Updating the Calendar

In this discussion at the Piazza I brought up some proposals to make the calendar of Mystara more accurate if we accept that it is set in earth's past approx. 150mya. This would make the year 372 days, and so I did some modeling of how that would look if the various calendars for the setting were adjusted to fit that year length. So what follows is a cleaned up version of the results of that conversation.

Calendars of Mystara

So in Canon sources there are 2 different but related calendars presented for Mystara. The first is presented in B10(which I use in my home game), and the 2nd, more commonly accepted is in the gazetteer series. Both are based on a lunar year(sort of implied) and use the same month and weekday names, but with different lengths of the months and years.

So to recap for those less familiar with the calendars:

B10 presents us with 12 months with the days grouped into 7 day weeks. The days of the week are called Lunadain(Monday), Gromdain(Tuesday), Tserdain(Wednesday), Moldain(Thursday), Nytdain(Friday), Loshdain(Saturday), and Soladain(Sunday). The calendar is arranged in such a way that every Lunadain is either a full moon, new moon, or half moon; and every Nytdain is either a waning or waxing crescent moon. I really think this synchronization of the week with the moon cycle is really elegant.

Here's the weird the thing in the calendar from B10, the number of days per month, they are all over the place. It does make it feel somewhat organic, like there must be some historical reason to it...

Nuwmont(January) 31 days

Vatermont(February) 28 days

Thaumont(March) 27 days

Flaurmont(April) 29 days

Yarthmont(May) 31 days

Klarmont(June) 30 days

Felmont(July) 32 days

Fyrmont(August) 29 days

Ambyrmont(September) 31 days

Sviftmont(October) 31 days

Eirmont(November) 29 days

Kaldmont(December) 32 days

Which if you add that all up would be an even 360 days, which could be divided into 12 months of 30 days each(probably why the number 360 was chosen).

And as for the calendar presented in the gazetteers, the month names and weekdays remained the same, just the number of days per month was changed. Each month just got an even 28 days with exactly 4 weeks, ie 1 lunar cycle. Which brings the year to just 336 days, a huge change from what we are used to on earth. A change from 365 to 360, doesn't seem that big a deal, but 365 to 336 is huge, you could fit a whole other month in there(13 months of 28 days each would be 364). 

There are also unique calendars for the minrothad guilds and the shadow elves, both based on the 336 day year. Minrothad has 11 months of 30 days divided into 5 weeks of 6 days each, with a extra week at the end of the year. The Shadow elves have 14 months of 24 days each with no weeks.

The Problem

So that's the state of things, and as far as I've seen most fans use the gaz calendar. Now I've known for a long time the year and length of a day has changed on earth throughout its multi-billion year history, but I was just trying to look it up and I came across this chart.

So basically over the years the day has gotten longer(the earths spin is slowing down) and there are less respective days in each year(though it seems the actual time to orbit the sun remain the same). This has to with tidal forces enacted by the moon on the earth, or something...

What this implies then, is that if we take the view of Mystara as "the Age of Magic" of Earth in the Jurassic (c. 150 mya), the calendar should have more days not less. If we take the 23.5 hour day, 372 day year that would divide evenly into 12 months of 31 days each. Of course the 23.5 hour day makes a difference too. Are the days divided into 24 shorter hours(with fewer minutes)? Do we keep hours exactly the same, but add leap years/days? Maybe the seconds are shorter so keep the same number of seconds and minutes in an hour and still get 24 hour days? Or just ignore that discrepancy? (Yeah, probably that last one)

Solutions

For the B10 calendar; since there are 12 months, and 12 extra days with the longer year we could just add an extra day onto each month of the B10 calendar, keeping the weeks and the moon cycle exactly the same.

Also looking at the minrothad calendar it would be easy to give that a year of 372 days also. Instead of 11 months it consists of 12 months and a 13th month (mitwok) of just 2 weeks, or the 12th month could be a total of 6 weeks (that way we dont have to invent a new name for the 12th month and can just have mitwok be an extra long month)

And the shadow elf calendar could use the same sort of fix. make it 15 months of 24 days with an extra half month of 12 days at the end(of course this means we need more names for the extra months)

I think I've come up with a solution for a gazetteer like calendar for a 372 day year. So the issue is the gaz calendar is based off a lunar month. The lunar cycle is 28 days, and each month is 28 days, so it's basically a lunar calendar. Problem is 372 is not divisible by 28. So if we followed the solar year those extra days would throw the months off of the lunar cycle. So we need to use a lunar calendar and add leap months to make up for that extra time in the solar calendar.

So this is how it would work for any society that is using a lunar calendar in mystara, assuming 372 days in a solar year and a 28 day lunar cycle. A normal lunar year would be 13 months of 28 days, a total of 364 days per year. The calendar would be divided into 7 year cycles, the 3rd year of each cycle would have 14 months(392 days), and the 7th year of each cycle would also have 14 months. So each 7 year cycle would be 2,604 days and would match up with 7 solar years of 372 days each(2,604 days total). Probably some big holiday on the new year day of that 1st year of each cycle. In my campaign I might actually reserve this for Alphatia, or maybe the Jen on skothar, both far off places that my players aren't likely to ever hear of, let alone visit

Final Calendars

Imperial Calendar

this is just the regular calendar from B10 with an extra day added to each month, also i calculated the seasons based off new years being the day after the winter solstice(I find the idea that the solstice is the beginning of a season ridiculous, it literally marks the middle of the year and each season centers around the equinox or solstice)

Month Number	Days(372/year)	Month Name(Empire)	Month Name(Ethengar)	Month Name(Sind)	Month Name(Alphatia)	Month Name(Shires)	Month Name(Rockhome)
1	32	Nuwmont	Amai	Maagh	Nyxmir	Clabbas	Wharlin
2	29	Vatermont	Hiskmai	Phagun	Amphimir	Vuuldiir	Morlin
3	28	Thaumont	Yalmai	Chait	Alphamir	Maehin	Hralin
4	30	Flaurmont	Haimai	Baisaakh	Sulamir	Odelin	Hwyrlin
5	32	Yarthmont	Kevamai	Jeth	Sudmir	Gondulrim	Styrlin
6	31	Klarmont	Seimai	Asaarh	Vertmir	Mithintle	Bahrlin
7	33	Felmont	Lingmai	Sawan	Islamir	Goldaun	Buhrlin
8	30	Fyrmont	Tringmai	Bhadon	Andrumir	Fyrtal	Klintlin
9	32	Ambyrmont	Demai	Asin	Cyprimir	Aumbyr	Birrlin
10	32	Sviftmont	Chagai	Kartik	Hastmir	Ssantiir	Biflin
11	30	Eirmont	Rinpoch	Aghan	Eimir	Tembiir	Jhyrlin
12	33	Kaldmont	Komai	Puus	Burymir	Dauntil	Kuldlin

Weekday Number	Weekdays Name (Empire)	Weekday Name(Ethengar)	Weekday Name(Sind)	Weekday Name(Alphatia)	Weekday Name(Rockhome)
1	Lunadain	Xingqiri	Som-bar	Majhur	Syhardan
2	Gromdain	Xingqiyi	Mangal-bar	Tijhur	Thradan
3	Tserdain	Xingqier	Budh-bar	Wojhur	Evedan
4	Moldain	Xingqisan	Brihaspati-bar	Thajhur	Dorfdan
5	Nytdain	Xingqisi	Sukra-bar	Flajhur	Duldan
6	Loshdain	Xingqiwu	Sanee-bar	Sejhur	Sythdan
7	Soladain	Xingqiliu	Rabi-bar	Lahjur	Fildan

Spring		Summer		Autumn		Winter
Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice	Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice
15 Vatermont	4 Flaurmont	21 Yarthmont	4 Felmont	18 Fyrmont	2 Sviftmont	17 Eirmont	33 Kaldmont

1000 AC Gromdain = 1st day of Year

Lunar Cycle(28 days)

- 4 Nuwmont, Nytdain is Waxing crescent moon

- 14 Nuwmont, Lunadain is first full moon of year

- Lunadain is always either Halfmoon(waxing or waning), Full moon or New moon

- Nytdain is always Crescent moon(waxing or waning)

Minrothad Calendar

just the regular minrothad calendar adjusted as described in the above, giving it an extra month(Hinmun) afterElfmun, and extending Mitwok to a full 12 days

Month Number	Days(372/year)	Month Name(Minroth)	Imperial Equivalent
1	30	Onmun	1 Nuwmont – 30 Nuwmont
2	30	Tomun	31 Nuwmont – 28 Vatermont
3	30	Dreimun	29 Vatermont – 1 Flaurmont
4	30	Firmun	2 Flaurmont – 1 Yarthmont
5	30	Birmun	2 Yarthmont – 31 Yarthmont
6	30	Sagmun	32 Yarthmont – 29 Klarmont
7	30	Sebmun	30 Klarmont – 28 Felmont
8	30	Oxmun	29 Felmont – 25 Fyrmont
9	30	Nomun	26 Fyrmont – 25 Ambyrmont
10	30	Decmun	26 Ambyrmont – 23 Sviftmont
11	30	Elfmun	24 Sviftmont – 21 Eirmont
12	30	Hinmun	22 Eirmont – 21 Kaldmont
13	12	Mitwok	22 Kaldmont – 33 Kaldmont

Weekday Number	Weekdays Name
1	Ontok
2	Totok
3	Dreitok
4	Firtok
5	Birtok
6	Sagtok

Spring		Summer		Autumn		Winter
Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice	Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice
17 Tomun	2 Firmon	20 Birmun	6 Sebmun	23 Oxmun	9 Decmun	26 Elfmun	12 Mitwok

Shadow Elf Calendar

Again this is just the normal shadow elf calendar extended to fit 372 days, so I split the Food and Cleanliness verse into 2 months, and then added an extra 12 day period which I called 'Verses' as a time when they reflect on the verses of the refuge of stone as a whole and on the past year, something to tie everything together

Month Number	Days(372/year)	Month Name	Imperial Equivalent
1	24	The Gathering	1 Nuwmont – 24 Nuwmont
2	24	The Name of the Shadow Elves	25 Nuwmont – 16 Vatermont
3	24	The Refuge of Stone	17 Vatermont – 11 Thaumont
4	24	The Shaman	12 Thaumont – 7 Flaurmont
5	24	The Crystals	8 Flaurmont – 1 Yarthmont
6	24	Birth	2 Yarthmont – 25 Yarthmont
7	24	The Wanderers	26 Yarthmont – 17 Klarmont
8	24	The Temple	18 Klarmont – 10 Felmont
9	24	Food	11 Felmont – 1 Fyrmont
10	24	Cleanliness	2 Fyrmont – 25 Fyrmont
11	24	Days	26 Fyrmont – 19 Ambyrmont
12	24	The Army	20 Ambyrmont – 11 Sviftmont
13	24	The King	12 Sviftmont – 3 Eirmont
14	24	Other Peoples	4 Eirmont – 27 Eirmont
15	24	Promised Bounty	28 Eirmont – 21 Kaldmont
16	12	The Verses	22 Kaldmont – 33 Kaldmont

Spring		Summer		Autumn		Winter
Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice	Begin	Equinox	Begin	Solstice
23 Name	20 Shaman	19 Birth	17 Temple	16 Days	14 King	14 Bounty	12 Verses

Holidays

and then I also adjusted the holidays to match the new calendar, some dates I based off days of the week, some based on the moon cycle, and some on the seasons

Holiday	Day	Month	Length(Days)	Nation
New Years Day	1	1-Nuwmont	1
Good Sprite Day	1	1-Nuwmont	1	Glantri
The Wintergifting	1	1-Nuwmont	1	Shaerdon
Great Rain of Fire	1	1-Nuwmont	1	City of Stars
Day of Weeping	26	1-Nuwmont	1	City of Stars
Winter Festivities	1	2-Vatermont	7	Ethengar
Feast of the Silver Purge	6	2-Vatermont	1	Minrothad
Day of the Golden Khan	7	2-Vatermont	1	Ethengar
The Rebirth	15	2-Vatermont	7	Ierendi
Gnome Caravan leaves High Forge	15	2-Vatermont	1	Karameikos
First day of Spring	15	2-Vatermont	1	Ethengar
Monsters Fair	18	2-Vatermont	1	Glantri
The Drowning	21	2-Vatermont	1	Pearl Islands
Patriarch’s Day	23	2-Vatermont	1	Darokin
Gnome Caravan arrives in Specularum	25	2-Vatermont	1	Karameikos
The Discovery	26	2-Vatermont	1	City of Stars
Festival of Lights	29	2-Vatermont	1	Sind
Beginning of shipping season	4th Nytdain	2-Vatermont	1	Thyatis
Gnome Caravan leaves Specularum	1	3-Thaumont	1	Karameikos
Landfall Day	7	3-Thaumont	1	Alphatia
Spring Break	10	3-Thaumont	7	Glantri
Fall of Aengmor	13	3-Thaumont	1	City of Stars
White Horse Ceremony	15	3-Thaumont	1	Ethengar
Arcanium	25	3-Thaumont	4	Glantri
Day of the Dead	28	3-Thaumont	1	Karameikos
Day of Irresponsibility	28	3-Thaumont	1	Sind
Opening Day	3rd Lunadain	3-Thaumont	1	Alphatia
Day of Adulthood	1	4-Flaurmont	1
New Years Day	1	4-Flaurmont	1	Sind
Parliament Day	3	4-Flaurmont	1	Glantri
Alphatian New Year	4	4-Flaurmont	1	Alphatia
Rockhome New Year	4	4-Flaurmont	1	Rockhome
Merchant Prince Day	5	4-Flaurmont	1	Minrothad
trade caravans leave Rockhome	7	4-Flaurmont	1	Rockhome
First Day of Crystals	8	4-Flaurmont	24	City of Stars
Empress Eriadna’s Birthday	13	4-Flaurmont	1	Alphatia
Day of Blessings	15	4-Flaurmont	1	Ethengar
The Firstflowering	16	4-Flaurmont	1	Shaerdon
Day of Partings	16	4-Flaurmont	1	Ethengar
Parade Day	20	4-Flaurmont	1	Glantri
Thincol’s Birthday	22	4-Flaurmont	1	Thyatis
Rockhome Marriage Arrangements	1st Soladain	4-Flaurmont	14	Rockhome
Masked Ball	3rd Soladain	4-Flaurmont	1	Darokin
Day of Magic	1	5-Yarthmont	1	Alphatia
First Day of Births	2	5-Yarthmont	24	City of Stars
Gondola Games	14	5-Yarthmont	1	Glantri
Minrothad Day	20	5-Yarthmont	1	Minrothad
First Day of Wanderers	26	5-Yarthmont	24	City of Stars
Day of Birth Blessings	1st Full Moon	5-Yarthmont	1	Ethengar
Howling Day	1st Full Moon	5-Yarthmont	1	Alphatia
Grand Patriarch's' Forum	3rd Soladain	5-Yarthmont	1	Rockhome
Freedom Day and Crown Tourney	1	6-Klarmont	1	Ierendi
The Rejection	1	6-Klarmont	1	City of Stars
The Unsheathing	22	6-Klarmont	1	Shaerdon
The Cornerstone	31	6-Klarmont	1	City of Stars
Night of the Red Moon	1st Full Moon	6-Klarmont	1	Glantri
Wedding Day	1st Soladain	6-Klarmont	1	Rockhome
Court of Golden Khan arrives at Chagon-nah	3rd Lunadain	6-Klarmont	1	Ethengar
Days of the Hoof	3rd Lunadain	6-Klarmont	7	Thyatis
Beast's Day	1	7-Felmont	1	Karameikos
The Thing	1	7-Felmont	7	Heldann
Highsummer	4	7-Felmont	14	Shaerdon
The Gathering	4	7-Felmont	1	Ethengar
Day of the Straw Men	4	7-Felmont	1	Karameikos
All's Reckless Day	13	7-Felmont	1	Minrothad
Feria de Toros	14	7-Felmont	1	Glantri
Day of Valerias	15	7-Felmont	1	Thyatis
Day of the Battle of Sardal Pass	16	7-Felmont	1	Rockhome
Feast of the Snakes	17	7-Felmont	1	Sind
Beggars Hope	25	7-Felmont	1	Glantri
2nd Return	26	7-Felmont	1	City of Stars
Doggerel Days	3rd Lunadain	7-Felmont	1	Alphatia
Night of Fire	Night before 1st New Moon	7-Felmont	1	Karameikos
Day of Heroes	1	8-Fyrmont	1	Shaerdon
Darokin Day	13	8-Fyrmont	1	Darokin
Vyonese Carnival	15	8-Fyrmont	1	Glantri
First Day of Riding	18	8-Fyrmont	1	Ethengar
The Great Horse Fair	24	8-Fyrmont	7	Ethengar
The Calming of the Seas	26	8-Fyrmont	5	Sind
Showing Day	3	9-Ambyrmont	1	Rockhome
Bask Day	6	9-Ambyrmont	1	Minrothad
1st Return	14	9-Ambyrmont	1	City of Stars
Mustering Day	20	9-Ambyrmont	1	City of Stars
Fire Night	1st Waning Crescent Moon	9-Ambyrmont	1	Glantri
Court of Golden Khan at Xantha	1	10-Sviftmont	1	Ethengar
Celebration of the Sea	2	10-Sviftmont	2	Ierendi
The Fast and the Feast	2	10-Sviftmont	12	Shaerdon
Ancestor’s Day	2	10-Sviftmont	1	Alphatia
Birth of Dandin	3	10-Sviftmont	1	Sind
Best Wishes of Krondahar	6	10-Sviftmont	1	Glantri
Ethengar New Year	6	10-Sviftmont	1	Ethengar
Vanya's Day	8	10-Sviftmont	1	Thyatis
Birthday of Tarasfir	12	10-Sviftmont	1	City of Stars
Raising of the Walls	14	10-Sviftmont	1	Glantri
Day of Counting	23	10-Sviftmont	1	Ethengar
Day of Naming and Welcoming	24	10-Sviftmont	1	Ethengar
Birthday of Telemon	24	10-Sviftmont	1	City of Stars
Duke’s Birthday	28	10-Sviftmont	1	Karameikos
Wine Festivals	2nd Lunadain	10-Sviftmont	8	Alphatia
Wine Festivals	2nd to last Lunadain	10-Sviftmont	8	Alphatia
Cretia's Day	1	11-Eirmont	1	Ethengar
Necromantia	5	11-Eirmont	1	Glantri
Glantrian Ice Games	17	11-Eirmont	2	Glantri
The Reaping	16	11-Eirmont	1	Shaerdon
Resolution Day	16	11-Eirmont	1	Sind
Outbreak Day	18	11-Eirmont	1	City of Stars
Day of Shame	25	11-Eirmont	1	City of Stars
The Night of Spirits	1st Full Moon	11-Eirmont	1	Ethengar
Harvest Day	1st Loshdain	11-Eirmont	1	Darokin
Caravan Day	3rd Lunadain	11-Eirmont	1	Rockhome
Protius’ Day	3rd Nytdain	11-Eirmont	1	Thyatis
Days of Right	31	12-Kaldmont	3	Ierendi
Animal Day	2	12-Kaldmont	1	Sind
Year’s End Feast	21	12-Kaldmont	1	City of Stars
Midwinter Festival	27	12-Kaldmont	7	Minrothad
Alexander Day	27	12-Kaldmont	1	Glantri
Day of Law	32	12-Kaldmont	1	Ethengar
Bells of Fate	33	12-Kaldmont	1	Glantri
Farewell to the Sun	33	12-Kaldmont	1
Hiding from Year’s End	33	12-Kaldmont	1	Heldann
Boldavian Procession	1st Full Moon	12-Kaldmont	1	Glantri
Footman's Games	3rd Lunadain	12-Kaldmont	7	Thyatis
Closing Day	3rd Lunadain	12-Kaldmont	1	Alphatia
Golden Khan's court at Bargda is blessed	3rd Lunadain	12-Kaldmont	1	Ethengar
Lesser Patriarch's Forum	3rd Soladain	Every Month	1	Rockhome

The Known World: The Skandaharians part 3

Continuing from the last post, here is the Skandaharian language tree as it developed after the GRoF.  

The Vanitar

The Vanitar tribe(equivalent to East Germanic) was the first to leave the ancient home of the Skandaharians, travelling west over the mountains to a lush forest in a great basin surrounded on three sides by mountains(modern Wendar). Over the next few centuries the Vanitar prospered and grew in population, leading to further migrations outside of the great basin to the north and the west. After more than five centuries of isolation, a group of ragged and weary elves arrived in the forest of the Vanitar; the elves were fed, welcomed and given a new home among the human tribes. This welcome was short-lived however as humans have short memories. Just one hundred and fifty years after the elves arrived, the Vanitar had vanished from the forest. Elven records of this time are sparse, yet most non elven scholars agree that a conflict of some sort arose between the elves and the humans, and the elves won out. Since this time the valley and and forest have become known as the Genalleth Valley after the elves who occupy it. 

The Renatic

Some few Vanitar survived in the regions north of the Genalleth valley bordering the northern wildlands for the next few centuries. Eventually the elves expanded northward into these areas; the elves avoided the local Vanitar descended humans who viewed the elves as powerful spirits who had to be placated to avoid their wrath. After 200 years of elven settlement a new kingdom, Forenath, was established in the north. Forenath was a rare example of humans and elves living in a harmonious society together; over time the language of the humans took on elements of the elven tongue. This language spoken by the people of Forenath was known as Renatic(equivalent to Burgundian). Unfortunately Forenath was doomed; a plague struck the Renatic humans of Forenath, and the elves either refused or could not help the sick. This led to tensions rising between the elves and humans once again; human mobs attacked isolated elves, and elves struck back at the humans. The population of Forenath was decimated by the divisions and strife; only a quarter of the human population survived the plague and war in small scattered villages, and most elves fled back to the safety of the Valley of Genalleth with a few remaining in hiding in secluded foresthomes. During the civil war a few groups of elves and humans in a desire to maintain the unity of their two people fled north to the Parthenal hills and their descendants live there to this day, over the centuries the Old Renatic tongue took on more and more aspects of the elven tongue so that the modern Parthenal language is for all practical purposes an elven tongue. 

The fall of the Kingdom of Forenath left the region open to invasion from goblinoid hordes from the mountains and for the next two centuries the ancient realm of Forenath and the northern borders of the Genalleth elves were ravaged by Goblinoid raids. This period of chaos came to an end when the Genalleth elves allied themselves with the Thang Republic. The Thang legions quickly drove the goblinoids back, proving their worth to the elves. Beldareth, an elf lord who had worked closely with the Thang, led a joint venture between the Genalleth elves and the Thang humans to found a new city, Nimbeth, on the northern border of the elven realm. Nimbeth paved the way for elven settlement in the north again. The remaining Renatic humans began to prosper under the rule of Nimbeth and their culture was influenced by the Thang garrisons. The language spoken after the founding of Nimbeth is generally referred to as Neo-Renatic, as opposed to the Old Renatic of Forenath. 

The first cracks in the alliance between the humans and the elves showed when a group of elves from Nimbeth violently dispersed a group of Renatic humans in order to found a new city, Thalion. These humans retreated to the nearby Moors of Chlyras, where frogfolk lived. The next generation of humans who had fled to the moors, known as the Moor-Men,  attacked the elves of Nimbeth and after several years of hunting the Moor-Men, the elves exiled them to the northern wildlands. When these Moor-Men, now calling themselves Murrians, emerged over a century later and with the help of the local Renatic population conducted a series of hit and run attacks against the elves of Thalion, the elves retaliated against all humans, Murrian, Renatic, and Thang alike. The elves of Thalion committed a great slaughter and enslaved any survivors; this great betrayal by the elves cut off the Thang from their northern territories dealing a great blow to the Empire of Thanegioth. What followed were 30 years of Murrian attacks and elven reprisals against the local populace until the elves were finally able to defeat the Murrians in an open battle and drive them back north. To this day the Murrians speak a debased form of Neo-Renatic. 

Over the centuries, many Murrians migrated further north and comingled with the nonhuman denizens of the Swamp of the Beast. Around AC 200 a man of Murrian descent by the name of Maggoroth emerged from the swamp with a horde of warriors behind him both human and non human, and he was able to establish a kingdom over the surrounding lands which survived for nearly three centuries before losing its grip on the subjugated people. The people of the swamp came to call themselves and their language Meggaran, after their legendary leader.

The Hag

While most of the Vanitar settled in the Wendarian basin, the Hag tribe(equivalent to the Vandals) continued the journey into the inhospitable north. For a time they settled on the plains northwest of the Blackridge Mountains on the border of the the swamp of the beast. Many centuries later, when the ice and snow retreated north, many of the Hag made the trek further north in search of new lands while some stayed in the home they had always known. Those that stayed in sight of the Blackridge Mountains have maintained their isolation and independence from outside influence for these long centuries and are known today as the Hagomerian tribes. The Hagomerian language and lifestyle have been maintained by tradition and are likely the closest in relation to the ancient Vanitar.

Those that continued the journey north, calling themselves the Rohag, settled first in the Llacenvale and Clearwater valleys and after some centuries expanded into the region today known as the Hill and the Dale. The Rohag were isolated for many centuries until elves fleeing the wars in Forenath settled in the Parthenal hills. The elves had little contact with the native humans and the two groups coexisted with little conflict. It wasn't until the 5th century BC that this equilibrium was disrupted; the Thang Legions marched north and crushed any resistance, demanding tribute and military service of young men to aid in their wars against the Adri-Varma. The Thang never had a strong grip on the region and individual tribes were still ruled by their own kings and chieftains; as long as the tribe provided enough soldiers to serve the empire they were left to govern themselves. Over the next century and a half of foreign rule, the Rohag traditional beliefs and language were heavily influenced by the Thang; even after their departure from the region the language spoken after the Thang conquest is now referred to as Neo-Roag. After the betrayal of the Elves of Thalion, the Thang legion that was stationed in the north lost control of the local tribes and were banished to the mountains east of the Clearwater, after wandering through a harsh winter what was left of the legion was rescued by an Alfish tribe, leading to the brief glory of the Kingdom of Alinor.

The latest chapter in the story of the Roag occurred approximately three centuries ago with the rise of the Essurian Empire. Many the eastern Roag were dominated by the Essurians leading to a split among the Roags. The High Roag are those of the east and southern 'civilized' kingdoms left behind after the collapse of the Essurians. The Low Roag are the more northern tribes, some of whom have consolidated under the leadership of a king while others have remained organized in small free tribes.

The Vanar

While some Vanitar journeyed north and some stayed behind to settle in the Genalleth valley, another larger group of Vanitar traveled east. They found a land of expansive plains and dense forests already populated by various tribes speaking many languages(the ancestors of the modern Ethesti and Ethengar). The Vanitar quickly dispersed and settled in small groups, often conflicting with the natives and driving them out. The dispersed tribes began to call themselves the Vanar(equivalent to the Goths). 

After half a millennia a new test arose for the Vanar tribes. On the banks of the Yalu Sea in the east, also known as The Cradle, a new religion was quickly growing and gaining followers. This was the Temple of Law; they purported to worship a benevolent creator god above all other gods whose Law was the only law worthy of following. This new god was known by many names, but is mostly commonly recognized as 'He Who Watches.' One Kargan, a leader among the western Vanar tribes converted to this new faith and was the first king of the Kingdom of Law. From this time, the Vanar of the west under the kingdom of Law became known as Karganites, speaking what is now called Old Kargan(equivalent to the Gruethingi Goths), and the the Vanar of the east became known as the Vandar, speaking Vandaric(equivalent to the Thervingi Goths). The Vandar remained free and maintained the traditions of their forefathers having no single ruler, simply a collection of tribes. 

The Kingdom of Law prospered for three centuries until it fell to its enemies under the sway of the Temple of Chaos to the south who had allied themselves with the Borean goblinoids of the north. The Karganites that were not put to the sword were captured and enslaved and had to practice their faith in secret among the enemy. Some few Karganites fled in all directions taking their faith with them, and in the process spreading it to new lands; this diaspora of Karganites(speaking an equivalent of Yiddish) continues to wander foreign lands to this day, being welcomed in some places and shunned in others. In the remnants of the old Thang Empire the Karganite faith has taken root to the point of creating a new Holy Empire devoted to spreading the faith.

More than two centuries after the fall of the Kingdom of Law, the Temple of Chaos was toppled by nomads from the Great Waste to the south. These nomads, the Adri-Varma, established a new empire ruled by Magi upon the Great Plateau, and began their reign by freeing the enslaved people of the Temple of Chaos. The Karganites returned to their homeland to find it overrun by goblinoids; a great warrior chief, Galan, drove out the goblins and founded the new city of Galandar atop the ruins of their capitol. Over the next few centuries the freed Karganites spread across the land once again, setting up many petty kingdoms. The Karganites remained apart from their cousins, the Vandar to the east, separated by their beliefs and way of life; to the Karganites, the Vandar tribes were considered barbaric uncivilized people. The city of Galandar prospered and rose to such prominence that the Karganites began to call themselves the Galanese(equivalent to the Visigoths). 

Eventually a new power arose in the east; the Thang empire after defeating their great foe, the Nithians, in the east turned their sights westward and found there an enemy in the Adri-Varma. The Thang quickly dominated all the disparate tribes of the north who stood before them. Rather than resist, the city of Galandar welcomed the Thang and with the the help of their legions conquered their neighbors. The Kingdom of Galannor was the greatest ally of the Thang Empire in the north for two centuries and was greatly influenced by them culturally and linguistically during that time, and retained many aspects of the empire after it retreated from the north. Galannor modeled its government after the empire dividing the kingdom into duchies, and even adopted the alphabet and writing system of the Thang. The syncretized language that resulted from this has come to be called Royal Galanese. 

The Vandar tribes in the east were unable to resist the Thang and fell under their sway and were used as mercenaries by the Thang in their many wars. Many tribes on the border between the Adri-Varma and the Thang empires switched loyalties many times over the generations. During this time of competition between the two great empires the Vandar tribes began calling them selves the Rundar and their language Rundaric(equivalent to the Ostrogoths). After the Thang Empire retreated from the north the Rundar tribes fell under the say of the Adri Varma.

The great migrations which toppled the Thang empire and turned the Adri Varma Plateau into a wasteland also decimated the Kingdom of Galannor and the Rundar tribes. The Rundar were all but wiped out with the desolation of the Adri-Varma and now only a small remnant survives in the eastern borderlands; they speak a variant dialect known as Rutharic (equivalent to Crimean Gothic), and are comprised of only two major tribes, the Hangall and the Hargan. The Kingdom of Galannor fared little better; Galannor itself maintains only a rump of its former territory, simply the hinterland of Galandar itself. Seven independent duchies and a few baronies dependent on the duchies survive in the former territories of the kingdom. The Kingdom of Galannor maintains Royal Galanese as the official language of state, but many of the common folk speak debased forms of the language, so there are now three main dialects of Royal Galanese referred to as High Galanese, Middle Galanese, and Low Galanese, spoken by the nobility, the burghers, and the commoners respectively. Since the separation from the Kingdom of Galannor, the surviving duchies have taken to calling themselves Karganites, after their ancestors, and their language Ducal Karganite; though in truth their language is nearly indistinguishable from that spoken in the Kingdom of Galannor. These four varieties of Royal Galanese are so similar they could more accurately be described as accents than separate dialects. Together the Kingdom of Galannor, the Duchies, and several Karganite tribes form the Council of Law in an effort to maintain some unity among a common people. After a hundred-years war between the Council of Law and Hule to the south, several Karganite tribes became isolated from Galannor and the Duchies; these tribes, whose dialect is commonly referred to as Outer Karganite,  have reverted to amore primitive lifestyle and belief system.

D&D Story 15: Castle Mistamere

 The audio recording of this interview can be found here I have since talked with my dad again about this adventure recently because i was goin over his old maps of level 3 and 4. I wont reveal all the details here, but basically there was numbering discrepancy and my dad had drawn 2 different version of level 3 and also a mirror image version of level 2 and there were some teleporting dimensional shenanigans involved. And also at one point I drew my own version of level 3 and 4 with bargles final lair and a red dragon. I may up load all these maps at some point in a future post or I may not . .  .

Lance Duncan

OK. We're finishing up the last few modules/adventures. We're going back to the basic rule book from 1983. The DMS guide with Castle Mistamere. The sample, your first game adventure. In the very beginning of the book, we're starting at page 4, right before the adventure, there is a pregame checklist. Did you use that checklist?

Bruce Duncan

Sometimes.

Lance Duncan

It has. It tells you to go through the solo adventure, have all the players do the solo adventure.

Bruce Duncan

Which I did not always do.

Lance Duncan

And have you read the book up to this point? Have you Looked through the rest of the booklet?

Bruce Duncan

Oh yeah, always.

Lance Duncan

What else is on there? Oh, did you give the players the basic background of the adventure.

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

The who, Why, What, where, When

Bruce Duncan

Right, I did. Yes. Always.

Lance Duncan

And then it tells you to set up the, Make sure the characters are ready to go with their equipment, and then choose a caller and a mapper. Before doing this, did you set all that up?

Bruce Duncan

I tried to set a caller and a mapper, but generally speaking, when we were doing this, was when you guys were very young. And so Cassie got nominated for both. Most of the time she did pretty good, but in the later years when we come back to this several times with other people, she wanted them to do it rather than her. And they were never as good as she was, for either.

Lance Duncan

Right. Yeah, I know later we didn't really . . . Cassie did do a lot of the mapping early on. I still have some of them. But yeah, we didn't really do a caller later. As far as I remember. Did you keep an adventure record sheet? Cuz It talks about having an adventure record sheet. Like characters and . . . and anything else.

Bruce Duncan

I did not I, at that time, I was still technically learning how to be a good dungeon master as opposed to what I had been before, and because it was my children I figured, nah, no one’s gonna want to keep the record of this, you guys aren't gonna want to know and all that stuff so I didn't.

Lance Duncan

OK, into the actual adventure. The adventure background. As players did we learn about Gygar, King Gygar, the one who built the castle?

Bruce Duncan

A couple of times I went over brief information about him, But basically, That it was a powerful guy that died years ago.

Lance Duncan

We didn’t never try to find out about him.

Bruce Duncan

One time when you had other people with you, yes you did. But it didn't go very far. Because the information was old and As such, you guys, It wasn't pertaining to anything you did because anything he had was already looted, Mostly. Any loot that would be in there would be from adventurers going in and then getting killed.

Lance Duncan

Right. Did you ever have, like a developed background about him? Some idea?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. I had one, but like I said, we weren't really interested in it at that time. What I had developed was that He was trying to settle the area and he had a friend Who was a Magic-user who thought that he was doing too much and eventually he just left.

Lance Duncan

Well, I think Gygar is supposed to be a magic-user. Yeah, he's “a magic-user named Gygar”.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, but I have the other guy as the Magic-user.

Lance Duncan

Oh OK.

Bruce Duncan

This guy was just a kightish type person who wanted his own kingdom.

Lance Duncan

Right. Or are you mixing this up with B1. Robilar and whats his name.

Bruce Duncan

I am.

Lance Duncan

Or was it Robilar?

Bruce Duncan

Yes, I know what you're talking about, but yes I am mixing the two up.

Lance Duncan

LOL . . . we already talked about That adventure

Bruce Duncan

 we did.

Lance Duncan

No, this is. This is king gygar, it says he had a long and peaceful rule, never named his successor, and so eventually the castle Fell into ruin.

Bruce Duncan

No. Then I never gave you guys background.

Lance Duncan

You know, you know you never came up with something in the back of your head or . . .

Bruce Duncan

No, no. Basically what you said is what I said.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, cause it's just right there, It's like one paragraph and that's it. Did you ever connect the name Gygar to Gary Gygax?

Bruce Duncan

No.

Lance Duncan

Have you up to this point?

Bruce Duncan

Now that you mention it Yes. But I never, I never made that connection.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, it's Frank Mentzers ode to gary gygax. “Gare-Guy” just switched the order, the first syllable of each name. You never connected that.

Bruce Duncan

No, I never did. I can tell you just . . .

Lance Duncan

Oh, So it's so obvious. But you got to know Gary Gygax  is DnD.

Bruce Duncan

Yes

Lance Duncan

He is, He is in the credits here.

Bruce Duncan

Yes, he is, but that, That's a little bit farther stretch than I went with. Yeah, I didn't pay that much attention To it.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, there's a lot of other things like that, like Gary Gygax name gets twisted around So much in these modules.

Bruce Duncan

I’ll bet.

Lance Duncan

Oh, and then it says we meet at the Gold Dragon Inn.

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

So I don't think we mentioned. I don't think we ever went over this. So was the gold dragon inn in luln or threshold because You did have this Adventure next to luln, but Did you Have, did You specifically have the gold Dragon inn in luln

Bruce Duncan

I had the Gold dragon inn in luln, among a few other places that are noted in that module. I had all my adventures start in luln.

Lance Duncan

Yeah at first. Yeah, after a while we started doing threshold, but.

Bruce Duncan

Right. No, no, no. One started in threshold.

Lance Duncan

No, We had a couple players in threshold BCS.

Bruce Duncan

I don't remember them. The ones I remember are down in The city with an “S.”

Lance Duncan

Specularum

Bruce Duncan

Yeah

Lance Duncan

“Spectrolum” LOL . . . maybe I should change the name to Spectrolum, just to make fun of it

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. Yes, good idea.

Lance Duncan

But Specularum has, What was it? Greek roots? No Specularum is roman. it's karameikos that’s Greek . . .

Lance Duncan

We were talking about The name of Specularum.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. So Karameikos is literally. You change an A to an E somewhere in there. I forget where, but it's literally a pottery district outside of Athens, in the suburbs of Athens.

Bruce Duncan

Cool.

Lance Duncan

There's some interesting history behind it. But Specularum Is a Latin word. Comes from the same root Where we get spectacles, for glasses

Bruce Duncan

Oh really?

Lance Duncan

Yeah. So it's Specularum, depending on what translation you go with, can mean watchtower

Bruce Duncan

That would be a good name for it at that location.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, exactly. But it would be a funny  to change that to spectrolum because you always mispronounce it.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, that would be fun.

Lance Duncan

As far as names of other places Luln, I could never find, I've never been able to find anything. Never seen anything on the Internet of where the word Luln comes from. It May have just been made-up.

Bruce Duncan

I remember reading An adventure somewhere and it started in the town of Luln and I thought that would be a good name for an adventurers town.

Lance Duncan

I don't think any official adventure starts in luln

Bruce Duncan

What was the name of the town where the elf?

Lance Duncan

I know I’m saying it wrong too.

Bruce Duncan

Where, where the elf and the Sword of truth?

Lance Duncan

That's farstead.

Bruce Duncan

farstead OK. No, but there was an adventure that started in the town of Luln and I just don't remember What adventure it was.

Lance Duncan

I'd have to go through, it might be in one of the Dragon Adventures or dungeon. I don't think there is because I, I don't know. And I know I'm pronouncing it wrong. It's supposed to be like “luuuln” or something because it's L U L N.

Bruce Duncan

Now that might be. right

Lance Duncan

And I just say “luhn” because it's.

Bruce Duncan

Because it's what you were brought up with.

Lance Duncan

Well, I don't think you ever. I don't remember how you used to say it.

Bruce Duncan

I always called it “luhn”.

Lance Duncan

Did you?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, you know, me and pronunciations and spellings and.

Lance Duncan

Well, yeah, well, well, also I see L U L N. I’m Like how am I supposed to pronounce that?  I'm just going to say “luhn”.

Bruce Duncan

You darn American.

Lance Duncan

Yeah I'm american I can say whatever. So gold Dragon inn is in luln and I can use that, I can make that another company for the adventuring Guild. so it’d be the Gold Dragon Company . . .

Bruce Duncan

Well, The thing is, in luln, the people there don't know about . . .

Lance Duncan

Well, when I'm running that adventure, there 'd be the Gold Dragon Company centered in Luln. The Green ale Company Central in the Imperial City.

Bruce Duncan

OK. Right.

Lance Duncan

And the shady dragon, cause there's a shady dragon inn, in threshold.

Bruce Duncan

OK, yeah.

Lance Duncan

And as far as other places, I haven't decided yet. But that gives me a minimum of three. I need more.

Bruce Duncan

The drunk dragon is this in Dragon City.

Lance Duncan

Well, no, they all, so they all have a base in the Dragon City, but they also have a main base of operations in a specific city. They Each have a claim to a city and it's environs. So Luln, threshold, the imperial city, Specularum, Ylaruam . . .

Bruce Duncan

OK. Yeah.

Lance Duncan

I just don't have names for some of these other places and I have To figure out which places have places, you know.

Bruce Duncan

OK.

Lance Duncan

Like I haven't decided if they’ve gone out to Glantri yet or not.

Bruce Duncan

No, I don't think so.

Lance Duncan

Well, this is in the future

Bruce Duncan

Yeah But nothing in what I did.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, but this gives me a name for the one in Luln. And a reason to have one in luln. OK, on to the adventure on page five. The carrion crawler. I know we kind of talked about this in other times, We mentioned this, but just Going over it.  Were we always surprised by the carrying crawler?

Bruce Duncan

There was one time you guys weren't. The surprise check came out that you were not surprised and so the way I narrated that up was. You guys could see that there was a hole underneath the door. And one of you was suspicious of a hole underneath a door that's laying on The ground. And so you had someone go up and check. Tap on the door and around the hole, but the rest of you were at ready with all your weapons. And there was enough damage that he didn't get to do anything other than show His face.

Lance Duncan

Right. Anyway, Did we, when we encountered the carrion crawler, did we usually kill it or put it to sleep? because it mentions that we can use a sleep spell to defeat it. ever did. Of us ever die from the carrion crawler.

Bruce Duncan
No one ever thought of the sleep spell, ever
Lance Duncan

Did any Of us ever die from the carrion crawler?

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

Because it's got eight attacks a round, Paralyzes you, And then just eats you.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. Someone did die once. Luckily, it was a npc that went along with you guys.

Lance Duncan

Yeah.

Bruce Duncan

So no big loss.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, I killed a whole party at least once with The carrying crawler.

Bruce Duncan

A whole party with just one carrion crawler!

Lance Duncan

Yeah. It's got 8 attacks a round, dad!

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. Generally speaking, it goes after one at A time, though.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. And other times I was nicer and I had it, once The first person was down it started eating that one person and ignoring everyone else.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, that's normally how a carrion crawler would work.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, it depends how experienced the players are.

Bruce Duncan

That too, yeah.

Lance Duncan

you know, the, I had already run these players, they were still first Or second level. I think they might have all been second or third level, I don't know, but, so I was like, well, this isn't your first adventure, so. Here's what, the carrion crawler kills you off. You know, paralyzed, paralyzed, paralyzed . . .

Bruce Duncan

Ohh, you're worse than, you're worse As far as killing people than I was as far as giving things away.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, yeah, it depends who I'm playing with.

Bruce Duncan

Ohh! Prejudiced, I see

Lance Duncan

Yeah, I mean It's not like it was smart or anything, its Just like, you know, someones hitting me, I’m gonna hit them back. You know?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, yeah.

Lance Duncan

You know, I mean, if they had left it alone, they would’a just eatin’ the one person that Was left there,

Bruce Duncan

which is what I Normally have it do

Lance Duncan

you know if everyone else runs away. Then it's, You know, it's got its meal, It's not going to chase you. But you know, if you keep attacking it, what do you expect? You know. And how can you compete with eight attacks a round? LOL

Bruce Duncan

Send one dummy in to check it out and the rest of you are armed.

Lance Duncan

Again, you've got to be smart for that

Bruce Duncan

No, you gotta make your surprise check.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, OK. So did the party usually try to go through the main gate that was Shut, or tried to go through the hole in the wall off To the side?

Bruce Duncan

most of the time you guys went through the main gate, or tried to. But as always, the main gate.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, the kobolds are supposed to be holding it shut. But like, did we try, and then not do that.

Bruce Duncan

Well, a couple of times you guys tried to bash through the kobolds and were able to. But in doing so, the kobolds back aways were Able to start, They had their first shot at you guys. But only a couple of times Did you guys actually make the effort to go check out the holes along the wall before you went inside

Lance Duncan

Yeah. Then there's the peep hole too, where we can look through before we go through the big giant hole.

Bruce Duncan

Right.

Lance Duncan

Oh, and did you have, while we were discussing how to get in, did you have time pass? Like it says if, Oh yeah, it says, One minute of talking equals one round.

Bruce Duncan

Right, I did have that.

Lance Duncan

Did you sit to that strictly, or just in general?

Bruce Duncan

Just in general

Lance Duncan

OK. Cause that's an interesting way to interpret it. If people are making plans, you go OK, its Been a minute, Well, now it's been a round of combat.

Bruce Duncan

Right

Lance Duncan

Yeah, if you stick to that in game rules specifically, that'd be interesting.

Bruce Duncan

 After you kids were More experienced in how to play the game, If I felt you were taking too much time talking with each other, that's how I played it. This one, We never played it with everybody being of a Experienced level. There was always someone that was not experienced in the Game.

Lance Duncan

Really?

Bruce Duncan

Yep

Lance Duncan

because I know we did this several times, more than probably anything else.

Bruce Duncan

Yes, You did. And that's why I kept introducing new stuff in it. Like dust bunnies and other things of that nature.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. So when we got through the hole or the gate, was anyone ever killed by the kobolds?

Bruce Duncan
No.

Lance Duncan
I've had people killed by the kobolds. Not, not . . .

Bruce Duncan
the kobolds!?!

Lance Duncan
Yeah, usually only one person. It's really the carrion crawler thats the deadly thing.

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

But yeah.

Bruce Duncan

Kobolds?

Lance Duncan

Yeah exactly. The kobold are,

Bruce Duncan
theyre lame

Bruce Duncan

 They're pathetic. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, usually I wouldn't even roll hit points for the kobolds. I mean, well, I think it has the hit points listed here, but other times when I have people encounter kobolds I usually Don't roll hit points. Did we ever capture one of the Kobolds?

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

 OK. So it goes through a little scenario of if we let him go to show us where he is, he'll run off and run into the castle.

Bruce Duncan

Actually you scared most of them most of The time back into the castle, only once did you get one, and that was when you guys had scouted around And tried to see where everything was, and rather than go through the big hole, you guys threw a grappling hook up on this on this edge at this corner

Lance Duncan

We went over the wall. The right corner

Bruce Duncan

On this edge, and were able to come along the wall And shoot down At everybody, and one survived. Just one. And you guys interrogated him before you dispatched him.

Lance Duncan

OK. Yeah, cause, if we're careful. He's supposed to lead us to some treasure. His little treasure spot

Bruce Duncan

He said he was gonna lead you to treasure, and when he led you there, the treasure was booby trapped. That's how I did it different.

Lance Duncan

And then at the end of the, because you know at the beginning, it's like a step by step thing like a choose your own adventure, and then it says, after they go through once then you can have them go back and do the scenarios

Bruce Duncan

Right, right. Yeah

Lance Duncan

Did you do that for each group?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, kind of sorta.

Lance Duncan

or did you just explain what could Have happened?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, I explained What would happened if you'd have done this. But that was Like you guys first couple of times through this. Each time having a Different person that had never played before. So I explained if you'd have done it this way, this Could have happened. that kind of thing.

Lance Duncan

Okay. So on page nine, which room was this? I Think it's this one?

Bruce Duncan

The bedroom?

Lance Duncan

Yeah, Well, there's two bedrooms. The number’s 25. Yeah. So this, the first bedroom room, room 25. You have to make a save or Else you go to sleep on the bed.

Bruce Duncan

Right.

Lance Duncan

Did anyone ever fall prey to that?

Bruce Duncan

Yep.

Lance Duncan

And then in room twenty six, you can wake up on the other bed.

Bruce Duncan

Right. But then I had.

Lance Duncan

And also I remember there were dust bunnies in some of Those bedrooms.

Bruce Duncan

Right, depending on how you guys were playing, that would determine which bed had the dust bunnies,

Lance Duncan

Right. Well, it has. I think it's this one. Yeah, if you. If if you're tickled on the bed, the bed will magically sneeze and it causes the mold to fly into the air And I think that's where you have dust bunnies.

Bruce Duncan

Yes. The thing is, with the dust bunnies. As long as you did not disturb them They were not a threat. and Spraying water or liquid on them Only slowed them down, But if that liquid was flammable. good news. As long as you weren't in the room when they were. Because once you start a dust Bunny on fire, they begin to run all over the place, leaving burning bits all over the place.

Lance Duncan

Right. I think I'm going to skip the harpy room or the dining hall for now, because that's something you're not supposed to do until your second level.

Bruce Duncan

OK. Right

Lance Duncan

So, Which room was it? Let me look at the map. So 27 is dining  hall, so 31 would be the Trap room. Yeah. So the trap room, there's a . . .

Bruce Duncan

Which one? I need to see the map . . . Oh yeah.

Lance Duncan

So there's a log Tied on a rope and pulley system above a treasure chest, which the kobolds haven't disturbed cuz they're afraid that they're gonna you know, open the treasure chest and get hurt. but it's a fake trap, The trap isn’t actually hooked to the treasure chest at all.

Bruce Duncan

Actually, I had it hooked to the treasure chest. But you guys were so Alert that you could see how the trap worked. And anybody with half a brain could disarm it.

Lance Duncan

Right, right. Yeah.

Bruce Duncan

Sometimes though, when I had you doing that, I had it stuck. And you guys think it was safe and you go closer and then it unstuck.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, because how its Set up. There's a large log in the center of the room. One end is on the floor, but the other end is held up by a strong rope which runs through Hooks in the ceiling going to the floor tied to the chest, So the rope is tied to the chest, which is on the floor directly below the upraisedlog, If the rope is cut, the Log falls smashing the chest and scattering the contents. But the lid of the chest is not held by the rope and it can be opened. So as long as you leave the rope alone, you can open it and the kobolds see the log and the rope and they just stay away from it. But a smart adventurer,  you can do like, “um What?”

Bruce Duncan

Exactly! But . . .

Lance Duncan

Yeah. But you had it actually connected to it.

Bruce Duncan

No, I had it connected as this says.

Lance Duncan

Oh, OK.

Bruce Duncan

And you guys, you know, it might be an old rope, It might give way at any minute. and You guys would try and go up and disarm it so that no matter what you’d Safe, but sometimes I’d play a little trick on you and it was fun.

Lance Duncan

Right. Yeah. And it's only like five hundred. it's not even any gold.

Bruce Duncan

No, it's not.

Lance Duncan

Then. There is fifty gold,  five hundred silver, fifty gold and a gem.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, but The gem is what you guys were after.

Lance Duncan

Yeah,  it must be apretty small chest. That's got to be like. Maybe less than a foot wide to each side.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. what I used to call a Pound chest.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Realistically Treasure chests aren't ever that big. I mean to hold realistic coins.

Bruce Duncan

No, I would, in modern day I would call it a jewelry chest.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, exactly.

Bruce Duncan

And it's not a chest, it's Jewelry Box.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, yeah. So the statue room 32. where is that on the map? . . . The one with the statue.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, into the dining room.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. So 32 . . . Has the statue that spins and will hit you. did anyone fall prey to that?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, usually. The thing is Once you saw it spinning the once, you were pretty much aware of it and all You have to do is duck LOL

Lance Duncan

Yeah. Just stay away from it. And then there's Zombies. So there's two rooms of zombies, 35 and 34. I remember, I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure it was this dungeon, but I'm not quite sure. I remember a situation where there were zombies chasing us and we couldn't get them to stop, like we cut off their arms and their arms would still chase us. And so like, we like barricaded the door and the zombies were pounding on the door and stuff. And we were scared because these were the type of zombies that have the maggots and stuff, right? Which I'm going to ask more about later, but. Like was this this dungeon? You remember that situation?

Bruce Duncan

On one of your times through. Yes, most of the times through, No, they weren't Those type of zombies.

Lance Duncan

Because I remember, I was pretty sure it was this one that I remember that specific situation. where it was like we were running through different rooms trying, because we were faster than the zombies, but they wouldn't stop, no matter what we put in Their way. Like eventually it would get through the door too.

Bruce Duncan

That might have been our last adventure in here. Which is why you might have remembered it. And. I also remember in that adventure you guys knew about the kobolds in the watch room, down the stairs, and you were able to adjust your running so that the zombies then saw the kobolds.

Lance Duncan

Right. Well, maybe that was it.

Bruce Duncan

And that's how you got away from them.

Lance Duncan

Well, cause your special zombie, with the bugs and maggots and all that. Like We didn't want to get up close because then we'd get infected,  Arrows didn't really do anything because arrows to a dead body, really.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah.

Lance Duncan

You know, and we didn't have any Special weapons like holy water or flammable things, and so we couldn't do anything. We probably didn’t Have a cleric either so we couldn't turn them. Otherwise we would just turn them, right?

Bruce Duncan

No.

Lance Duncan

So yeah, so, I mean, I remember we specifically didn't have the right tools to fight zombies. And So that's why we were scared of them, and we were running.

Bruce Duncan

And especially those zombies.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, yeah. But that was this one probably.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, it was. Like I said, it was probably the last time you guys had ventured into that adventure.

Lance Duncan

Sure. OK. So let's talk about the dining, now that we've talked about the first level.

Bruce Duncan

OK.

Lance Duncan

We can just go.

Bruce Duncan

The harpies.

Lance Duncan

OK, so the dining room, so the harpies. So I know we mentioned this before, but you're not supposed to be even be able to open the doors to the dining room. Until You’re second level. Did you stick to that rule?

Bruce Duncan

Yes.

Lance Duncan

Strictly? like there was no way we could outsmart the second level rule?

Bruce Duncan

There had to be at least one person that was second level. Generally speaking, if one person made it to second level, there were at least two others.

Lance Duncan

OK. Right. But if we were all first level, you just, there was no way we could Open the Doors. OK, cause Last time I ran this, they took the log from the from the trap room and used it as a battering ram.

Bruce Duncan

Well, that would do the job, I never Thought of that

Lance Duncan

Yeah. And so I was like, well, yeah, that'll open the door, I’m Not gonna . . .

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, no one ever thought of that.

Lance Duncan

But we never tried something like that, like burning down the door, or something creative.

Bruce Duncan

No, you guys never did. No, no.

Lance Duncan

Or using wizard knock

Bruce Duncan

Yeah.

Lance Duncan

We didn't do that.

Bruce Duncan

No.

Lance Duncan

So we were all second level, So then we probably had, well second level doesn't even, you never get better Saves at second level either anyway.

Bruce Duncan

No you don't.

Lance Duncan

So how did we deal with the harpies? Cause the same situation where they battered the doors down, they all failed their Saves. Well, all except for one. And he didn't have much choice By that point

Bruce Duncan

yeah. Several different scenarios happened. the Very first time you guys came in there. You had enough girls in the group That were, it was easier for Girls to save on harpies than it is for guys. So because you had the girls, you had three girls. They were actually able to dispatch the harpies.

Lance Duncan

Even though the guys were charmed?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, well the girls saw the harpies and immediately went into battle mode. And the guys were just kind of going uhhhh… You know, decide what are you going to do, and by the time they had actually made a decision which both of them had failed, The girls had already taken care of the harpies.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. OK.

Bruce Duncan

That was the first Time.

Lance Duncan

That was the first time.

Bruce Duncan

And after that I kept making the harpies a little stronger because the players were a little stronger.

Lance Duncan

right.

Bruce Duncan

So the last time, Which was right after you guys figured out About the Treasure chest and that there was a door that way into the room with the harpies. And you guys Specifically made the girls go first. Because the girls were elf, thief, And cleric.

Lance Duncan

well elves are immune to it anyway, aren't they?

Bruce Duncan
 right

Lance Duncan

Elves are immune to  . . . or something, or they get a plus to save, I don't know.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, they get a plus, A big plus.

Lance Duncan

Right.

Bruce Duncan

So anyway, the last time you guys went in from the treasure Room in there, and The elf was able to put an arrow in Both of them. Not killing blows, but definitely it hurt them enough where they would not be able to affect the guys and the guys then came in and slashed them to pieces.

Lance Duncan

Oh and did they, cuz I think the Harpies have an escape right up the chimney. Did They ever run away?

Bruce Duncan

They do if they’re fast enough. If they see that they're not going to save it.

Lance Duncan

Right. Did they ever actually get out?

Bruce Duncan

They started, on one adventure They started going that way, and as they were going up the chimney, someone got underneath and started shooting arrows up the chimney, and killed them that way. They did not escape. Ever.

Lance Duncan

And, right, so after the harpies are dead. There's the yellow mold on the Dining table. Were we ever tricked by the yellow mold?

Bruce Duncan

Two times. Yeah, the first time, And then you guys always remembered the yellow mold

Lance Duncan

We always knew what yellow mold was. So we were always careful . . . because I remember always being . . .

Bruce Duncan

But It was always the new person that did not know.

Lance Duncan

Yeah, I always, Yeah, it's like every time we see gold goblets or plates or anything. I was like, no gold, no matter what it was, where we were. Yeah. We never actually carried ten foot poles with us, but from how we played, we should have.

Bruce Duncan

No. Yes. It would have been a lot safer.

Lance Duncan

I mean we always had quarter staves and Spears, or whatever that we used or the end of our bow or whatever. But yeah, we should have carried a ten foot pole with us. So the yellow mold . . .

Bruce Duncan

Well, Picking up a coin and throwing it Worked a lot.

Lance Duncan

Yeah. So the lower levels, so basically it just gives you a list of monsters and the map and you can place it however you want. And I've lost your key. I Thought, you know I had saved it and I saved it on purpose, And I have no idea what happened to it now.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, the first of the lower levels.

Lance Duncan

It gives you a list of monsters to place and stuff.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, and I placed every single one of them and Some rooms were empty.

Lance Duncan

And sometimes we changed it. It wasn't always the same key for the same level.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, that's true. But that was my first time in developing a preset dungeon, and I did it several different ways. Each time it was different

Lance Duncan

And I've still got your maps for the lower levels for like three and four.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah. Lower than this . . .

Lance Duncan

But Again, I lost the key.

Bruce Duncan

Oh darn.

Lance Duncan

So on That, that's the map with a Blue Dragon on it.

Bruce Duncan

Right.

Lance Duncan

Did, but, it suggests putting a red dragon in the bottom. Did you put a blue dragon on purpose, or?

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, because they aren't as bad As a red dragon.

Lance Duncan

Oh, so you made it a little less strong, cause blue Dragon is still pretty strong.

Bruce Duncan

It is, but at least the Blue Dragon is not ready to kill you immediately.

Lance Duncan

Right, because they're neutral.

Bruce Duncan

Right. And also because I did not have an adult blue dragon.

Lance Duncan

Oh, you put it in as a . . .

Bruce Duncan

It Was an adolescent. And He had been deposited there when he was a baby and you guys were able to actually help him get out.

Lance Duncan

Right, It also suggests putting, making the lower levels bargle’s lair, you know from the from the solo adventure Bargle, the Magic user, who kills Alena. It also suggests putting him down there. Did you ever do that?

Bruce Duncan

I did once.

Lance Duncan

I don't remember meeting him.

Bruce Duncan

Well, I didn't do it for you guys, but I did it Back in Claremont with our other buddies, My other buddies, and they were able to actually track him down, Take him out.

Lance Duncan

So he's dead.

Bruce Duncan

Well, he's not just dead. His body was taken back to the city.

Lance Duncan

But again, that was another, That was the other group Before, so not playing with us, so I can change that.

Bruce Duncan

Right, right.

Lance Duncan

But we never actually met Bargle as far as that . . .

Bruce Duncan

No.

Lance Duncan

I mean outside of us doing The solo adventure.

Bruce Duncan

Right.

Lance Duncan

Which I don't think all of us did anyway. I don't know. So that's pretty much all my questions, Do you remember anything else about the lower levels or anything else?

Bruce Duncan

There was a rust monster in there that you guys seem to always have a problem with.

Lance Duncan

Well there’s a rust monster in the solo adventure.

Bruce Duncan

Yes. And because you always had a problem with the Rust Monster, I always put them in there. To see, if you guys could overcome him, and more often than not, you guys would just run away. But there was one time you were actually able to dispatch him. But it was from magic arrows and magic spells, That you were able to do that. And it saved all your weapons Because of that. Always before you guys would start losing your weapons and would have to flee because you didn't have anything to play them with.

Lance Duncan

I guess, unless you have anything else to say, I guess that covers it for today.

Bruce Duncan

Yeah, I think the Rest Monster was the most fun for me.

Lance Duncan

Awesome. LOL All right, till next time.

 

 

 

The Known World: The Skandaharians part 2

 Continuing from the last post post, we explore the second Skandaharian branch the Antalians as they  became a hardened warrior people in the cold north. The sight of their longships has for generations been a cause of fear on the high seas  and among the rich coastal lands of the south.

The Antalians

Following the Great Rain of Fire, the Antalians(equivalent to the Ancient Norse) traveled north avoiding the frozen glaciers and mountains further inland until they reached the Great Bay where they took refuge from the harsh northern seas. Over the next few centuries the Antalians spread out covering the entirety of the Northern Lowlands, around where the modern Great Bay is now, and along the coast all the way down to modern Landfall. Many Antalian kingdoms rose and fell and warred with each other and the Giant and Dragon kingdoms in the mountains. 

After many centuries of Antalian preeminence in the region the great Orc horde of Loark shattered the southern kingdoms and leaving few survivors who fled to join their northern brethren in the Northern Lowlands. The remaining Antalians in the north took centuries to rebuild and they became a more united people of common culture known as the Norsenians(equivalent to the Old Norse). At this point there were no kings or great lords, only small scattered tribes and homesteads trying to scrape out a living from the dark northern seas, and interdependence among the people became essential to their survival. 

During this period many Norsenians seeking a new life settled an island far to the north, which they named Kat-har after a stowaway cat on a longship. For nearly two thousand years the Kattes(as they called themselves) were isolated in the cold north with minimal contact between them and their cousins on the mainland, developing their own unique though parallel language and customs(equivalent to Old Gutnish). And then the conquering Alphatians arrived. The Alphatians viewed Kat-har as a backwards island not worth the resources required to subjugate the people there, but also would not deign to consider the small island capable of governing itself. A compromise was reached with the King of the island to avoid bloodshed, resulting in the King swearing allegiance to Alphatia and agreeing to send yearly tributes to the Empire. Over the centuries, the island has been a backward province of the Empire and been mostly left to itself. Due to Alphatian influence the culture and language of the island has evolved, and the island is now known as Quedhar and the people as the Quedish(equivalent to Faro Gutnish).

The Alfish

After half a millennium of Norsenian growth and recolonization of the southern Coasts disaster struck. The sea gods poured out their wrath on the north as glaciers melted and great tidal waves washed away many settlements. The land bridge between the continent and the isle of dawn sunk beneath the waves, the shoreline of Norwold retreated creating many fjords at the edges of the mountains, the Northern Lowlands became flooded as the sea rushed in and created the Great Bay. This great flood separated the surviving Norsenians in the north around the Great Bay from those in the south along the deteriorated coastline. Those in the north became known as the Alfish tribes(equivalent to the Old East Norse) while those in the south along the coast came to be called the Norwold tribes(equivalent to the Old West Norse) by their southern neighbors. 

In the north the Alfish people gathered on the peninsula of Alfmark(i.e. Alpha to modern Thyatians) and the surrounding lands to the south and west, forming many petty kingdoms over the centuries. In AC 12 a group of refugees from the Thang empire came to the land of Alfmark, and with many Alfish outcasts and lowlifes built the city of Alfa which quickly became the preeminent trade hub in the region. Virtually any Thang influence has died out as all the Thang refugees comingled with the natives and became assimilated to the Alfish culture. Nearly half a millennia after the founding of Alfa the Alphatian Empire invaded the Great Bay. After many years of warfare against incredible odds Alfish tribes defeated the Alphatians. The City of Alfa played a key part in this war, and afterwards many of the tribes of the Great Bay pledged fealty to the new King of Alfmark who made his capitol the City of Alfa. 

After the Great Flood many Alfish tribes migrated to the west instead of remaining near Alfmark. Over the next few centuries they warred with the orc tribes in the western mountains until most of the orcs were driven out of the valleys, which were in turned settled by the Alfish. In the year BC 300 a legion from the Thang empire was cut off from home in the far north; a small Alfish tribe saved them from the depths of a cold winter. The legion and the small tribe together began to broker alliances with other Alfish tribes, or where resistance was met, conquered them. This new empire, the Kingdom of Alinor, among the western mountains experienced a meteoric rise and came to dominate the region. As the soldiers of the legion grew old they settled down with Alfish women and passed on the reigns of power Alfish comrades. From this point the Alfish people became culturally divided between the east and west: the Alinish of the west(equivalent to Early Old Swedish) and the Alfish of the east(equivalent to Early Middle Danish). The kingdom of Alinor was destroyed only a generation later during a series of devastating earthquakes, yet the cultural memory of the kingdom remains with the Alinish people to this day. Over the centuries many Alinish traders and warriors went north among the barbarians north of the Great Bay. There a great kingdom was established which still exists in the form of the northern Empire of Cezavy, yet the Alfish conquerors quickly assimilated into the local culture, so that story belongs to another people. 

The Norwolders

In the south the Norwoldic people scattered among the fjords, hills, and isles of the eastern coast. They continued to live as their ancestors, being simple farmers and fishermen, while some few traded journeyed on long voyages to the south for trade or sometimes plunder. In the middle of the second century BC many Norwold tribesmen were overrun by Gothic invaders from the south who in turn were fleeing from a horde of Goblinoids. After this event a traditional boundary was formed at the Saffir river between the Norwoldic people of the north and Nordurlanders of the south. 

In the year AC 250 many raiders, or "Vikings" of Norwold began voyaging to and plundering the rich lands of the south including the Isle of Dawn, the green isles of Ostland, the lowlands of Vestland, and even as far south as the rich cities of Thyatis. These raiders set up temporary camps on the northern isles of dawn and these camps eventually transformed into a stronghold called Helskir(equivalent to Dublin). Over the centuries this settlement has expanded and conquered much of the island becoming the modern day Kingdom of Helskir, and the Norwold descended people speak their own dialect of Helska(equivalent to Old Faroese). 

The Kingdom of Helskir was not to be the only conquest of the Norwoldic people. In AC 400 Cnute the Bold led the greatest army ever gathered among the Norwoldic people to invade the rich green isles of Ostland to the south. For centuries the Southern lands had been ripe picking for the raiders, or "Vikings" of Norwold, but never before had so ambitious a plan been set in motion, and in a few short months Cnute had set himself up as the new King of Ostland. After his death the sons of Cnute also conquered the Kingdoms of Vestland, excluding Ghyr. For many years the two lands of Ostland and Vestland were ruled by one king, heir to the realm of Cnute, but eventually the tyranny of the king could not be tolerated by his unruly vassals and the Jarls of Vestland revolted. After a long and bloody war a king of Vestland was crowned and a peace established between Ostland and Vestland. The kingdom of Ostland became more isolated and insular over the years so much so that the Norwoldic people there have altered their speech and speak their own specific dialect, Nutish(equivalent to Norn), distinct from the Norwoldic spoken in Vestland and Norwold.

The latest chapter in the legends of the Norwoldic people occurred only 300 years ago. A great leader and shipbuilder, named Heldann, had a vision of a new land where he and his friends could be free from the tyranny of petty kings. He built a fleet of ships and gathered many to his cause. They sailed forth and made landfall in Kamminer Bay south of the Skaufskogr hills. They were almost immediately beset by goblins, but were able to drive them off. Over the next few years many outcasts and Vikings joined with Heldann in driving the goblins from this new land. Since that time the region has come to be known as Heldland and is populated by many freeholds of Norwoldic descent. They suffer no king to rule over them and settle any major disputes at the traditional Althing. The people of Heldland have come to call themselves Heldannic in honor of their national hero and speak their own dialect of Norwoldic(equivalent to Old Icelandic).