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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Oct 2020 : 15:14:53
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Made a new "Pay What you Want" DM's Guild Product. Its just 3 maps, one specifically containing stuff for Maztica, Anchorome, and Lopango that we've talked about in the past or which are in your "Maztica Alive" stuff on DM's Guild. Another is a start for Katashaka. The third shows these two connecting, plus a possible position for Laerakond off Maztica's southwestern coast (because noone should ever lose something). Its also got some additions of my own for the United Tharchs of Toril. Just had this on my hard drive for a long time and finally figured out a way that got it into PNG format without it looking horrible (the large map is a little rough).
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/331018/Returned-Realms-Atlas--Maztica-Anchorome-Lopango-Katashaka?
This product contains three separate magical images which may be opened using a special lightning utilizing machine to display the images as illusions that can be zoomed into for extreme clarity. These three magical images are stored in a format known to technomages as PNG format files and are separate from this document. A extremely high level overview of these images can be seen on the prior cover page.
This and other geographical documents produced by the United Tharchs of Toril in the years just following the Second Sundering have been produced as quickly as possible in order to maintain a working map of Toril as it stands today. However, the sudden appearances of towns and forests over the last several years has at times made keeping this document up to date... bothersome... It should be noted that cartographers have been given considerable expense by Zulkir Mythrell'aa of the Tharch of Luneira to render these maps from several of her Quads in orbit. Only one such cartographer, a noted Leiran, had to be slain in order to curtail the grandiose blandishments which would be unbelievable to outsiders.
In order to maintain maximum security for the United Tharchs of Toril, several discrepancies have deliberately been placed on any topological documents, but they may be corrected if one has been entrusted with the necessary physical and logical implements to decrypt them. Praise Leira, goddess of illusion. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2020 : 00:33:03
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Made a new "Pay What you Want" DM's Guild Product. Its just 3 maps, one specifically containing stuff for Maztica, Anchorome, and Lopango that we've talked about in the past or which are in your "Maztica Alive" stuff on DM's Guild. Another is a start for Katashaka. The third shows these two connecting, plus a possible position for Laerakond off Maztica's southwestern coast (because noone should ever lose something). Its also got some additions of my own for the United Tharchs of Toril. Just had this on my hard drive for a long time and finally figured out a way that got it into PNG format without it looking horrible (the large map is a little rough).
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/331018/Returned-Realms-Atlas--Maztica-Anchorome-Lopango-Katashaka?
This product contains three separate magical images which may be opened using a special lightning utilizing machine to display the images as illusions that can be zoomed into for extreme clarity. These three magical images are stored in a format known to technomages as PNG format files and are separate from this document. A extremely high level overview of these images can be seen on the prior cover page.
This and other geographical documents produced by the United Tharchs of Toril in the years just following the Second Sundering have been produced as quickly as possible in order to maintain a working map of Toril as it stands today. However, the sudden appearances of towns and forests over the last several years has at times made keeping this document up to date... bothersome... It should be noted that cartographers have been given considerable expense by Zulkir Mythrell'aa of the Tharch of Luneira to render these maps from several of her Quads in orbit. Only one such cartographer, a noted Leiran, had to be slain in order to curtail the grandiose blandishments which would be unbelievable to outsiders.
In order to maintain maximum security for the United Tharchs of Toril, several discrepancies have deliberately been placed on any topological documents, but they may be corrected if one has been entrusted with the necessary physical and logical implements to decrypt them. Praise Leira, goddess of illusion.
Did they remove it? That happens to me every time because I forget the dumb logo. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2020 : 01:06:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Made a new "Pay What you Want" DM's Guild Product. Its just 3 maps, one specifically containing stuff for Maztica, Anchorome, and Lopango that we've talked about in the past or which are in your "Maztica Alive" stuff on DM's Guild. Another is a start for Katashaka. The third shows these two connecting, plus a possible position for Laerakond off Maztica's southwestern coast (because noone should ever lose something). Its also got some additions of my own for the United Tharchs of Toril. Just had this on my hard drive for a long time and finally figured out a way that got it into PNG format without it looking horrible (the large map is a little rough).
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/331018/Returned-Realms-Atlas--Maztica-Anchorome-Lopango-Katashaka?
This product contains three separate magical images which may be opened using a special lightning utilizing machine to display the images as illusions that can be zoomed into for extreme clarity. These three magical images are stored in a format known to technomages as PNG format files and are separate from this document. A extremely high level overview of these images can be seen on the prior cover page.
This and other geographical documents produced by the United Tharchs of Toril in the years just following the Second Sundering have been produced as quickly as possible in order to maintain a working map of Toril as it stands today. However, the sudden appearances of towns and forests over the last several years has at times made keeping this document up to date... bothersome... It should be noted that cartographers have been given considerable expense by Zulkir Mythrell'aa of the Tharch of Luneira to render these maps from several of her Quads in orbit. Only one such cartographer, a noted Leiran, had to be slain in order to curtail the grandiose blandishments which would be unbelievable to outsiders.
In order to maintain maximum security for the United Tharchs of Toril, several discrepancies have deliberately been placed on any topological documents, but they may be corrected if one has been entrusted with the necessary physical and logical implements to decrypt them. Praise Leira, goddess of illusion.
Did they remove it? That happens to me every time because I forget the dumb logo.
Weird, it still says private. Wonder if its because its a mix of PDF and graphic images. I didn't get any notification. Ah, I'll give it a day and see if it changes. I have the logo on the PDF. I wonder if they're going to require it on all the maps too? I wouldn't think they'd expect that added to people's art. Then again, it might be the file sizes too, as its like 300 meg.
EDIT: Ah, I got an answer. I had thought to do just a map pack and later do other things, and then that way you or anyone else could use them. But I may need to go ahead and write something else and add them into it. That's all right. I kind of did this to get an idea of how much of a hassle it would be to make them, and it took about 6 hours to export then puzzle piece them back together. That and I think I want to swap out some of the pictures (I had made some simple art of parrots, and when exported and made small they came out looking very very bad).
This is what I was sent:
"Duplicated maps, including maps recreated in different art styles, can only be published on Dungeon Masters Guild if they directly support another adventure or supplement. They cannot be the primary product. If you write an adventure that takes places in a location from an existing D&D adventure, you can include redrawn maps of that location. You cannot publish the redrawn maps as an independent map pack. For example, if your adventure is set in Luskan, you can include redrawn maps of the city and nearby locations; however, you cannot publish those redrawn maps as a separate map pack or stock art." |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 06 Oct 2020 11:53:40 |
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Mrestos Khorvaen
Acolyte
Spain
48 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2020 : 11:00:25
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| What exactly is Kathashaka? |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2020 : 11:58:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Mrestos Khorvaen
What exactly is Kathashaka?
A continent that's gotten little documentation (not even its positive location). Its in GHotR on the entry about the tabaxi coming to chult, "the sleeper", and the "god" Olurobo and his children the "nyama-nummo". Its a land of spirits where there was no teaching of "matumbe, the forbidden magic". In some ways its similar to Osse, which also has little information, hints here and there about a continent that's not in Faerun. So, I have taken a keen interest in playing with it, and a few people have also shown a level of interest.
Most people think its the continent that's butted right up below Lopango, which is the peninsula at the bottom of Maztica. Some think its the smaller island continent next to it. I have decided lately to go with the idea that its both and that at one time they were connected (and therefore, my term for that other place is Eastern Katashaka.... the inhabitants may call it something else, and some maps I have seen named it Numibia). We know to get to Chult from it, you travel "northward" according to GHotR.
Its so close to Maztica, that it would be hard to believe that the continents don't have at least some level of interaction. In Lopango, Seethyr had some "jungle orc sorcerers" that came from there (so some orcs that apparently bred with something there and inherited power).
More info can be found here
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Katashaka |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2020 : 23:39:41
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
This is what I was sent:
"Duplicated maps, including maps recreated in different art styles, can only be published on Dungeon Masters Guild if they directly support another adventure or supplement. They cannot be the primary product. If you write an adventure that takes places in a location from an existing D&D adventure, you can include redrawn maps of that location. You cannot publish the redrawn maps as an independent map pack. For example, if your adventure is set in Luskan, you can include redrawn maps of the city and nearby locations; however, you cannot publish those redrawn maps as a separate map pack or stock art."
I guess that makes sense in a way, but it's unfortunate. Let's find some stuff to use it for then!
Anyway, here is my newest project since I finished the Ruins of Olbi and updated the Scorpionfolk guide.
It is the 40 day journey from the Sword Coast to Waterdeep in a day by day adventure. Most days will have small events but there will be little mini-adventures included. It is meant to be ripped apart so that people can take what they like and throw out the rest. Very few of the encounters will be interconnected.
Voyage to the True World |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
Edited by - Seethyr on 07 Oct 2020 23:40:09 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2020 : 03:22:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
This is what I was sent:
"Duplicated maps, including maps recreated in different art styles, can only be published on Dungeon Masters Guild if they directly support another adventure or supplement. They cannot be the primary product. If you write an adventure that takes places in a location from an existing D&D adventure, you can include redrawn maps of that location. You cannot publish the redrawn maps as an independent map pack. For example, if your adventure is set in Luskan, you can include redrawn maps of the city and nearby locations; however, you cannot publish those redrawn maps as a separate map pack or stock art."
I guess that makes sense in a way, but it's unfortunate. Let's find some stuff to use it for then!
Anyway, here is my newest project since I finished the Ruins of Olbi and updated the Scorpionfolk guide.
It is the 40 day journey from the Sword Coast to Waterdeep in a day by day adventure. Most days will have small events but there will be little mini-adventures included. It is meant to be ripped apart so that people can take what they like and throw out the rest. Very few of the encounters will be interconnected.
Voyage to the True World
hmmm, that's one idea that would fit. I'm going to finish up the bear race tomorrow and hopefully do hybsil, shatjan, raccoon folk and foxiytaurs and release that with the maps ( I may redo the maps too, just a few minor picture changes of creatures on them as I now realize some look ugly) |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2020 : 17:42:42
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Voyage to the True World WIP 10-12-20
Started to realize this is going to be quite an undertaking - they always end up so much longer than planned! I promised to fill out 40 days worth of voyage encounters on the sea, and I will make it if it kills me. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2020 : 20:20:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
Voyage to the True World WIP 10-12-20
Started to realize this is going to be quite an undertaking - they always end up so much longer than planned! I promised to fill out 40 days worth of voyage encounters on the sea, and I will make it if it kills me.
If you don't have a map going, let me add the locations from blacktoe glacier and do some cleanup and I'll make a new map showing Anchorome,Maztica,Lopango, Katashaka, and Laerakond and the 5 other "undiscovered" continents in relation to the sword coast/nimbral/moonshaes/evermeet, etc...
Meanwhile, check your mail. The ones I was going to upload, I just shared with you just so you can see where I was going with it. The one showing the sword coast and what not was the least clean of them, because I wasn't as good at splicing. Oh, and I sent the links from my gaming email that I never think to check, so just hit me up here if I don't respond right away.
By the way, if you want to add any "previously unknown islands" hey, let me know and I can add them now. Any number of things may have changed with the spellplague and second sundering regarding islands off the coast of Anchorome and Maztica. I personally haven't placed it, but I want to put some refugees from Thay, Samarach, Thindol, and Tashluta on one island together. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2020 : 21:14:38
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| That map is fantastic! I couldn’t look at it until I got back to work. I’m amazed at the level of detail and accuracy to the “originals.” |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2020 : 23:09:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
That map is fantastic! I couldn’t look at it until I got back to work. I’m amazed at the level of detail and accuracy to the “originals.”
I took some time today and got rid of a lot of the creatures I had on there. I thought they would look better, but it didn't. I also made some areas smaller, added the sites from blacktoe glacier, and put some more colonies for myself on an island off the coast. I'll try to make a new big map tomorrow, but first I wanted to see if it kind of fit what you might like to use. I also think I'm going to take some of my 3d painted pictures of creatures that I plan on actually using and using THOSE on the map. Not sure how they'll look, but I like the idea of showing where the bear folk, kercpa, shatjan, etc... are based on little pictures. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 26 Oct 2020 : 09:30:15
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Great Reader sleyvas,
Did something get done to get that issue resolved you commented on for it showing private?
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2020 : 22:14:36
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Hey Seethyr,
After thinking about the idea that in the metahel pantheon the roles of "the eagle", Ratatosk, and Nidhogg are fulfilled by "the dawn cock", "Rititisk the Clever", and an undead version of Seradess the Obsidian Dragon Thane (believed killed by Sardior)..... I thought about the idea that plumastone is obsidian... and maybe all the pockets of plumastone that can be found in the true world are actually the remains of obsidian dragons killed long ago after Sardior "killed" Seradess and banished them from his court. Since they liked volcanic regions, having a lot of "plumastone" down in Lopango, Land of the Sacred Sun, could make some sense. In fact..... now that I'm thinking even more on that story idea.... The Dawn Cock... brilliant feathers and sun... Intiri... see where my mind is going? I think we can turn this into something with Intiri somehow involved (whether he is the dawn cock, or he has a giant rooster pet, or even the idea that the dawn cock is a named male prismatic or mirage dragon isn't out of the park)
3.5e link to obsidian dragons
https://web.archive.org/web/20140213210236/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20030124b
3.5 link to Sardior article that gives stats for Seradess (assuming prior to her "being destroyed")
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20030124a
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 28 Nov 2020 22:23:15 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2020 : 18:46:20
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These are for down in Lopango rather than Anchorome, but I just figured I would put it here since its all for the true world.
Flame Flamingo - size small - a variant of flamingo found in Lopango near volcanos. They are fire resistant and eat cooled lava as an addition to their diet. Their feathers glow with a faerie fire like effect in darkness, and when they are attack they can surround themselves with an effect resembling fire shield. They possess the ability to surround their beak in flames.
Giant Flame Flamingo - size large -
1449 DR - Using knowledge of transformation potions used on Azuposi humans by “the Ancients”, the red wizards of Lopango tharch experiment with flame flamingos. They manage to create a version of giant flame flamingo that can serve as a mount and which can extend its fire shield to its rider. Their feathers are useful in scribing scrolls related to fire magic, and the plumacloth woven from their feathers typically possesses some resistance to fire. These creatures have become a favored mount by the Mulan, Kolan, and Natican priests of Tezkossuth, lord of fire, who preach that the secrets of their creature were caused by divine inspiration for the red wizard who developed the potion, who was a member of the church of Tezkossuth.
Cathlyre - size small - underdark bird that's canon to be "similar to a peacock" and favored by dark elves, but little more is known. My adds based on some previous thoughts, their feathers are crystalline in structure and male feathers can glow like neon when initiating mating rituals. They are similar to a cockatrice in that they can temporarily petrify their prey, and they typically attack creatures smaller than themselves such as rats and insects. Their crystalline feathers are often taken and used as wind chimes in dark elven communities (though most winds in their communities are generated to keep their air from turning stale). The thinner crystalline strands are often used as lyre strings in small harps used by dark elven bards. Their crystalline feathers, when exposed to faerzress for an extended period are believed to slowly absorb the energy and can be used in many magical rituals. Their excrement is particularly useful as a fertilizer for fungi, and cathlyres are often kept as pets in myconid communities. Ground cathlyre feathers can be used in many situations where gorgon's blood is used as well.
Dire Cathlyre - size large -
1463 DR - Using knowledge of transformation potions used on Azuposi humans by “the Ancients”, the red wizards of Lopango tharch experiment with the underdark bird known as a cathlyre. They create a version of cathlyre that possesses the same nature as the smaller cathlyre, but also possesses a magical song called a “Cathlyre's Lullaby” which is a targeted effect which causes sleep and another songe called “Cathlyre's Charm” that can work like a charm person effect. These creatures lack the ability to fly, but they become the favored mount of the school of enchantment as well as bards of the tharch. This creation is unable to breed true unfortunately and thus new dire cathlyres must be created via potion creation.
1472 DR – Using dire cathlyre dung along with victims of russet mold or vegepygmy spores, red wizards of the Lopango tharch discover that they can produce a slightly tougher version of vegepygmy that is also more susceptible to charm magics. The tharch begins capturing jungle orcs and cayma alive and using their bodies to harvest new “cathlyre-bred” vegepygmies to serve as guards and using plumawoven chokers of cathlyre feathers that serve as charm tokens to control the creatures.
Giant Parrot - size large, but only barely... a parrot that CAN be a flying mount but can't carry much more than the weight of a human with a bow or staff.
1432 DR – Using knowledge of transformation potions used on Azuposi humans by “the Ancients”, the red wizards of Lopango experiment with local bird populations. They manage the creation of transformed parrots that are the size of horses. Though nowhere near as effective as giant eagles or owls for combat, these animals are useful as flying mounts and require less meat to feed them. Unfortunately, the potion dims the animals' intelligence even further, and attempts to awaken these beasts generally fail. Given that their smaller cousins seemingly possess some ability to speak, red wizards continue trying to perfect this potion for the next fifty years and experiment on other birds. The birds are found to breed true, and soon the Lopango tharch has hundreds of these creatures patrolling its skies. Several incidents at creating more intelligent versions of these creatures result in some of these creatures escaping captivity, and a wild population of giant parrots begins to grow. Their feathers are prized for their use in plumaweaving, and the creation of plumacloth and plumasails becomes a regular commodity for this tharch. Giant parrot meat is found to be very tasty by the inhabitants of the tharch, as well as the jungle orcs, and hunting of the wild population threatens them even as they grow. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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HyperboreanTom
Acolyte
Canada
12 Posts |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2021 : 01:58:20
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quote:
Originally posted by HyperboreanTom
Just wanted to pop on and say how inspiring I found the Maztica Alive and Anchorome Campaign Guide. Great work!
I did some original drawings of True Worlders, and then also some versions of Marvel Comics' Indigenous characters as Anchorome PCs.
https://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com/maztica-anchorome/
Thanks for the exciting ideas!
Hey thank you! I’m glad you like it!
I’m checking out the comic characters now and really love this. Can you give me more info on what’s going on? Color me really interested. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2021 : 22:12:15
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quote:
Originally posted by HyperboreanTom
Just wanted to pop on and say how inspiring I found the Maztica Alive and Anchorome Campaign Guide. Great work!
I did some original drawings of True Worlders, and then also some versions of Marvel Comics' Indigenous characters as Anchorome PCs.
https://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com/maztica-anchorome/
Thanks for the exciting ideas!
I can see that that looks like a flaming fist symbol on several of those people in Anchorome, but what's the symbol on the banner? |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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HyperboreanTom
Acolyte
Canada
12 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2021 : 05:25:58
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Thanks! Not much to say, other than I like drawing and drawing Anchorome-inspired D&D characters was immediately what I jumped to after I read the Campaign Guide - although I took my own artistic license of course.
Marvel characters were a good start and I ended up with my own ideas as well. I still have a few that I'm working on (Metahel, more elves, Red Wolf, Wyatt Wingfoot, etc) and have yet to go up, and I haven't decided whether I'll give Indigenous DC characters a try.
The banner is definitely just another Flaming Fist Logo (https://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com/2020/12/15/fort-flame/). Always be brandin'!
Hey thank you! I’m glad you like it!
I’m checking out the comic characters now and really love this. Can you give me more info on what’s going on? Color me really interested.
[/quote] |
http://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2021 : 14:33:50
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quote:
Originally posted by HyperboreanTom
Thanks! Not much to say, other than I like drawing and drawing Anchorome-inspired D&D characters was immediately what I jumped to after I read the Campaign Guide - although I took my own artistic license of course.
Marvel characters were a good start and I ended up with my own ideas as well. I still have a few that I'm working on (Metahel, more elves, Red Wolf, Wyatt Wingfoot, etc) and have yet to go up, and I haven't decided whether I'll give Indigenous DC characters a try.
The banner is definitely just another Flaming Fist Logo (https://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com/2020/12/15/fort-flame/). Always be brandin'!
Hey thank you! I’m glad you like it!
I’m checking out the comic characters now and really love this. Can you give me more info on what’s going on? Color me really interested.
[/quote]
I'm reading the linked page that you just sent. So, you're take on Fort Flame would be one which would put them as a very aggressive society (which absolutely fits mind you).
One of the things that I threw in there in my homebrew comes from Lands of Intrigue where it talks about Fort Flame. Its one of the few canon things that ever came out about Fort Flame.
From Lands of Intrigue
Through the effort of the Flaming Fists, Fort Flame, the sole settlement of Balduran, survives despite frequent attacks by the wild elves in these northern jungles. The fort's inhabitants have few resources to spare for trade, but their plan to gain Calishite fire (a nonmagical, alchemical incendiary) should allow them to bum away the surrounding jungle, giving them both agricultural land and a buffer zone against the elves. Strangely, elves who arrive here from Faerûn cannot communicate with the wild elves of this land, who show no willingness to talk with anyone.
I kind of talked about it in this topic
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23395
My take is that Fort Flame didn't get Calishite Fire from Calimshan. They opened negotiations with Thay's guild of foreign trade. In essence, they would cede away a portion of the surrounding territory as a trade enclave if the Thayans would come help hold the territory. They lose nothing since they need the help holding land, except that they invite another potential enemy to be near them (who could also be an ally). The Thayans go full bore with the idea, especially after the civil war starts and people are looking for places to live that are not infested with undead. The idea of free land for the taking sounds great, and so this trade enclave grows quite large (relatively speaking mind... fort flame was only a few hundred folks) but also quite separate from fort flame. This becomes the Balduran Bay Trade Enclave, and when they transfer to Abeir, this enclave finds an island off shore to expand to rather than waste resources fighting elves. This allows them to be a roaming threat along the coastline, putting in to cut timber, hunt, capture people, or just explore for resources.
When they came over, they would have also have brought gnoll and centaur soldiers (of which Thay has many), who may have since left the enclave and "gone native" in Anchorome. I like the idea of gnolls fighting with the elves and moving into the sands of Itzcala, and centaurs moving in to live in plains where wild horses run makes sense.
Reason I mention this is it could make for an interesting visual motif for you, since the Thayans also have definite flame/skulls/occult symbolism. They can present a definitely sinister branding and give Fort Flame something of a more "honorable" reputation. You could have degrees of virtue found in the community so to speak, with some possibly some small villages on the edges of fort flame's influence having formed relationships with the elves and the fort itself being the cruel military. Meanwhile, the red wizards are taking dead elves and animating them.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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HyperboreanTom
Acolyte
Canada
12 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2021 : 01:48:32
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Hey thank you! I’m glad you like it!
I’m checking out the comic characters now and really love this. Can you give me more info on what’s going on? Color me really interested.
[/quote]
I'm reading the linked page that you just sent. So, you're take on Fort Flame would be one which would put them as a very aggressive society (which absolutely fits mind you).
One of the things that I threw in there in my homebrew comes from Lands of Intrigue where it talks about Fort Flame. Its one of the few canon things that ever came out about Fort Flame.
From Lands of Intrigue
Through the effort of the Flaming Fists, Fort Flame, the sole settlement of Balduran, survives despite frequent attacks by the wild elves in these northern jungles. The fort's inhabitants have few resources to spare for trade, but their plan to gain Calishite fire (a nonmagical, alchemical incendiary) should allow them to bum away the surrounding jungle, giving them both agricultural land and a buffer zone against the elves. Strangely, elves who arrive here from Faerûn cannot communicate with the wild elves of this land, who show no willingness to talk with anyone.
I kind of talked about it in this topic
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23395
My take is that Fort Flame didn't get Calishite Fire from Calimshan. They opened negotiations with Thay's guild of foreign trade. In essence, they would cede away a portion of the surrounding territory as a trade enclave if the Thayans would come help hold the territory. They lose nothing since they need the help holding land, except that they invite another potential enemy to be near them (who could also be an ally). The Thayans go full bore with the idea, especially after the civil war starts and people are looking for places to live that are not infested with undead. The idea of free land for the taking sounds great, and so this trade enclave grows quite large (relatively speaking mind... fort flame was only a few hundred folks) but also quite separate from fort flame. This becomes the Balduran Bay Trade Enclave, and when they transfer to Abeir, this enclave finds an island off shore to expand to rather than waste resources fighting elves. This allows them to be a roaming threat along the coastline, putting in to cut timber, hunt, capture people, or just explore for resources.
When they came over, they would have also have brought gnoll and centaur soldiers (of which Thay has many), who may have since left the enclave and "gone native" in Anchorome. I like the idea of gnolls fighting with the elves and moving into the sands of Itzcala, and centaurs moving in to live in plains where wild horses run makes sense.
Reason I mention this is it could make for an interesting visual motif for you, since the Thayans also have definite flame/skulls/occult symbolism. They can present a definitely sinister branding and give Fort Flame something of a more "honorable" reputation. You could have degrees of virtue found in the community so to speak, with some possibly some small villages on the edges of fort flame's influence having formed relationships with the elves and the fort itself being the cruel military. Meanwhile, the red wizards are taking dead elves and animating them.
[/quote]
That's a very interesting take on the coast and an interesting way to introduce complexity to Fort Flame. As I mentioned in the post, every time my PCs have run across the Flaming Fist they are colonizing bastards and so I have become very biased against them.
That being said, much like in any colonizing power, I imagine there are good individuals and there are positive relationships between individuals, even if the system the Flaming Fist are a part of is evil. And the whole Kuo-Toan thing (so awesome!) brings a new level of individual evil to the inside.
But if there's one thing that brings people together, its a greater evil - and the Red Wizards are a great choice.
I was always intrigued also by the idea that the Flaming Fist took a bunch of Eagle Knights with them from Maztica when they came north. I like to imagine that a hundred years later there is a mixed-blood population in Fort Flame that might be the key to finding a balance between colonizers and indigenous peoples. Have you guys ever discussed this?
I am working on a drawing of Marvel's Jason Strongbow/American Eagle as one of these Eagle Knights or their descendants. |
http://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2021 : 18:58:39
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Regarding a mixed-blood population in Fort Flame, I've very much decided to go that method with both Fort Flame and the Balduran Bay Trade Enclave. However, I'm doing it via multiple avenues. A big part of my homebrew storyline is that the thayans were building out new trade enclaves in not only Anchorome, but also several of the countries in the Chultan peninsula. I also believe that the thayan trade enclaves in Sembia were abandoned in the years leading up to the Netherese moving in and in Messemprar in Unther as the city was falling to Mulhorand. The members of these trade enclaves went down to Tashluta in Tashalar, Lundeth in Thindol, and Samargol in Samarach where they established the new enclaves, and also to Chessentan enclaves and back home to fight in the civil war. In Lundeth, they setup a portal to a place in Anchrome that's hidden that the red wizards find, and the "mill factories" that were turning out inferior swords start producing simple building materials (nails, screws, hammers, saws, chisels, etc...). The red wizards don't really care that these building materials are sub-standard just so long as they can use them to build housing, warehouses, fencing, fort walls, saw mills, drying sheds for bricks, leanto stables and smithies, tanneries, etc... relatively quickly.
When the spellplague hit, small portions of Samargol and Tashluta transferred. Lundeth transferred fully, but the mountains that fed its rivers didn't, so all its wondrous mills were useless and the growing of crops quickly became a problem. Also, since all these areas were relatively small and surrounded by Abeiran neighbors, they relatively quickly started running into issues, and eventually each of the three groups abandons where they are and uses the portal to come to Anchorome. For my purposes, I did this to bring in some Savrassan worshippers of Tashluta along with more red wizards (approx. 2,000 people), some illusionists and Leiran worshippers of Samargol along with more red wizards (approx. 12,000 people), and the remaining population of Lundeth (approx. 20,000 people). I also did it to bring the Farseer of Tashluta there while acting as a temporary avatar of Savras and the High Phantasmage of Samargol there acting as a temporary avatar of Leira.
So, this sudden population surge of ~34 thousand Chultan, Tashalan, and red wizard enclave people (rough mix 45%, 45%, 10%), while not even the equivalent of a major city in Faerun, is still a lot of displaced people who need housing. Most of them go to the Balduran Bay trade enclave as it's got the land and coastal access, some go to Fort Flame. I also picture the rashemi blooded people of thay and the metahel of anchorome finding commonality to a degree, and this population mixes a bit. Much of this population ends up going to an island off the coast, but not all.
So, along with the eagle knights like you picture in Fort Flame and the mercenaries of the Flaming Fist (which itself is a mix), there would also be ebony skinned/dark haired chultans, olive skinned/dark haired Tashalans, pale-skinned/bald Mulans, stout/tanned/darkly hairy Rashemi and Metahel.... so, in my homebrew, this makes the Fort Flame and Balduran Bay Trade Enclave population look extremely varied and less of the traditional English colonizers coming to America. This is not only in skin hair type, but also in style of dress, types of body tattoos, types of jewelry and decoration they might use, ways they might wear their hair, and even crops that they may have brought form their homes to try and grow in Anchorome, etc... So, for instance, bright, cheerful colors might be common amongst the illusion infatuated people of Samarach, but more modest colors amongst the people of fort flame, while reds are favored by the mulans. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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HyperboreanTom
Acolyte
Canada
12 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2021 : 22:41:24
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Wow! That's a real melting pot.
Switching gears, I was also drawing some Insect Folk. Do I remember reading somewhere that you guys imagine some Bacar have migrated up to Anchorome from Maztica? |
http://hyperboreancomics.wordpress.com |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2021 : 14:42:03
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quote:
Originally posted by HyperboreanTom
Wow! That's a real melting pot.
Switching gears, I was also drawing some Insect Folk. Do I remember reading somewhere that you guys imagine some Bacar have migrated up to Anchorome from Maztica?
Yeah, in his ANS1 land of the insect men product, he introduces bacar having moved up there and Abeil from Abeir migrating there. There's also ettercaps in what forests exist there. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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HyperboreanTom
Acolyte
Canada
12 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2021 : 00:58:00
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Read the below, then answer this question...... what kind of "not extremely tough" monstrous animal like creatures might there be that you can picture as being something people might want to animate. I liked death dog skeletons for the two heads to bite (granted without its diseased saliva), and Kamadans would have the multiple snake heads (granted without poison). I was thinking it might be neat to have an alternate animate dead spell that only works on monstrous types of beasts that are maybe size medium or smaller, etc... but casting as a higher level version might increase the animal size that can be made (going to large and later bigger). Hmmm, one thing that just occurred to me, skeletal almiraj, jackalopes, and dire jackalopes, as well as skeletal giant parrots and toucan.
Primarily created by the necromancers of New Kensten and the Supay gnomes, skeletal kamadans, kamatlans, and displacer beasts are seen nearly as often as humanoid skeletons. Rumors are that some hishna crafters have also learned to create construct variants of these creations as well, and the artificers of Pyruthar in Anchorome will gladly purchase the bones of these cat like beasts for this exact purpose (though they also are in favor of gathering death dog skeletons for the exact same purpose, and the Azitilan tribes of humans, who are often referred to as "the dog men" commonly gather and sell death dog skeletons at the City on the Great Glass Lake on the edge of the desert).
Go to the below link if you'd like to see pictures at once
https://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=4093&p=279080#p279080
or here's the individual pictures
https://imgur.com/KcpwCyO
https://imgur.com/nZe5Dgk
https://imgur.com/HoxtxU3
https://imgur.com/DyiLOI4 |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 11 Apr 2021 00:58:46 |
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Antanael
Acolyte
France
3 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2021 : 13:09:12
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Hello,
I'm fresh new here and I came because I've been thing for a long time to write down a campaign based in Maztica/Anchorome/Lopango. I recently discovered that a lot of assets has already been released (thanks to al of the publishers !), this is a great start to describe my own plot.
As I said, it's only a start for the moment but my intent is that the 1st chapter would be the travel from the Sword Coast to Maztica (and could refer to the Voyage to the Ture World scenario) plus the exploration of pirates island.
I've seen in this thread that there was a intention to publish something like "Netbook VIII - White Sands and Turquoise Waters - Islands of the True World" but I don't see any further reference to that.
Does someone know if this has been pursued ?
If not, does someone has inspiration ideas for the description of pirates islands (that could located north of Helmsport) ?
Thanks in advance |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2021 : 21:53:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Antanael
Hello,
I'm fresh new here and I came because I've been thing for a long time to write down a campaign based in Maztica/Anchorome/Lopango. I recently discovered that a lot of assets has already been released (thanks to al of the publishers !), this is a great start to describe my own plot.
As I said, it's only a start for the moment but my intent is that the 1st chapter would be the travel from the Sword Coast to Maztica (and could refer to the Voyage to the Ture World scenario) plus the exploration of pirates island.
I've seen in this thread that there was a intention to publish something like "Netbook VIII - White Sands and Turquoise Waters - Islands of the True World" but I don't see any further reference to that.
Does someone know if this has been pursued ?
If not, does someone has inspiration ideas for the description of pirates islands (that could located north of Helmsport) ?
Thanks in advance
Seethyr put out the majority of the works on Anchorome / Maztica/ Lopango. They're up on DM's Guild. One of the adventures he wrote might be of use to you, as it was about travelling from Waterdeep to Maztica.
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/336299/MZA6-Voyage-to-the-True-World?src=by_author_of_product
You might also be interested in his bundle
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/280958/Maztica-Alive-BUNDLE
As to a product revolving around a bunch of islands, I don't know of one. I know that Ed's original Anchorome idea was just to have a bunch of islands that he could go between (which personally is perfectly feasible by putting a sea portal that sends people travelling past say Evermeet to appear in the Crowded Sea or off the Western Coast of Zakhar in the Great Sea.
In fact, I hadn't really thought of that idea until literally just now, but I like it as a reason that the Ffolk and Northmen ended up in the Utter East areas, and possibly why people in Northern Faerun never sail directly across the ocean and find Anchorome. Maybe there is some massive portal which dumps people travelling within a certain distance of Evermeet to get relocated to the Crowded sea. Maybe this is a leftover from the epic magic that is the elven Sundering. Making it a random exit point would work quite well. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2021 : 00:01:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Antanael
Hello,
I'm fresh new here and I came because I've been thing for a long time to write down a campaign based in Maztica/Anchorome/Lopango. I recently discovered that a lot of assets has already been released (thanks to al of the publishers !), this is a great start to describe my own plot.
As I said, it's only a start for the moment but my intent is that the 1st chapter would be the travel from the Sword Coast to Maztica (and could refer to the Voyage to the Ture World scenario) plus the exploration of pirates island.
I've seen in this thread that there was a intention to publish something like "Netbook VIII - White Sands and Turquoise Waters - Islands of the True World" but I don't see any further reference to that.
Does someone know if this has been pursued ?
If not, does someone has inspiration ideas for the description of pirates islands (that could located north of Helmsport) ?
Thanks in advance
Hey there, and thank you for posting on this. It gave me a notification and I haven’t been able to write or get online very much in the last few months but I really want to answer this.
And thank you Sleyvas for pointing out those books as well.
There was a White Sands and Turquoise Waters product that I had been working on originally for Maztica and then it evolved into something different when I got further in. I had based it on stories from a number of islands (Jamaica being one) and legends told by Taino and Caribs. I remember quite enjoying the dynamic that was forming but abandoned the project at some point with hopes of restarting one day. If you’d like I could try to dig up my old notes on it if I can find them? |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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Antanael
Acolyte
France
3 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2021 : 20:33:35
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Thank you both for your answers and yes, I would be glad to get more of your thoughts about these islands and yes, I also think to reuse input coming from carribean islands.
I'm really at the early stages of the writing of this campaign, that's why any (and I mean any) assets/inputs/idea would be useful !
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Maztica Alive! Workshop
