Whiterock

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 9:44 am

Harley, I have a question for you about the format, which you sent out by email (and I'm pasting again below for easy reference).

A single book to be divided into 2 main sections. A PC section, and a GM section, delineated by a gray line in the margin of the GM’s section (or something; see the OD&D expert’s book [Elmore cover] for an example of this).

1. Intro. What is contained herein. (Applies to entire boxed set, so will be written by you, Chris, and Adrian; probably the very last thing to be written.)

PC’s Section

2. Morrain Gazetteer. Overview. 500 words in character from the p.o.v. of an archetypal personality. Do not overdo this, an intro is sufficient to capture the mood. Followed by a BRIEF overview of climate, government and trade.

3. Settlements. Towns, cities, citadels, forts, hamlets, etc. Basically just like our work in DCC world. Name personalities as needed, to be detailed in short format in the NPC section. Lots of adventure hooks. Organizations will be captured under this heading as portion of the entry.

4. Wilds. Forests, mountains, wastes. Same as DCC world. Hooks, hooks, hooks.

5. Legends. If it’s a ruined tower, a dungeon, a lost citadel, etc. it should appear here. Presented as legends, rumors and hearsay. Needless to say, every entry should be an opportunity for a cool adventure.[/list]

GM’s Section

6. Detail of Cillamar. (Written by Adrian/Chris. This might need to appear earlier.)

7. History. Timeline of Morrain, plus explanation.

8. Culture. Festivals, traditions, holy days, styles of dress, special foods. Special details about the government belong here.

9. NPC section. Just like in DCC world. This will also be the place for greater (secret) detail of NPC groups.

10. New Spells. (if needed) These should be attached to personalities, ala the old Mordenkainen spells.

11. New Magic. (I’d prefer these to be named items, rather than simply new templates. Armor of Saint So-And-So. Hammer of XXX.)

12. Campaigns set in Morrain. Advice to a GM on how to set an entire campaign in Morrain. Campaign plans based on level, and perhaps advice on porting other DCCs to Morrain. I.e. Where could Idylls appear? What other DCCs are nearby and how might a PC be lured into them? (Talons of the Horned Lord.)

I'm all aboard dropping hooks. I love that kind of thing. But...I'd like to be able to drop stuff in the settlements and wilds chapters that, really, only the GM should have. Things that really aren't suitable for the PC's section. How could we address this?

For example, if I want to place a powerful NPC in a little hovel on the outskirts of Town C, where can I mention this? Or if I'd like to point out that the well in the center of Village B is enspelled, obliviously to the villagers, to grant a fox's cunning spell on anyone who speaks the right words (which the PCs would have to learn from an NPC in Village A)....how can I do this without spoilers for the players?

Maybe there could be corresponding entries in the GM's section that offer such secrets?

Post by **Jengenritz** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:34 pm

Hey Jeff, I can field your questions about the bushes and Braxilant.

I sent you a stripped-down version of the Far Gardens...no stat blocks and I think no area descriptions.

Verdivis visited the Far Gardens by accident long time ago. He ended up staying for a while, making use of the variated flora and fauna and relative tranquility to work up some experiments.

He needed a guard critter for his cabin, though, so he slew the chimera Braxilant, turning him into a skeleton under his control (enchantment was one of his barred schools, so he couldn't just control monster).
Now that Verdivis is gone, Braxilant's bones are a wandering monster on level 8, essentially just a Huge skeleton-template chimera.

The Verdivis bushes were one of his experiments. They now grow wild around the transmuter's old cabin, which is an encounter area. They could easily have spread to other locales.

Verdivis bushes appear in the new monsters appendix. Let me know if you need a copy and I'll send it; it's been updated for the level 14 critters (inferno tiger, spellruin ivy, conflagration worm).

Eventually Verdivis left the Far Gardens. Maybe he was bored, maybe he was chased out. The level doesn't go into it, and those are all the references to Verdivis on level 8 (which only barely connects to Castle Whiterock).

Possible exits from the Far Garden are limited: the gate in Castle Whiterock (which he didn't use), the gate in the Scourgelands, or he just "popped" out in any random temperate forest on Aereth.

Hope this helps; let me know if you need anything else.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:09 am

Gentlemen! I'm jumping back onto Whiterock full-fledged now. Once I've got a good foundation, I'll probably ask you guys to send me any updated files you may have.

I'm working from the ground up, so I'll be writing the draft of the history of Morrain first and go from there. I'll see how I can include the Whiterock Castle history, too.

Post by **Jengenritz** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:42 pm

Sounds cool, mang. Let me know what you need. There are a lot more levels worked up now, so more stuff that can be added to the history.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:43 am

Here's a thought, as I look at the "Whiterock Integrated History" file.

Maybe it would be less confusing for the GM to make the history chapter include both Whiterock and Morrain in the GM's section of the gazetteer book, rather than Whiterock and Morrain histories kept in separate books? I certainly don't intend their histories to be too independent from one another.

Any thoughts? Harley?

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:33 am

For our common reference, I'm pasting a snapshot of Morrain (and surrounding areas) here:

Can you guys tell me where on the map Whiterock is located? I see "sea caves" are mentioned in the history. Is it right near the water by Valfor's Bay, then? Or are these just tunnels that eventually lead to the bay?

Post by **Jengenritz** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:12 pm

I think they're tunnels that lead to the bay...Chris will have to answer that. I know the nearest town is Cillamar.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:23 pm

I know the nearest town is Cillamar.

Yup. But it would be good to know if it was located, say, halfway between Cillimar and Galaron or closer to the mountains or the bay....

I'm still only just getting some text down, but I can't wait to share what I come up with and get your opinions.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:56 am

Maybe it would be less confusing for the GM to make the history chapter include both Whiterock and Morrain in the GM's section of the gazetteer book, rather than Whiterock and Morrain histories kept in separate books?

I'm starting to rethink my own words.

Well, we'll see how it goes and waht works best down the line a bit.

Harley: Since you're the creator of Morrain in the first place, can you tell me approximately where the borders of the kingdom would be? Do they begin just above Ibelot (as in the map above?) or is it further north than that. Say we provide some sort of Morrain-specific map in this book....how much would it encompass? This would be very useful for me right now.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:42 pm

Sorry to keeping you guys with question, but here's another: where was the volcano inferred in Whiterock's history?

The monastery was called Clynnoise, and consisted of the sea tower and adjoining living quarters (now area 1-4) plus a small stone library set against the caldera’s wall (which was later converted to a small keep).

Remnants of the Broken Tusk tribe, along with a few other orc tribes return to the site for revenge. This time, they bring evil cloud giant allies, including a cloud castle that settles hovers over the caldera lake.

Earthquakes wrack the region! The west wall of the caldera collapses, linking the volcanic basin to a freshwater lake.

This is all suggestive of a volcano at some point in the past, but it's not directly described anyway. Where would it be located? Shall I retrofit some volcanoes (or a single volcano) in the land's very distant past?

Post by **Jengenritz** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:33 pm

The mountain upon which Castle Whiterock was built was volcanic at one point, which was why Benthos our red dragon chose it as his lair. Level 14 (The Burning Maze) is active lava flow and inactive lava tubes above that.

It hasn't erupted in a long, long time, though...the Integrated History gives highlights from 1978 and doesn't mention any eruptions, but it does mention earthquakes in 2849, meaning the earth is still unstable (and bubbling, I would say).

There are some volcanos in the region...DCC #19 The Volcano Caves is either pretty close to Morrain or in it (don't have my map in front of me). I always assumed that eventually, after traveling miles of lava-filled tunnels, you could theoretically end up there from Whiterock.

I would say two volcanos are worth mentioning: Castle Whiterock's mountain and DCC #19, with the addition that only TVC are considered active.

And keep on asking, Jeff! This thing has to be tight!

Post by **Jengenritz** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:09 pm

My turn for a question:

I saw that there had been some discussion about a calendar in other threads.
So far as I can tell, there is not and isn't planning to be an "official" DCC calendar (in keeping with the generic-ness of the setting).

That aside, if I had a wizard make a notation like "Swordfall plus 31" to indicate that a particular date was 31 days after the universal holiday of Swordfall, would that be acceptable?

arlanni · Post by **arlanni** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:48 am

Hey Guys,

Here is what is needed:

1. The castle is about one day travel from Cillamar on foot. (This can be altered, but Cillamar needs to be the nearest settlement. Or we rename it the large city on the bay.

2. The castle is in a mountainous region, situtaed on the edge of a caldera lake. During an earthquake referenced in the history, one of the cladera walls collapsed, and water from a nearby lake rushed in, altering the water table in the region.

3. The region is still somehwhat volcanic in activity, since we have active lava flow in the depths. There does not need to be a volcano per se. The region just needs volcanically active.

4. In looking at the map, the placement of Cillamar is not ideal. I would have placed it on the water, or up in the mountains on the right. How do we go about addressing this.

Again, the boxed set has been published. CWR has not, so we may to alter things on our end. Some things (as mentioned above) probably should not be altered, as entire developed levels would be lost.

Chris

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:22 am

Thanks for the information, Chris!

The castle is about one day travel from Cillamar on foot. (This can be altered, but Cillamar needs to be the nearest settlement. Or we rename it the large city on the bay.

I'm not entirely certain of scale myself, but if you want it to be one day by foot then I would suggest adding at least some small element that would hinder this. If a dungeon is so close, I'd think there'd be a lot more traffic there. Or should there be?

The castle is in a mountainous region, situtaed on the edge of a caldera lake. During an earthquake referenced in the history, one of the cladera walls collapsed, and water from a nearby lake rushed in, altering the water table in the region...The region is still somehwhat volcanic in activity, since we have active lava flow in the depths. There does not need to be a volcano per se. The region just needs volcanically active.

Perfect. Thanks.

In looking at the map, the placement of Cillamar is not ideal. I would have placed it on the water, or up in the mountains on the right. How do we go about addressing this.

I've learned, in working on said boxed set, that you can always get around difficulties by retro-fitting ideas or reinventing new ones.

Keep in mind the DCC world map is very high level. That is, it doesn't account for bodies of water anything smaller than a big river. Small rivers, streams, ponds...things like that can explain why a town or city is situated nowhere near a larger body of water. Any number of small streams can trickle down from the Ul Dominor Mountains to provide water.

What is chief problem with the location, though? Consider making Castle Whiterock more than a day's travel, to give you greater flexibility on its location. How about a day's travel by horse, if nothing else?

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:38 am

Or we rename it the large city on the bay.

Do you mean Galaron, the capital city? Just so you know what I've got so far, here is my entry for Galaron...er...so far.

It's basically an expanded version of Harley's original entry, and then some.

Galaron (Small city, pop. 8,527)

The largest city in the kingdom and the seat of its monarchy, Galaron is yet a small community compared to the great metropolises of the south. Still, no other city in the region is as defensible as Galaron, its orphic, green-hued walls rising high along the southern shore of Valfors Bay and the mouth of the Morro River.

Galaron is the largest hub of commerce for hundreds of miles in any direction. The population is in constant flux, as merchants and traders from across the region travel to the markets of Galaron each year and many choose to stay, caught by the spirit of communal self-preservation that defines the kingdom. The people are rural-minded, as four out of every five citizens has family somewhere in the Morrain countryside. Some visitors from foreign kingdoms regard the folk of Galaron as simpletons, but upon returning home find that their own people are callous and cynical by comparison. Adventurers have always been welcome in the city, as evidenced by the many prosperous taverns and inns who compete for their gold.

The wharves of the city teem with life, as fishermen compete with explorers for docking space. The cry of gulls and the scent of saltwater permeate the bayside district, as the longshoremen sing their shanties and foul the air with good-hearted profanity. Ship captains are numerous, most willing to ferry passengers across Valfors Bay for gold in advance during summer or early fall. As adventurers bring only sporadic business, the sailors owe their livelihood to the fishermen and hunters who ply the hinterlands and waters of the bay year round.

Though the city owes its continued existence to the valor of its people, none dismiss the magic rumored to infuse its very walls. Shortly after the demise of the First Lord five centuries ago, walls that appear to be an aggregate of granite and malachite arose seemingly overnight. In the taverns of the city, legends still tell of the mysterious cloaked men who attended the funeral of Morro Stormwarden and raised the walls for its perpetual defense. The gleaming walls are wondrous to look upon during the day, but they are a sight to behold at night: a ghostly green glow emanates from the veins of malachite. History has seen many armies lay siege to Morrain’s capital city, but none have succeeded in breaching its walls, which rebound magic and siege weaponry.

Rising from the heart of the city is Stormkeep, the home of King Mirias Stormwarden, the Argent Sovereign. The fortress is as formidable as any dwarf citadel, though its garrison is small. Built of black-veined gray stone, Stormkeep consists of a series of high towers and crenellated walls, with a long drawbridge spanning a “moat” of deadly elemental wind. The citadel is also home to a regiment of paladins known as the Argent Knights, who serve as both royal guards and elite soldiers in times of need. The Knights are led by the elfmaid Lady Tyaline and are devoted to Gorhan, the Helmed Vengeance. Much like the faith of Gorhan, the Knights are racially diverse; fully half of the regiment consists of nonhumans.

The criminal element of Galaron is trenchant but small, subsisting on citizens and visitors like a sufferable parasite, taking only what it requires while leaving its victims healthy. When true peril threatens the city, the rogues themselves take up arms against the common enemy. “Should Galaron fall,” one adage proclaims, “hope for all of Morrain is lost forever.” While some attribute the thieves’ uncanny symbiosis to the spirit of community or simple pragmatism, others believe there is a single mastermind who rules the underworld. Folktales persist that Venth himself, the legendary thief and one of Morro Stormwarden’s own companions, lingers still in spectral form, forcing the scoundrels of the city to fight as he did against true evil.

Complacency is one vice to which the citizens of Galaron cannot be attributed. Life is short, and tomorrow the dragons of the Frosteye Mountains could fall upon them en masse or the Scourge in the east could breach the Ul Dominor Mountains and overtake them. Therefore they live life to its fullest, celebrating the rise of the sun each day and every successful hunt. This spirit of merriment has kindled even the hearts of its nonhuman residents. As the elves sing and dance to the music of the Anseur glades, the dwarves raise their tankards and host drinking games by their Holdfast kin. The gnomes and halflings, of course, need little excuse to join their taller neighbors. Despite the cold climate of Morrain, Galaron hosts festivals throughout the year. Between such events, individual families hold their own revels.

Inns: The Emerald Wyrm (expensive), the Elven Oak Inn (expensive, elvish decor and cuisine), Warrior’s Rest (average), the Root Cellar (average, gnome-catered), the Road’s End (average, halfling-catered).
Taverns: The Silver Chalice (expensive), the Hawk & Child (average), the Wyvern’s Head, the Landshark (average), Fish N’ Guts (poor, dockside).
Shrines & Temples: Valiant Hall (temple of Gorhan), the House of Fire (temple of Fenwar), the Starspire (observatory and temple of Ireth), Vault of Radiance (temple and library of Delvyr), the Bellhouse (lighthouse, anchorage, and shrine dedicated to Ilquot; located on a jetty).

This certainly isn't final, nor is the format. I'm trying to come up with a better name for the king's castle than Stormkeep, but I'll use that if I can't.

arlanni · Post by **arlanni** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:23 am

Jeff,

No problem with altering the distance between Cillamar and Castle Whiterock. We just need to be consistent in the text of the adventure.

One (or two) days via horse is fine with me.

Chris

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:00 am

Harley wrote:

Borders of Morraine:
South: Starting just south of the Volcano caves, following the river
west to the north shore of the lake, north and west following the river
to the north and west border of the Witchwood, then north to the Anseur
forest.
It's important to note that the borders are very fluid, especially where
they involve woods. How much reign does Morrain exert over the
Witchwood? Very little. Same too, for the Anseur.

Therefore would this be a relatively accurate approximation of the region this boxed set should cover? And have there been any thoughts regarding what form the map will take in this boxed set?

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:38 am

Jeff,

Perfect.

Regarding map size and format, we'll need to check w/ Joseph and Jeremy. I think the space we've outlined fits the general width vs. length of a poster map, but I thought that about DCC world too. (I just established last night that I am cartographically impaired.)

I'm sorry I've been away, Whiterock team, but I'm back now and will be getting to all the questions. Jeff and I will be speaking tonight or tomorrow night, so we should be in good shape.

Also, I don't see any reason why we can't correct the location of Cillamar to match what the writers need. The boxed set map had some other issues (try to find DCC #0) so I think this just counts as a minor correction.

//H

Post by **Jengenritz** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:44 am

Sorry to pester, but is my notation of time (above) acceptable, or is there another standard I should follow?

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:49 am

Also, I don't see any reason why we can't correct the location of Cillamar to match what the writers need.

That said, let's not make it drastic. Moving the town a little bit in any direction would be okay, but we don't want to make a glaring change that DCC #35 owners would find obviously contradictory.

"Hey, what's Cillamar doing on the west side of the Morro River?"

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:06 am

Sorry to pester, but is my notation of time (above) acceptable, or is there another standard I should follow?

Think we'll have to defer to Harley on this one.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:05 pm

(1) Adrian, Chris: Question about Whiterock specifically. What do you want the commoners of Morrain to know about Whiterock?

I've written up the history of the Kingdom of Morrain so far without much reference to Whiterock. In other words, the history of Whiterock and the history of the kingdom aren't strongly related at this point. But they can be.

If you think Joe Commoner in Morrain (and I don't just mean Joe Commoner from Cillamar, of course he'd know a bit more because Whiterock is closer to him) would know a little something about the ruin of Whiterock, then it's likely that it would have played some small role in the history of the realm as a whole. But if you don't want Joe Commoner knowing much at all, then it likely has had little impact on the nation as a whole.

I want this fact to be your call, as the designer of this monster dungeon crawl itself. So please let me know what you prefer.

(2) Adrian, Chris, Harley: This one I just need help on. What do you think the people of Morrain should be called? Morrainians is a mouthful and unimaginative. Morrains is do-able and easier to implement but also sounds a bit too much like "morons.". :/ It would be cool to come up with a very different word only partially like the kingdom name. Such as how people from Waterdeep are called Waterdhavians.

. Now, Morrain gets its name from a guy named Morro, so just calling them Morros would be weird. Any suggestions?

More questions as I think of them.

Post by **Jengenritz** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:39 pm

Hey Jeff,

1) Commoners would know:
- Ghorrene the Black is said to have conducted deviltry there...depends on how much a "bogeyman" Ghorrene is...if he's used to scare children, then they would probably say he was there
- some red dragon lives there/old legends talk about a red dragon that lived there
- gnomes/dwarves live or used to live there, and either killed or were killed by orcs...in any case there was a lot of fighting and its changed hands a lot
- used to be a Criestine outpost before the Interregnum
- "fire won't burn there, no fire at all" (j/k)

That would probably be about it for the common Joe.

Those in arcane circles would know about a rakshasa archmage named Bhagamaya who has secret gatherings there, and those in nefarious circles would probably know about the slavers of the Iron Manacle, while monks would probably be aware that it was originally a monastery. Finally, those up on planar knowledge would be aware the place has a reputation of being a "dead zone" for summoning.

2) What about something like:

Morreen/Morrein
Morran/Morrán
Morrihim
Morradim

- or replace the initial Morr- with Murr- on any of the above, or add "I" or "U" to indicate "of Morrain"...ex. Imorreen.

Morrosim ("people of Morros")
Emorros/Umorros/Ulmorros ("of Morros")

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:03 pm

Ghorrene the Black is said to have conducted deviltry there...depends on how much a "bogeyman" Ghorrene is...if he's used to scare children, then they would probably say he was there.

That's very good to know! Especially since I was about to put him somewhere else! Can you tell me more about it? All I have to go on is from the timeline:

2887 In a private imperial court, the eldest son of the emperor, Ghorrene the Black Eagle, is convicted of deviltry. Ghorrene is exiled from Crieste and the imperial throne is awarded to his younger brother, Oststad the II.
2894 The Black Eagle raises an army of evil mercenaries, slaves, and monstrous humanoids, and sails on eastern Crieste. The warriors stationed at Gurnard’s Head are ordered to hold their posts at all costs, beginning the Siege of Sorrows.
2899 The armies of the Black Eagle are defeated, and Ghorrene vanishes into the East.
2903 Emperor Oststad the II is abducted from his palace in Kassantia. The lord-barons are unable to decide upon a new emperor. The Interregnum begins, lasting for the next 300 years.

- some red dragon lives there/old legends talk about a red dragon that lived there
- gnomes/dwarves live or used to live there, and either killed or were killed by orcs...in any case there was a lot of fighting and its changed hands a lot

Easy.

- used to be a Criestine outpost before the Interregnum

Ahh, so that we need to work out somehow. Adrian, I'm going to send you what I have so far so you know where I'm at with this. Maybe we can find a way to bring Criestine in more...but right now Morraine's founder is from a Criestine family, self-exiled, but that's the only connection.

Those in arcane circles would know about a rakshasa archmage named Bhagamaya who has secret gatherings there, and those in nefarious circles would probably know about the slavers of the Iron Manacle, while monks would probably be aware that it was originally a monastery. Finally, those up on planar knowledge would be aware the place has a reputation of being a "dead zone" for summoning.

Cool.

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:56 am

Hey, guys. I've updated the map to show you how I've begun to place some new items. I have my own suggestions about how the boxed set should include a map of Morrain and I've sent that to Harley. We can talk about that later. But for now I wanted to show you some of my additions, regarding new towns/villages and other. This certainly isn't final, though.

Note that I tentatively placed Castle Whiterock on the map. This isn't fixed, so feel free to make suggestions about relocating it. But here's my thinking so far:

- You wanted Cillamar to be the closest settlement to Whiterock, so I don't think the castle should be west of Cillamar or it'll be too close to Galaron. (Far Leurre isn't actually a town. It's a "decoy" for those who seek out the gem-rich mining town of Far Cirque.)

- Since Whiterock is built at the edge of a caldera lake, it should probably be closer to the mountains. Question: is the lake itself long since gone? Even if it's around still, it shouldn't be big enough that it should have shown up on the Áereth world map.

- The only problem remains that you wanted it to have some connection to sea caves, right? The only way to do that is to place Whiterock within the Ashwood Forest...but then it's probably not going to be in a previous volcanic region.

- Also, the more I think about the fact that Cillamar was built in the ruins of Stonham, which was founded to be near the construction site, makes me think that yeah, Castle Whiterock ought to be pretty close to Cillmar, after all. Geographically close, but perhaps there could be some sort of natural obstacles to prevent it from being just a brief stroll out of town?

Thoughts?