The Fist Also known as The Fist of God and The Devil's Grip. Located at sea in a general Northwest direction from Generica. It never comes closer than within 200 miles of the City. It covers an area of ocean that is approximately 85 square miles. It is filled with varying winds of hurricane force. It is very dark with clouds, and thunder and lightning are continuous. Visibility is always less than a mile. Seas usually run between 25 and 45 feet, depending on how deep into the tempest one is. The Fist wanders a range of about 400 miles. There are stories that seem to suggest there may be some sort of intelligence in the storm; however, no one has ever been able to determine whether or not that is true. Not with magic, neither pleas nor prayers. Magic cannot affect the strength of the storm. Magic may protect travelers while passing through The Fist to some extent, though it will be, at best, a miserable passage. Some survivors of encounters with the tempest report on a wild, rock-bound island glimpsed through the darkness. Apparently this island moves with the storm. Earliest recorded history of the City references The Fist. It has been around a long, long time. Persons wishing to use The Fist are welcome to do so. There are no immutable plans for its future. It would be nice to preserve some of its mystery for at least a little while though. Forgotten Realms: Portal from the land of Generica to the Forgotten Realms lies to the southeast and takes three days on horseback to reach. The portal brings travellers to the Great Desert, and this is two and a half weeks travel north of the nation of Cormyr which is ruled by King Permus Tremor (thanks to the help of the Luthor Questors). Generica and surroundings: Generica is a generic fantasy city. It is approximately Rennaisance-level. Technology excludes gunpowder, but includes glass cutting, crossbows and sundials. It is a city-state, run my Melwis the wise, a merchant. It is a traders' city, on a very busy trade route by land, river and sea. It is run by merchant familes, and there are many guilds of various descriptions. It is not inherently corrupt, but money will get you far in this city, and there is not much that you can't buy. By day it is bustling with trade; by night there is much action, festivities and so on. In some areas, there is much evil. It is your average fantasy city. Because of Generica's cosmopolitan status, at the center of trade routes on this world and others, many religions are found, of any pantheon you can think of, and they won't interfere (except tell that to the followers). Magic is active in many forms. Many races also pass through. However, there are many of the populace who are ignorant to the wider world, especially those in the outlying farmlands. Generica is on a west coast. To the east lies the plains, (simply called that), and then further on the Great forest, in which many fairy types live, and beyond that are the Mysty Mountains, where many humanoids (orcs, trolls, etc live.) Think of the position something similar to where Italy is on the Earth. Warm summers and cold winters. Across the sea to the west (The Great Blue, as it is called), is the Great Western Isle, where magic is abound and strange things happen. (Note that The Great Western Isle is (tm) of the founder of the group--Nightstalker.) Grale: This hold on the Kirender River south of the Great Forest was formerly the abode of the House of Grale until the time of Lord Glorshanned. A gnoll attack on the hold forced Glorshanned to evacuate, at which time he founded the city which was to become Generica. The keep is currently abandoned, home to gnolls and the usual dungeon denizens. The Great Heath: A thousand miles east of the Mysty Mountains is an area that is mostly spanned by plains and moors. Once, in ancient history, this area was ruled by a single great conqueror, who died with twelve sons. Since then, the area has been divided and subdivided until it reached its current state--over a hundred petty baronies, earldoms, duchies, and the like. There is an Emperor, whose Empire spans little more than the average earldom. All the ruling families trace their ancestry back to the Great Conqueror, and occasionally signs of inbreeding are apparent. Not all of the realms are on the plains--a few are in small mountain ranges, some in swamps, forest, etc. Magira The ancient city of Magira lies far to the North of Generica on the Coasts of the Great Blue.It is so far north that the sea in the area is usually frozen over, especially in the winter. However,due to certain magical forces,the area enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate and good weather. Magira is a city of magicians. It is ruled over by the Council of Nine, and has been for many years. The laws of the City definitelt favour Wizards above all else. No normal man is even allowed into the city unless he is sponsored by a wizard living there. The laws also forbid fighting by magical means. If this occurs, both participants are swiftly killed. The city is devoted to the study and practiice of magic around the world. They have no aspirations of Empires, such is not the way of the mages at all. No, they consider themselvees scholars of the highest degree. Most of the food of the city is bought with either magic services or straight cash, and transported to the city through magical means. The organisation dedicated to magical study is the Academy. The Academy is by far the most powerful institution in the city, and all wizards are members of it. The Council of Nine is eleceted from among it's most honoured members. Visiting wizards are expected to present themselves to the Academy, by law. It is a well respected institution, and many of the world's most powerful mages, including the legendary Sorceror himself, come from it's ranks. The normal population is very small, usually slaves of wizards who desire such things. They are in no position to rule or revolt, because without the wizards, the city would quickly become what it once was, an arctic wilderness. This city is reserved by tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie (Mithrandir) Pappheymknaff: Pappheymknaff is an orc-infested country in the north part of the Mysty Mountains, northeast of Vascondy. The inhabitants have not spoken Common for long; some of the older people there still use their own language, Udriapapfklai, which sounds quite funny for Common speakers. The names of persons and cities are still in that language. Suffice it to say that the full name of the Count who rules the place is Dalzpansen Pitscheknelz ov Gumsiaseer Wachdosalm ond Kechlatza Pepadethruphla Unilak. The Pappheymer are constantly battling hordes of orcs dwelling in the mountains, so they are normally very experienced in fighting. Magic other than that of the priests of Fivririmirfi, the main deity there, is strictly forbidden. Parahan: Once the site of several fabulous kingdoms, the land of Parahan is now an empty prairie, home to few save farmers, nomads, barbarian herdsmen and wemics. In ancient times, the land of Parahan was home to the advanced civilizations of Sparlax, Graim and Kethney. The empire of Graim and the magocracy of Kethney became involved in a terrible war in which both sides used fearsome magical weaponry. At last Graim prevailed but was sufficiently weakened that an invasion by barbarian hordes toppled the empire. During this time the Sparlactic civilization seems to have vanished completely, although from time to time explorers or sages in some remote part of Nexus claim to have found remnants of some far-flung Sparlactic colony. Farmers settled the area and founded a republic, which was promptly invaded and annexed by neighboring Rameshan. The Rameshanders exerted minimal control over the territory at best and left the agricultural colony vulnerable to the barbarian hordes. Recently, a strong barbarian leader, the Il-Shar, founded a state of Parahan with de-facto control over the agricultural colony. Unlike many of his predecessors, the Il-Shar has refused to pay tribute to the Shaheran of Rameshan, gambling that RameshanUs decline will make it impossible to resume domination. So far, he seems to be getting away with it... Rameshan: Formerly a large empire controlling virtually the entire southwestern part of the Known Lands, Rameshan has been in decline for the last three hundred years. The nominal ruler of Rameshan is the Shaheran, who resides in a massive public edifice known as the Court, but real power is exercised in any given part of Rameshan by whomever is the strongest or wealthiest. Factions include several different merchant groups (including the infamous Amber Crescent who specialize in the trafficking of slaves), the cult of Cardinal Xar which intends to eliminate the use of magic and persecutes mages), secret societies and other groups. The current Shaheran of Rameshan is a precociously intellingent fourteen-year-old boy who won his position by personally assassinating his predecessor. Despite RameshanUs decline as a political power, its merchants are still among the most active in the Known Lands, trading commodities including carpets and silks, treasures, hardwoods and products from the Dark Continent, drugs and intoxicating spirits, and slaves. Rameshander culture and life might be accurately compared to the Forgotten RealmsU Calimshan or Mulhorand, C.S. LewisU Calimshan, or EarthUs Ottoman Empire or Caliphate of Baghdad during the Middle Ages and Rennaisance. Dansushar: This city lies at the edge of the Reszhian desert and is one end of the caravan route across the desert to the city of Alamatar. Orluccar: The religious center of Rameshan, and the seat of the Oracularity of the Temple of Ashes. The Oracle at the temple, according to legend, is a four thousand year old woman. Pashar: The capital of Rameshan is one of the most populous cities in the Known Lands. Home to the Court, many mercantile organizations and a notorious brotherhood of assassins, Pashar is a bed of intrigue on a par with, well, Generica. Reszhian Desert: This is one of the largest deserts of Nexus. Formerly, the territory was controlled by an empire known as Ahmey which had its capital at Alamatar. The Ahmeyan civilization has disappeared but several of its huge stone monunents, including the Pillar of Nehayan, remain as testament to AhmeyUs former glory. The Running Lands: The Running Lands is the Ano name for the hot, dry steppes in the distant southeast corner of the continent. These plains are inhabited mainly by the various tribes of the Ano, a race of generally peaceful cat-footed centaur-like beings. The deeper into the plains, the more native and unspoiled the Ano tribe. Closer to the border between the Running Lands and where two-leggers reside, the tribes are more aggressive and suspicious due to border disputes with the two-leggers (humans, if you haven't guessed already). The plains also support a variety of timid wildlife, including what resembles a sort of antelope, hunted by the Ano for food and materials. Farming is difficult, but not impossible. Currently, there is an uneasy truce on the border, recently negotiated by a two-legger who spoke fluent Ano. Satosi: This city is also known as the City of Festivals. It sits on the south coast of the continent, south of the Great Heath. Satosi draws thousands of tourists a year for its festivals. The city suffers from surprisingly little crime and dishonesty. Some attribute this to the enormous tree standing in the center of the city, which also makes this city the center of druidic worship. South of Satosi is a large archipelago, similar to that in the Earthsea books. The Southern Marshes: Surrounding the vast delta where the river meets the ocean 150 miles south of Generica, these marshes were once the site of a prolonged conflict between lizardpeople and Genericans. Today an uneasy state of truce exists. The region is controlled by the united lizardman tribes but Genericans are permitted to use the river and the periphery (for fishing, logging, settlement...etc.) in exchange for trading goods and technical knowledge. Despite the ever-expanding presence of civilization, the Southern Marshes are vast. They hold secrets and perils that cause even the fiercest lizardpeople to shudder. Specifica: The name of several cities, each concentrating on a specific trade good. Most people tend to call each Specifica, but if distinction is required, the name of the trade good is added to the name. Thus we have... Specifica of the Furs: A city which is 7 days north(upriver) of Generica and has a primary export of furs, which it trades for goods from the south, like sugar... Specifica of the Sugars: A sister city to Generica which is south along the coast, and trades sugar with Generica, in trade for goods from the north and Valkeer... Currently it is the site of a limited uprising among the local lizardfolk. Specifica of Cod: A smaller settlement north along the coast, exporting fish southward to Generica. The Barony of Stifer: The nearest lands to the east of Bottleneck Pass belong to Baron Stifer. A fairly stable man, he boasts two sons. The elder is his man-at-arms, the younger will be his successor. His wife is an excellent cook and in past days, the Baron's favorite fencing partner. She remains excellent with a blade, while rictus and pain of the hands often keeps the Baron from wielding a fork, much less any sort of sword. The Baron is an unusual man in that he often despises tradition. His people perform a variety of tasks, from weaving to gardening to farming to smithing and the Barony is largely self-sufficient. But, rather than create a closed community, the Baron prefers to continue trading and accepting new ideas from the travellers he meets. Anyone who stops in his keep will be asked to dinner and undoubtably grilled by the Baron himself about various experiences and opinions. Unlike many of his neighbors on the Great Heath, he is a strong supporter of fostering. Since nearby Barons are resistant to the idea, he often fosters with Verland, and on rare occasions of great talent, with the Specificas or Generica. He is getting on in years, but everything seems to indicate his sons take after him and are loyal to his visions. His people are also very loyal, to both him and his sons. Underwurlde: To the west passing from the mountains under the Great Forest, and even to the city sewer system itself, is the Underwurlde. The Underwurlde is an extensive system of grottoes, caves and so on, which travel for hundreds of miles. There is said to be a whole city in a large, magic grotto, itself called The Underwurlde, where many dark and evil races dwell. Valkeer: This is an island country to the west of Generica. It is almost a week's sail if conditions are good. It was taken over by the Overlord Grimsword, his death-knight general Dracat Deathblade and his undead minions. He rules the land with an iron hand, no one daring to defy him. He constantly torments his people (being from Ravenloft). Broken Skull Keep lies embedded into the Dagger Mountains. This is the center of his rule. The Guardians of the Claw are a group of undead and evil humans that protect Valkeer from invaders. Varande Varande is a small country situated to the southwest of Vascondy. Its borders also touch Alasir and the Great Blue. It is basically a farming and fishing country which has kept to itself in the pass. Varande has two major cities, the capital being Aarafawn which was ruled by a monarchy until just recently, when it was quite decimated by the invading Alasir military power. Seeleth was originally a small fishing community like most other small towns in Varande. But over the last few hundred years or so it has risen in power with the increase in fishing trade. Seeleth now rivals Aarafawn itself and until recently was under the sway of its tyrannical assasins guild. Many problems (the least being the unleashing of a lunatic werewolf on the streets for a few months) led to the many citizens rising up and disbanding the guild through brute force and sheer numbers. Seeleth is now the major Alasir base in Varande due to its prime location along the Great Blue. Aarafawn is not quite what it used to be! Vascondy: This small country lies to the northeast of Generica, bounded on the east by the Mysty Mountains and the west by the land of Alasir. It is a farming land, known for its quality orchards and vegetables. Vascondy has recently been annexed by the land of Alasir. Verland: The largest town to the west of Bottleneck pass is Verland. They are primarily a farming and herding community, but they are able to supply themselves with almost anything they need. The center of town consists of a few houses that used to belong to the merchants originally involved with the road, but are now a town hall, a multi-faith temple, and a number of pubs, boarding houses, and Inns for travellers. In the middle of these buildings is a plaza where the local market sets up once a week, selling foods, and a few homemade goods. The occasional passing tinker or craftsman may set up here as well, either on market day or during the week. It is common to find at least a few folks working a small bit of trade any given day. Verland's market is an excellent place to get cheap and fairly sturdy goods made by the various apprentices, journeymen, and, on rare occasions, a master. At the end of every month, folks from nearby towns come into Verland to buy and sell their wares, and the market turns into a something of a fairground. There is a small grassy field beyond the buildings where traveling entertainers set up shows. Ydoine: This country is situated on the coast to the north of Generica. Its capital is Naix. The people speak a language very similar to French(as close as Common is to English, anyway). They are ruled by a feudal system, but have a large middle-class. They also have a strong naval force, and they rule several territories on the Dark Continent and in the Antilles. ##################\__ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #####################\ ^^^^^^^ ##### GREAT #########/ [] DiamondGate ###### BLUE ####(~~~~*Magira of North #################) Glacier ###############(______ ######################\__ Mt. Ledoritan \VALKEER)################) /\ ^^^^^^ PAPPHEYM- #\__/################/~~~YDOINE ^^^^^^^ KNAFF ##############/~~~~~~ * Naix ^^^^^^^^^ ########/~~~~~ VASCONDY^^^^^^ #######(___ *Evermeadow ^^^^^^ ###########\__*Aragat ALASIR ^^Mysty^^^ ################\_ SANAKIN ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##################\*Aarafawn ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###################\VARANDE ^^Mts^^^^ ######### #################*Specifica of Cod ^^^^^^^^^^ ####### ### ##############/ ^^^^^^^^^^ #######################/ ^^^^^^^ ANTILLES # #####/~~~~~*GENERICA Ceruputhon River_/^^ ################| \. /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^ ################/ | Great Forest a^x^b ###############/ `~\_/~\__/*Specifica of Furs ^^ ##############( ^^^ GREAT ###############\""""""" * Grale ,--'^^^ HEATH ################>-'~~\___,--'~~\__,--Kirender R.-'^^^^^ Specifica of Sugars*"""""Southern"" _____^^^^^^^^^ ####################\"""""Marshes_____/#######\______ ########################\""""/#######################) ######<<|##########################################/~ ########|######/ * \############################/ /~~~~~\#|#####(Pashar_)##### The Gulf ############\_ )|######\ (###################/~~~~~\#####\_ /#|######/RAMESHAN ##############/ ~~\####\___ DARK(##|#####(.......\###############/ ~~)#####\_ CONTI-)#|######).......*Orluccar ##/~~ (########\ NENT /##|#####/............\####/~~ PARAHAN \#######( (###|####/..............\#/~ ~\#####/ __)##|##/*Dansushar.......~ ~~~~~ /#####|#/..................... \#####|( ......Rezzian...*Alamatar \####|#\__.....Desert....... \###|####\ .............. \##|####/ THE RUNNING LANDS => __/##|###/ /#####|##( DROTSHAVA \#####|###\ \####|####\ /####|#####\________ _________ /#####|##############\ __*Satosi _/#########\________ \#####|###############\___ __/##\______/#################### \####|###################\_/################################# <<|this is far west! NOTES: The Dark Continent, described above, is _far_ to the south and west of the Known Lands, not right off the coast as it appears above. The Antilles are compromised of a number of islands, including Camequeva but not Valkeer, which is farther north. Satosi is way south, not on the coast of the Gulf as the earlier (and incorrect) map suggested. (Kelly Cooper's notes:) Above, the 'x' in the Mysty Mountains marks Bottleneck pass. 'a' is the town Verland and 'b' is the Barony of Stifer. I put the pass there because it was the narrowest representation in the Mysty Mt. range. To join the fun, e-mail your submissions to the Atlas to me at djb6@midway.uchicago.edu, or you may reply to this message. You may use the Mr. Kettenring's map above as a template to describe the location of your submission, or describe its position in words within the text, or leave its placement up to me. -- Dennis Brennan djb6@midway.uchicago.edu