Finished the second section of the map in miniature scale this afternoon...



and here is section 1 and 2 side by side, pretty much taking up the entire 6 foot table we use to play on...



-M

Since it is a city based game and the party is based here, these will get use over multiple sessions. We had the first session last night, and the map went over well and worked out well for what I wanted it to do.

I've seen those tech options, but ultimately it's an expense more than I want to spend and a level of tech reliance beyond my comfort zone as a pseudo-Luddite in the modern world. Plus the table in that space needs to be portable, and able to be taken down at times when we are not playing, so a permanent set up like that isn't practical in that space.

But now I need to turn my focus on the Falegar Valley for a bit as our second group which starts this Sunday. They are set in a river valley location and their location will be more fluid, so I won't be doing large scale location maps for them, but more smaller regional maps in the size/scale of the initial Riverside map, with maybe a few mini-scale encounter maps if I know what's coming ahead of time. I have a lot of cardbord terrain tiles that I can use to improvise mini-scale encounter maps as well, which allows some versatility. In a pinch we still have the old school vinyl battle mats and wet erase markers to make things on the fly as well.

But yeah, if expense and space considerations weren't factors I would explore something like that, but I'll work with what options I do have.

-M

all artwork here in is done by my wife using a photo-manipulation technique

The Houses of the Ten

House Adraka: The House Adraka’s main source of income is the control of the majority of the mining interests in the hills across the Valnar, not surprising for a dwarven clan. They have many varied business concerns, but mining and smithing are at the heart of it. House Adraka has close ties with many other dwarven outposts throughout the region. House Adraka has been known to retain the services of freelance adventurers to patrol the hills outside the city, keeping them clear of threats to their mining interests and offering bounties for dangerous humanoids and beasts that inhabits the highlands.


Theodric Adraka: a dwarf in his middle years who has risen to head of House Adraka within the last 5 years. He is shrewd and efficient in his dealings.

House Carides: The House Carides started as spice merchants, trading rare and unique commodities from many lands. They set up a hub for their trade network in Kavishport several generations ago, and grew to prominence within the city. The house has strong ties to the halflings river traders up and down the Valnar River. The Carides are rumored to control much of the trade in illicit substances, but their legitimate trade in spices, foodstuffs, wines and liquor are enough to make them quite wealthy.


Lady Carilla Carides: matron of House Carides is a matronly halfling who has outlived her siblings and three husbands. She is gregarious and loves a good party, and her masques are considered the “go to” events in Kavishport's social network. She has eyes and ears everywhere, and many say of her that she talks a lot but reveals little.


House Dierodon The House Dierodon was founded by the powerful mage Kestharides, one of the seven mages responsible for creating Balthag’s Beacon, and the House continues to be a powerful presence in the Mage’s Guild in the city. They led the opposition to the Necromancer’s Guild’s Revolt, and were instrumental in having the guild leaders executed and exiled after their failed coup d’etat, also leading the charge to unite the Ten to depose the Lord High Mayor who conspired with the Necromancers. Dierodon trades in many commodities, especially rare items in demand by spell- and ritual casters, magical implements, rare books and manuscripts, and other peculiarities. They also corner the market on providing services of a magical nature, and profit quite well from these activities.


Lady Vanessa Dierodon: The current head of House Dierodon, Vanessa is a sly, charming woman in her mid-thirties who has never taken a husband. Lady Vanessa is a powerful mage, but her quest for power has cost her dearly. Rumor has it that an attempt to transform her body with magic failed horribly and left her body deformed, leaving her slightly hunchbacked. She often uses glamours to hide her affliction and recapture the image of her former beauty, but rumors and innuendo throughout the city hint at her true appearance.

House Gelondar: They own the majority of the shipyards in Kavishport and have interests in shipyards elsewhere in the region. The original head of the house, Phineus Gelondar, was the power behind the gathering of families to first forge the Oligarchy of Ten, using their common economic interests to band them together to insure the city’s continued independence from any of the local rising powers and to work together to further the city’s economic interests. Once first among the Ten, the Gelondars have lost some influence over the years.


Darius Gelondar: Current head of House Gelondar, Darius is in his fifties and far too much of a hedonist to be an effective administrator of the House. He is a spendthrift, and were it not for the efforts of his daughter, he might bankrupt the House.
Juliet Gelondar: Eldest legitimate child of Darius, she handles the day-to-day affairs of the House and tries to temper her fathers extravagences to keep the House solvent. Many whisper she plots to eliminate her father so she can rule the house in name as well as in deed, but in public she seems to dote on her father and smother him with affection, leading to other, less pleasant rumors about the lech and his daughter.

House Kraustov: They made their fortune disposing of other people’s waste and trash. They helped plan and now maintain the sewer system beneath the city-state, and control the Disposer’s Guild, who clean the streets, markets, sewers, alleys, and other locales keeping the city from being overrun by filth (well, not worse than it already is). The House also controls the Necropolitan Guild who maintains the Bonegarden Necropolis and disposes of the city’s dead. Kraustov also runs a fleet of salvage ships, pulling vast wealth from the seas by finding and looting shipwrecks all across the Kaspireon Sea. Of course rumor has it that these salvage ships are not above causing a few shipwrecks or raiding the occasional ship above the waves as well.


Boethar Kraustov: a booming boisterous mountain of a man is the current head of House Kraustov. Stavros, the Lord High Mayor, was once a captain is Boeathar’s fleet, but the two had a falling out several years before Stavros was appointed to his position. Boethar was the lone dissenting voice against the appointment, and there is a bitter hatred between the two men.

House Mavros: House Mavros had its origins as a shipping magnate, carrying out a lot of long distance in the region, both via land and sea. The House set up shop in Kavishport relatively recently when compared to the other houses, and is the youngest of the families who comprise the Ten. They are rivals to House Gelondar in the shipbuilding industry and compete with House Adraka in mining the northern hills. They still engage in a lot of long-distance trade and have a thriving import/export custom. They do not dominate a single industry as some of the other Houses do, but their diversified interests allow them the flexibility to maintain their position despite the many challenges posed in Kavishport.


Lady Melindra Mavros: the current head of House Mavros, an old shrewish, and shrewd woman, who navigates the waters of Kavishport’s politics like a master navigator. She has outlived 5 of her 7 sons, and some say that death is too scared of her to come calling and take her.

House Nerondar: The House Nerondar made their fortune in masonry, carpentry, and other building industries. They are responsible for the upkeep of the city roads, walls, and the maintenance of Balthag’s Beacon. Nerondar has close ties with House Adraka, often commissioning dwarven craftsmen to oversee and plan many of the projects they handle.


Lady Eleanor Nerondar: the current head of house, a comely young widow who succeeded to the position just under a year ago when her elderly husband succumbed to the weight of years. Many suitors seek her hand, thinking it their ticket to the Nerondar fortune, but Elanor has other ideas.

House Ravnak: The House Ravnak garners the bulk of its income from controlling the Mercenary Guild, protection and bodyguard services, arms training, and sale of arms and armor. House Ravnak provides the garrison of soldiers who man Balthag’s Beacon in rotating deployments. Some say they also run a clandestine Slayer’s Guild, providing more deadly services for the right price, but this has not been confirmed. The few who have been brave (or stupid) enough to follow that line of investigation have disappeared.


Zechariah Ravnak: the current head of House Ravnak, Zechariah is a powerfully built man in his middle years. He is reputed to be a master swordsman, having never lost a duel. Zechariah is ambitious to a fault, and it is rumored he makes the other Houses nervous for fear of that ambition.

House Talbot: House Talbot made most of their fortune in the gaming and entertainment industries, running business ranging from gambling halls to brothels, from gladiatorial arenas to playhouses. House Talbot also runs training halls for all kinds of martial disciplines, specializing in training pit fighters for the arena. The centerpiece of their efforts is The Pit, located in the center of the Atrium, an arena where many of their pitfighting and gladiatorial games occur, and the site of the annual Tournament that the city holds as part of the spring festival. Their trainees are in high demand, not just for gladiatorial games, but as personal protection and enforcers among the wealthy. They have become a rival of House Ravnak in the warrior-for-hire field. Some say Talbot provides quality whereas Ravnak can provide quantities of fighting men. The Talbots have their hands in lots of other business ventures as well, but few can be traced directly back to the house.


Haines Talbot: the current head of house. Many believe he is weak and soft because of his effeminate demeanor and cushy lifestyle, but woe to him who underestimates or crosses Talbot, his cruelty and swiftness to avenge slights are legendary, as is his skill in duels with a rapier.

House Zervas: House Zervas has its hands in many pies, but its three main sources of income are foodstuffs, couriers, and quarries. They work with a number of guilds, including the Fishmonger’s Guild, the Baker’s Guild, the Miller’s Guild, etc. and have staked out control of many of the food suppliers in the city. The house also owns the abattoirs in the city, and employs ice mages to keep products cold for delivery to many clients. Zervas also runs a courier service, with messengers and heralds working throughout the city, to locations that are trading partners with the city, and to more remote locations. The last major source of income is the quarries in the hills to the north of the Valnar, supplying granite and other stone materials to masons, builders, and others who need it.


Elias Zervas The current head of House Zerva; Elias keeps the House neutral in the city’s politics as best he can, trying not to alienate potential clientele. Elias’ shrewdness and warm charisma make him a favorite among the city’s elite, and a peacemaker within the ranks of the Ten.

and lastly, not part of the Ten but tied to them...


Lord High Mayor Stavros: Stavros is a capable administrator, and handles the day to day affairs of the city quite capably and efficiently. He chafes under the yoke of the Ten, and dreams of becoming the true power in the city rather than just an administrator, but he knows where the coin he needs to run the city comes from, and just how quickly he would disappeared if he should rock the boat, so he continues to do his job, maintain the status quo, and keep the Ten satisfied. It is a comfortable life after all, much more secure than all those years serving as a mate, then captain of the Hollister, his former ship. Stavros once sailed for the fleet of House Kraustov, but a falling out between him and Lord Boethar led him to signing on with the Hollister, an independent ship, and eventually becoming its captain. Stavros success was well-known, leading to his appointment, but there remains a bitter enmity between him and Boethar Kraustov.

-M

The Wards and Other Areas of Interest in Kavishport

The Atrium: A large open air courtyard and crossroads in the center of the city where all the major routes through the city converge. It is also the location of the Pit, a large open air stadium where the masses gather to view The Tournament and other entertainments.

Baltham’s Beacon/Beacon Hill: Across the Valnar to the north of the city sits Beacon Hill, one of the tallest hills in that region of rolling hills that overlooks the coast. Atop the hill sits a large lighthouse known as Baltham’s Beacon, maintained by the city, who send crews to man the Beacon in month-long deployments. There are three crews who rotate through, one for a month, off for two. Each crew is accompanied by a provisioning caravan who bring all the crew will need for their month-long deployment before returning to the city. The light of the Beacon is magical, created by a powerful ritual enacted by the Mage’s Guild when the Beacon was constructed.

The Bazaar: A large open air market at the heart of the city, just east of the Atrium and north of High Gate. Much of the day-to-day commerce in the city is conducted here, through small permanent shops litter the cityscape in all the districts. Both locals and travelling merchants set up shop in the Bazaar.

The Bone Garden: the common sobriquet for the city’s necropolis that sits outside the walls of the city proper.. Tombs and crypts are not allowed inside the city walls (dating back to a plot by a group of necromancers in the early days of the city, an event that led to the Ten deposing a mayor for the first time when they discovered he was an adherent to a cult of one of the forgotten dark gods. There are areas where prominent families maintain family crypts and mausoleums, but also potters fields for the poor. It is maintained by the Necropolitan Guild.

The Canvasari: A large tent city and hub for the caravan trade that moves in and out of the city. Facilities are available for caring for the people and animals of the caravans. Impromptu pop up markets exist on a daily basis. There is very little permanent population here, most are from caravans moving in and out of the city. What permanent population there is stems from industries serving the caravan members or from garrisons of mercenaries who hire out as caravan guards.

The Docksides: A large settlement almost the size of a large town that has grown outside the city walls to the east between the city wall and the harbor. The docks and wharves used for all maritime vessels on the Kaspireon Sea are here, as well as the drydocks for the Yards. A large population of laborers, sailors, dockworkers, and others populate this area.

High City: This is the ward where most of the city’s aristocracy lives, including the estates of all the families of the Ten. It lies between High Gate and the Mayor’s Keep.

High Gate: A gate within the city in the walls that separate High City from the rest of the City. Only those with the proper credentials are allowed to pass through the gates and enter High City, unless invited by one of the residents or those passing through on official business at the Mayor’s Keep.

The Mayor’s Keep: The southeast corner of the city houses the Mayor’s Keep, a walled enclave with a well-fortified keep that serves as the home and audience hall of the Lord High Mayor. It looks over the Docksides and is separated from the rest of the city by the High City Ward.

Old City: This ward is located where the original fortified town of Kavishport was located, but is now the oldest portion of the city. It is a densely populated middle class section of the city.

The Pit: Located on the Atrium in the heart of the city, the Pit is a large open coliseum-like structure that is the site of many pit fights, gladiatorial contests, chariots races, and other contests, and the site of the Tournament that is part of the spring festival to honor the gods.

Raven’s Nest: This ward is the nearest thing to a slum in the city. It is a rough and tumble section of the city that is home to the poorest classes of the population. It lies between the River Gate and the West Gate across from the Canvasari.

River Gate: River Gate is the entrance to the city from Riverside and where most traveling down the Valnar to the city enter. The road from River Gate and the Atrium runs between Old Town and the Raven’s Nest.

Riverside: A large settlement the size of a medium town that lies outside the city walls to the north of the city along the banks of the Valnar River. The docks and wharves used in the river trade are here and the population consists mostly of those who work or ply their wares as part of the river trade. Because some of Riverside sits on the river’s flood plain, many of the structures are elevated on stilts or built on piers in the river.

Sea Gate: The eastern gate of the city that opens up into Docksides and on to the harbor. Most arriving in Kavishport via sea enter the city through this gate.

The Scrolls: This ward is the center of religion and academic study in the city. It is where the Temple of the Seven, the Mage’s Guild and several academies are located. Residents are mostly middle or upper class, scribes or students.

South Gate: The southern gates to the city, it opens onto a road heading south that is known as the Salt Road, as it is the starting point of a trade route to the southern continent where the bulk of salt that arrives in the city comes from.

The Training Grounds: This area is where The City Guard trains and has its barracks, and where most of the pit fighters and gladiators for the city’s entertainment industry are trained. There are also a handful of military academies that operate here.

Under City: The sewers and warrens under the city.

West Gate: The western entrance into the city that lies between the Raven’s Nest and the Canvasari.

Xeric Lowlands: Plains to the south of Kavishport and the Kaspireon Sea that is where most of the agriculture that supports the city is done.

Yard Gate: An interior gate in the city that controls the influx of people into the city proper from the harbors and into the ship yard region from the city.

The Yards: A large ward between the Sea Gate and Yard Gate. The northern part of the ward is dominated by ship yards, while the southern portion is a residential area for much of the labor force that work in the Yards.


-M

Meanwhile, in the other game, there's no big city to center it, it's set in a small rural river valley (the Falegar Valley) and the regional map looks like this...




-M

Some general notes on the world of Ulibale...

In general, most folks have very limited knowledge of the world they live in, Most have not travelled more than a day or two beyond the place they were born. News travels slowly, if at all. Rumors, myths, old wives tales, superstition are the norm where outright ignorance does not prevail. The latter is true more so in remote rural locations than cities, but only because what travel does take place flows through cities exposing the denizens to more rumors and bits of news. There are exceptions, merchants and adventurers travel often and bring news and rumors with them. There are scholars, sages and other learned folks, and academies and schools where they store what knowledge they have, but these are few and far between, and the accuracy of what is “known” can often come into question. What is presented below is some basic foundational stuff people would know, or regional info natives and travelers might know. It is accurate, from a certain perspective, but hardly comprehensive. The farther you get from a locale, the less is known about that locale, and the less accurate what is believed to be known is. Knowledge travels in drips and drabs, and what is known is salvaged from those scraps, upon which a lot of supposition and guess-work is added to flesh things out, but the result is considered “knowledge” and believed to be true (even when it's not). As such, this gazetteer will present things in broad strokes, heavier on legends and lighter on the fine details of history and faraway cultures (and remember in some areas, anything more than a couple of days travel distance is considered a faraway culture).

The History of Ulibale
Long before living memory of even the eldest races of Ulibale, there was an Age of Wonder. Centered on the vast Ceonric Empire, it was an age of magic and technology. Peace reigned, and most of the races lived in harmony, but then came an Age of Terror, and the land was ravaged by war, famine, and unknown horrors, ultimately culminating in the Great Cataclysm, which reshaped the world, shattered one of its moons, and even destroyed some of the gods who were its caretakers. It has taken the world centuries (perhaps millennia) to even begin to recover. Much was lost in the aftermath. The landscape was altered, continents broken or lost, one of the world’s two moons hangs broken in the night sky, a reminder of the devastation suffered. Knowledge and lore was lost or destroyed, great civilizations lay in ruin, and the races became isolated and xenophobic as they tried to eke out an existence. It was a dark age, but slowly recovery did occur. New kingdoms began to emerge, new alliances between the peoples of the world were forged, trade grew, and new discoveries were made. No one is sure exactly how long it has been since the Great Cataclysm, but even the eldest of the most long-lived races, such as the elves, know that it was before the living memory of their oldest members, and even before the living memory of the grandsires of their elders.

The recovery from the Cataclysm is still a work-in-progress. There are still large swaths of unsettled and unexplored lands, survival is still a struggle, but civilization grows, trade flourishes, wars are fought, and the known world expands, but danger still lurks, and adventure awaits for those who seek it.

The Age of Wonders
Most folks know nothing of the Age of Wonders beyond the name and that it was some kind of Golden Age or paradise. Some dismiss it now as a myth, or have massively misinformed opinions about it they consider true (think about how people today in our world think of Atlantis or the Antediluvian world to get a sense of this). If you manage to find a scholar who knows of the era, they can tell you the dominant political power was the Ceonric Empire, a vast human empire that navigated an era of peace (though some believe peace by conquest). It was an age of high magic and technology. Legends tell of sky ships that traverse the skies between landmasses, advanced weapons such as thundersticks (firearms) that could kill at a distance, clockwork men, and other wonders. There is little consensus how long ago the Age of Wonders was, when it started, or how long it lasted. What they do agree upon is that at some point, things began to fall apart ushering in a new age, an Age of Terror.

The Age of Terror
The Age of Wonders slowly began to fade. The reign of peace frayed, a plague ran amok across the lands, monsters awoke and preyed upon the lands of civilized men, wars raged between former allies and new powers arose to challenge the old, and the world itself seemed to rebel. Storms and maelstroms raged, seas dried up, and volcanoes spew forth their fiery and smoky death. The earth shook and the face of the land began to change. One horror after another arose, and even though heroes rose to vanquish some, there was always something else to take its place. The people of the land lived in terror, giving the age its name, but the worst was yet to come. War erupted between the gods themselves, and its battlefields were the lands of the world itself. Kingdoms were destroyed, continents shattered and in a horrific final battle one of the world’s two moons was rent asunder and shattered, the aftermath of which was near complete devastation of the world. The elves left for the Feywild, the Dwarves retreated underground, civilization was on the brink of extinction, and the world as it was known was no more.

The Slow Upward Crawl
The aftermath of the Cataclysm left the world in shambles. Civilization as it was known had ended, and the world descended into savagery. Empires had fallen, kingdoms been destroyed, alliances forsaken, and the light of knowledge dimmed to the point of nearly being doused. The races of Ulibale struggled to survive at near subsistence levels for generations, but slowly things began to improve. Surpluses were achieved allowing for progress. Settlements grew in size, trade began to increase, and new alliances were forged. Cities began to emerge, new kingdoms grew, and frontiers began to be explored and expanded. But it was often two steps forward, one step back, as wars, plagues, pestilence and other obstacles continued to slow progress and even cause things to regress at times. Generations passed, and blended into centuries, and perhaps even millennia. No one is quite sure how long ago the Cataclysm was. It is a topic of hushed whispers, a dark legend that serves as a bogeymen that frightens all even though some doubt its reality. This is the world of Ulibale at present when both campaigns start.

The Gods of the Realm

The current gods of Ulibale are a tight pantheon that is a survival of a much larger loose pantheon of gods from the pre-Cataclysmic era of the Ceonric Empire. The true names of these survivor gods have been veiled and enveloped in mystery, and more mundane sobriquets have evolved and become the norm in common parlance and usage. This standard is the practice in the “known world” regions of the world where the campaign starts, but may not hold true elsewhere. For this document, I will just give the sobriquet they are known by, and not the actual name of the gods, but some may be obvious who they refer to if players are familiar with some of the traditional D&D pantheons. The pantheon is usually revered/worshipped as a whole, with clerics choosing whichever of the domains suits them. Larger temples and shrines honor the entire pantheon, but smaller shrines devoted to just one or two of the gods do exist in more remote areas.

The Tight Pantheon includes:

Common Sobriquet: Domain(s)
The Matriarch: Knowledge
The Lord of Light (aka The Lightbringer): Light, Life
The Earth Mother: Nature, Tempest
The Thunderer (aka The Stormlord): Tempest
The Veiled Lady: Trickery
The Dragon: War, Life
The Crone: Life, Death

There are a handful of known “Evil Deities” who serve as adversaries in the tight pantheon. They are not not worshipped (openly) or venerated by followers of the pantheon, but their existence is acknowledged and are seen as the source of all evil and suffering in the world

Evil Deities:
Common Sobriquet Domain(s)
The Serpent: Trickery, Death
The Dark Prince (or The Shadow Throne): Trickery, Death
The Dark Queen: Trickery, War


Marking the passage of time in Ulibale

This is the calendar system in use in the regions of Ulibale where the adventures are set...

Due to the world having two moons, one of which is a shattered ruin, the seasons are a bit different than what we are used to in our own world.
There are 7 day weeks, and 10 months of five weeks each, plus two week long festivals (52 week total). Years begin on the spring equinox (Beltaine).
Each of the seven days is dedicated to one of the seven gods of the pantheon. They are:

Sun Day (dedicated to the Lightbringer)
Veil's Day (usually called Veils) (dedicated to the Veiled Lady)
Dragon's Day (a.k.a. The Dragon)
Scale's Day (a.k.a. Scales) (dedicated to the Matriarch)
Bolt Day (Bolt) (dedicated to the Storm Lord)
Shrouds' Day (Shrouds) (dedicated to The Crone)
Star's Day (Stars) (dedicated to the Earth Mother)

The months of the year hail back to the countings of the ancient Ceonric Empire:
Spring
Primus (begins with Beltaine)
Dos
Summer
Trivium
High Summer Festival
Quavum
Autumn
Pentus
Sextus (ends with Samhaine)
Septus
Winter
Octum
Novum
Midwinter Festival
Decum

There is a 12 year cycle of years based on the twelve signs of the Ulibale zodiac. The names of some of the constellations (and hence the names of the years) can vary from region to region or culture to culture, For example the Year of the Big Cat would be the Year of the Tiger in one area, and Year of the Lion in another The cycle is as follows:

Year of the Seven Sisters
Year of the Grainstalk
Year of the Stallion
Year of the Gorgon
Year of the Hawk
Year of the Hunter (a.ka. the Archer)
Year of the Great Cat
Year of the Maiden
Year of the Dragon
Year of the Bear
Year of the Sail (or ship)
Year of the Cup

It is currently the Year of the Seven Sisters, but the date is different in each campaign. The Falegar Valley game starts in the spring of the year, while the game set in Kavishport starts in the autumn...

-M

Working on expanding the world map, started by adding in the region where everything has been set so far...



then built on the land and water regions for the rest of the hemisphere...




and then fleshed that out, I may still add some political details to the map (cities, kingdoms, borders, etc.) but the geography has been finished for the most part.



-M