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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 17:25:20
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I'm pretty certain that the answer here is going to be that there's been no information, BUT I just wanted to throw it out.
During the 4e era, was there anything written to indicate to anyone's knowledge that the islands off the coast of Kara-Tur STAYED in Toril? I'm specifically wondering about Wa, but I'd also possibly be interested in Koryo and Kozakura. I also know there was an island with giant creatures (the Isle of Gargantua) near Wa, and with my theories of the Katashakan Nyama-nummo being similar beings... and new theories that Wa was developing spelljamming helms that weren't dependent on the weave.... it could be interesting if they went to Abeir and returned.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2471 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 17:51:09
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| There is a mention of Wa and Kozakura in Dragon 404. So, we know for certain that those regions stayed on Toril, but we have no details. Which means that, while you cannot sent them all to Abeir (if you want to be faithful to canon), you can place bits of Abeir there, a la Akanűl/Tymanther, if you want. |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 17:54:32
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Master Zeromaru X,
Wow...that was really irritating to read that article in Dragon 404. It was just "nothing to see here, look at this place and things." I imagine they didn't have a lot because there wasn't as much engagement with Kara-Tur before as with Faerun, but that is still lame in my opinion.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2471 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 18:00:49
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| Well, they need to sell D&D, they don't do it for funsies. And people nowadays (or the great majority) isn't interested in Kara-Tur, so... |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 18:15:00
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Master Zeromaru X,
Yeah, I hear ya. I do business consulting for my day job, and I completely appreciate what you're saying. Hard to accept though when a person loves all of the Realms.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 18:25:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
There is a mention of Wa and Kozakura in Dragon 404. So, we know for certain that those regions stayed on Toril, but we have no details. Which means that, while you cannot sent them all to Abeir (if you want to be faithful to canon), you can place bits of Abeir there, a la Akanűl/Tymanther, if you want.
Thanks Zero, I knew there was one article and was hoping you would recall what was in it (I know there was little info).
Notes for self (and anyone else that wants to delve
Isle of Gargantua - insectoid (moth), Humanoid (read as humongous cavemen, cyclops, or furry yeti like being), or reptilian (biped or quadruped), Krakentua (giant mindflayer looking things that like to be worshipped). All are usually at least say 80 foot tall, reptilians can be 200 ft tall.
In looking for a place for giant bamboo, I find that the area is FILLED with giant plants. Also, possibly a primordial/great spirit/primal power. Machukara would seem a great place to build the 950 foot long Tsunami craft in secrecy. Another nice place for giant moths, caterpillars, butterflies and yes... kercpa.
The government has not yet decided quite what to do with Machukara. Its strategic position would seem to make it ideal for a military base, but the shallow reefs surrounding it make it impossible to dock ships. Clearing away enough of the jungle to establish a colony seems unfeasible. The trees tower hundreds of feet in the air and grow so close together that no sunlight reaches the jungle floor. Vines as thick as a tree trunk and as tough as marble grow in vast tangles. Where there is no jungle, there is treacherous swampland. Savage orange gorillas with blazing red eyes and silver-scaled serpents whose poison can fell an elephant are only a few of the dangerous creatures said to exist there.
As far as the government is concerned, Machukara is unpopulated. Yet, reports from travelers contradict this. A fishing boat sailing off the northeast coast sighted a garden of giant white lilacs growing along an inlet. A single petal, they reported, was larger than the sail of their ship. Venturing closer, they saw a group of small, hairy men tending the garden. The hairy men vanished into the jungle as the ship approached.
On another occasion, a ship blown off course by a hurricane was heading toward the northern coast of Machukara. The strong winds parted the trees and revealed a 100-foot ivory column with a face carved in the top. The face abruptly blew a gust of wind at the approaching ship, filling its sails and sending it back out to sea.
also this other island
The Isle of the Black Tree is adjacent to Ibhei Island. At the dawn of time, a gigantic oak tree grew here, casting a shadow that reached the mainland. The tree grew to such a height that it collapsed from its own weight. Fortunately, it collapsed to the south. Remnants of the tree, now nothing but black stone, are scattered on the island, which is otherwise completely barren. The black stone pieces are priceless gems resembling diamonds. However, as soon as a stone is removed from the island, it turns back into common oak.
weird... just noting it...
The Isle of the Gloomy Temple lies just off the southernmost peninsula of Tsukishima. The island is a vast beach containing dozens of empty galleries and shrines. When the tide rises, it appears that the buildings are floating. Ghostly deer roam the beach when the tide is low. The gods have declared the Isle of the Gloomy Temple to be a place of special sanctity. If either a birth or a death takes place on the island, it is written that the gods will unleash the nine plagues on Wa. No one knows what the nine plagues are and no one is eager to find out.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 21 Mar 2020 18:30:27 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 18:34:58
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Island dedicated to a god of fertility/gardens/giant penii … useful if we want to give blessing to the birth of people with magical capability similar to the thunder twins in the dwarves.
The Isle of Firando is noted for the abrupt shifts in weather which are determined by the moods of the primitive tribes who live there. If the natives are angry, the skies grow stormy and bleak. If the natives are happy, the sun shines brightly and the winds smell sweet. A large temple dedicated to the god Priapus, who grants fertility to infertile women, is located here.
Other islands... an island of immortals who are excellent craftsfolk who WANT to die. Possibly these are the Changelings (not Eberron kind, but the Shadow Rift Fey/Ellefolk/Arak kind)… or basically beings created from the shadow of a person and who then become obsessed with practicing whatever their main skill is. Nothing says that changelings age and die, but the bodies they leave behind are despondent.
The Isle of Immortality has many prospering
fishing villages and accomplished craftsmen. However,
all of the natives are hopelessly despondent
because they are all immortal. They have long since
grown bored with life and long for the release of
death. If they throw themselves from a cliff, strong
winds blow them back. If they try to drown themselves,
they float on the surface of the water. It is not
known why they have been cursed in this way.
an island of people who levitate because touching the ground is death/poisonous (maybe something not human? spirit folk of air? Genasi? Would Ellefolk/Arak work?). I like the idea of these beings being the Ellefolk known in "Shadow Rift" as the Arak,Sith. They have a morbid fascination with death and can turn into shadows. We just need to give them some ability to levitate (2nd edition gives them the ability to cast necromancy spells as a 7th level caster... maybe theu use some "ghost step" ability or somesuch). Perhaps the interior of their island isn't poisonous.
The Isle of Poison at first appears to be a normal
island of tidy villages and pleasant craftsmen. Closer
inspection shows the inhabitants all hover an inch or
so from the ground. The entire surface of the island is
poison, and the citizens have developed this special
ability in order to survive. They conceal the secret of
the island from visitors, taking great delight when the
unwary drop dead upon setting foot on the sand.
The "Isle of Liars"... sounds like a portal in the ocean exists that transports ships to the opposite side of the world off the coast of Nimbral. Works even more for me since I believe that there are ties between Nimbral, the moon, and my idea of Ellefolk there. The Isle of Glass.... sounds like a place where Glassteel was developed... Nimbral has Glassteel and we've been positing that so do the people of Anchorome. The Isle of Ghosts... Ellefolk / Arak,Sith can take on the form of a normal shadow (not an undead, just a shadow) indefinitely and thus some never appear in normal form…. The isle of Madness, hey, we're on a roll with the Ellefolk and the Arak,Teg could definitely be construed by some to be "mad" as they act like wild animals and hunt everything they can. The isle of the long haired and long eared barbarians... hey, Ellefolk again... the Arak,Shee look similar to elves with long ears and they might be considered barbaric for their viewpoints that taking someone's shadow and turning them into a changeling is considered a "good act". Maybe these islands have some kind of "Mythal" covering them all that protects the inhabits from sunlight. Implications to this with vampires showing up could be fun.
Other Outer Isles rumored to exist include the Isle
of Liars, the Isle of Glass, the Isle of Madness, the Isle
of Ghosts, and the Isle of the Long Haired and Long
Eared Barbarians. There may be dozens, perhaps
even hundreds more of these tiny islands in the
uncharted waters to the west of mainland Wa.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 21 Mar 2020 19:40:13 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 18:35:43
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Great Reader slevyas,
Did you get those quotes from the Kara-Tur boxed set?
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 19:41:39
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quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2
Great Reader slevyas,
Did you get those quotes from the Kara-Tur boxed set?
Best regards,
Yeah, I'm going through it slowly and making notes. Reread the one prior, as I added to it. I may be able to link a bunch of these islands to a grouping of ellefolk / Arak / "shadow elves" |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2020 : 23:57:25
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Hmmm, on the above "Island of the Long Haired and Long Eared Barbarians", it might be better with a different version of the Ellefolk/Arak … the Muryan or "Dancing Men" which can be men or women. They have wild hair that "curls around their head like the asps of a medusa", pointed ears, and they go into bloodthirsty, berserk rages. They also tend towards kilts.
Also, in looking at the maps given they do actually place these various isles, so the isle of liars is there and not Nimbral. However, a deity of Chantea (read Chauntea) was known in the area, so I wouldn't be surprised if an island of folk dedicated to Leira was as well, This especially works if I say that its the ellefolk/arak/shadow elves, as the history I had been developing for them was one in which they were rescued from the plane of shadows by Leira LONG ago. They may have in fact been some of the original fey to be brought her (though not from the land of faerie). I think this works with them having come to Toril and then populating various places with little traffic with the rest of the realms. In fact, all of these "outer isles" of Wa that I'm most interested in putting the ellefolk in are grouped together according to the map.
So, so far, I'm most interested in the isle of Machukarra which is north of the main wa lands. Its considered unpopulated, but if anything I'd put a factory of sorts there for the manufacture of spelljamming vehicles. Its filled with huge amounts of gigantic plants. The other would be the small outer isles which I'd want to populate with ellefolk simply to match the descriptions of them with a cohesive group of people such that the whole area can have a hidden theme. If both sections went to Abeir and came back, I also don't think the rest of Wa would have noticed as much (the emperor would have been pissed to lose all his spelljamming manufacture facilities, but his ships are kept in Liso on his main island). Having a group of Wa folk who are isolated from their emperor could make them very accepting of other leadership, especially if they show some skill in doing so. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Mar 2020 07:21:47 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2020 : 03:14:43
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Great Reader sleyvas,
I am looking forward to seeing your comprehensive ecological lists. :) Seriously. Sounds awesome!
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2020 : 07:34:55
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Hmm, Paikai and Shidekima also seems to fit the bill.
Paikai notes. Volcanic island, little populated. Ruled by a seeimingly immortal spellcaster named Shiz-ti that even the Shogun fears. He has a temple dedicated to a "god of darkness" that rides a golden boar. So, perhaps actually a god of the sun who has been convinced to provide protection from his rays to a fey people brought here from oppression long ago from the plane of shadow (i.e. the ellefolk) in return for worship. The nearby ocean called the "sea of long morning" almost screams sun god as well. Shiz-ti would make a great ellefolk leader. The seagulls which eat the meat offerings may well be the ellefolk known as the Arak,Shee who take on bird forms.
Shidekima Notes: A bunch of people on an island who wear red robes and love red... and I want to involve them with red wizards... no brainer. They're also fiercely loyal to their emperor, but if they found themselves in another world with no leadership they may embrace change due to lack of vision. There's also a story of fairies riding around in seashell boats which easily fits the ellefolk again (and tricky lying bastards too). There's also a story of a nine-tailed fox spirits/demons showing up and killing people then "turning into rocks". I know that the nine-tailed fox is an oriental thing, but going back to making a cohesive story... the Arak known as the Teg turn into foxes, and they hunt people for sport. A hidden enclave of the Teg on the island that kills people that come close sounds great, and possibly hidden under some kind of hallucinatory terrain such that the area looks like a wasteland of boulders (it might in fact be luxurious beneath the illusion). Oh, and "weird animals that might also talk".... ellefolk awakening animals OR since many of them can change into animals?
Paikai
Paikai is the name given to a group of islands comprising a single province located to the east of the northernmost peninsula of Tsukishima. The main island is rocky and mountainous with sparse coastal farmlands. The remaining islands are mostly ash and gravel and are unsuitable for habitation. The south and west coasts of the main island border the Sea of the Long Morning.
Fudo Oieto is the daimyo of Paikai, but it is common knowledge that the true ruler is Shiz-ti, arguably the finest magician in all of Wa. Ordinarily, such an obvious puppet regime would not be tolerated, but even the shogun fears the power of the mysterious Shiz-ti. Shiz-ti resides in a stone temple at the peak of the highest mountain in Paikai. He has never been seen to leave the temple, at least not in a form recognizable as Shiz-ti. Inside the temple is a pagoda lit by candles made of tengu fat. There are four rows of wooden idols resembling devils carrying cloth sacks. The sacks contain hell-winds. A hell-wind has the force of a hurricane and is released if a sack is opened.
Behind the rows of idols is a larger idol, a gigantic brass image of Ontogo, the god of darkness. The idol has curved horns, a hooked nose, and the feet of a falcon. It sits astride a brass statue of a wild boar. Shiz-ti has a mysterious affinity for boars; they roam freely in his temple and throughout the city. A caged boar whose fur has been dyed yellow is kept at the foot of Shiz-ti's mountain. Citizens are required to pay their respects each week by circling the cage three times while reciting prayers.
The small northern islands are actually cemeteries containing the bodies of Paikai nobility and monks and sohei who died in the service of Shiz-ti. The dead are honored in an annual ceremony called the Festival of Seagulls. Plates of raw meat are placed on the graves at dusk. Seagulls, supposedly the souls of the dead, swoop in from the coast during the night and eat the meat. The meat is always gone by dawn, but the seagulls are never seen. Perhaps something more formidable than a seagull takes it.
Boats navigating the Sea of the Long Morning are sometimes greeted with the eerie sight of the ghost ship of Hidegari slowly making its way along the coastline. About 500 years ago, the legendary seaman Hidegari Iegusa engaged in a fierce battle with a fleet of warships from Kozakura. The battle went against Hidegari, and with his sails ablaze and his crewmen dead, his ship vanished into a sudden fog. The ghost ship is recognizable by its glowing hull and sails of flame.
then for Shidekima
Shidekima
Shidekima is the second largest island of Wa. It is separated from Tsukishima by the Sea of Blossoms. Shuni and Jotai are its only two provinces.
Cut off from mainland Wa, Shidekima has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Shidekima has little interaction with Tsukishima. The simple folk of Shidekima are of no interest to the sophisticated mainlanders but they yield to no one in their loyalty to Wa. The durability of Shidekima is largely due to their stable government. The Romuki clan has been the ruling family for more than a thousand years. Since the family has repeatedly proven their administrative capability, the shogunate routinely approves the appointment of each successive generation. Currently, Romuki Gohei is daimyo of the Shuni province and his twin brother, Romuki Yoshitada is daimyo of the Jotai province.
Visitors to the island will immediately notice that all of the shrines on the island are painted bright red. A thousand years ago, Romuki Hai, the first of his family appointed daimyo, discovered a tiny boat made of a seashell which had washed ashore. The scarlet sails of bright satin had been ripped by a storm. The occupants of the ship were three fairies. Hai repaired the sails and, as a reward, the fairies promised that no war on the island would last more than a day if the temples were painted red and that he and the generations of his family to come promised to wear nothing but scarlet robes.
As it happened, the fairies promised more than they could deliver. Shidekima has not only suffered its share of wars, the strategically located island has proven to be a tempting target for invaders. The Romuki family, however, has vowed to uphold their promise, and to this day, scarlet remains the most prominent color in Shidekima.
The terrain of Shidekima is unspectacular. It is low and flat, except for the highlands on the southwest coast. There are no major forests, and the sandy soil makes farming difficult. The most notable geographic feature is the Death Meadow of Shuni, actually a barren plain in the center of the Shuni province filled with small boulders. About 200 years ago, the province was invaded by a hoard of evil spirits resembling foxes with nine tails. Pursued to this plain, the fox spirits hid in the boulders and remain there to this day. Anyone who touches one of these cursed boulders dies instantly.
Industry in Shidekima is limited. Many small fishing villages dot the coasts of Jotai, while the highlands of Shuni provide adequate pastures for goat herds. Because the island has been isolated for millions of years, animal life has developed somewhat differently. Swimming rabbits, carnivorous deer, and talking dogs are among the curious species attracting the interest of scholars and collectors. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Mar 2020 08:05:08 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2020 : 08:20:32
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Hmmm, only because this one city stands out so much, Tifuido could easily be "infiltrated in secret" by Ellefolk. Thinking the mount Cho could have its interior inhabited by Ellefolk (specifically the Arak,Shee and the Arak, Alven. The Shee are obsessed with the arts, music, etc.. and the Alven are little green skinned/orange haired fairy-like that can turn into bumblebees and butterflies and are all about helping plants grow. They may secretly encourage the population, and they may take the shadows of some to make changelings. Its also very near Shidekima Island, and I could see an underground path existing between the two and an underdark community of Ellefolk.
Not sure what to make of the sudden dropping of pearls onto the city from the sky though, but that might be "something else" and may even be related to the isle of pearls in the outer isles area. I suspect some kind of sea power that is like a primordial clam or somesuch.
Tifuido
Tifuido is the largest city on the west coast of Tsukishima. It is a center of great wealth and gentle souls. Assessed at more than 1,000,000 koku, Tifuido is the richest province in Wa. It is bordered on the west by an inviting seacoast, on the north by the towering Mount Cho, and to the south and east by fertile farmland. Agriculture, mining, and printing are among its major industries, but there are few endeavors undertaken by its resourceful populace that are not successful.
The people of Tifuido are noted for their good will, which can be attributed in no small part to their excessive wealth and uncanny good fortune. Its rice fields receive the precise amount of needed rain and sunshine, ensuring bountiful harvests. The hills are rich with diamond mines and veins of gold. Old timers recall a day when the sky cracked open and rained pearls over the city, a gift from a benevolent spirit.
To its credit, Tifuido remains uncorrupted by its wealth and instead has encouraged an appreciation of the arts. The government has a permanent Arts Council which grants generous stipends every year to promising poets, authors, painters, and musicians. No city has more libraries or concert halls. Among its many museums is the famous Pavilion of Eight Banners which houses a vast collection of rare and exotic musical instruments.
Music fills the streets of Tifuido, as musical instruction is an integral part of a child's training from the day he takes his first step. The children demonstrate their talent during the Festival of the Golden Stair, the grandest celebration held in Tifuido and one which attracts spectators from across the nation. The festival is held on the first day of spring. The city's children gather at the base of Mount Cho and, as the sun sets, play their instruments as they ascend the golden stairway carved in the mountainside. When the music reaches a crescendo, a host of butterfly spirits dressed in pink robes and green wreaths pour from the clouds to dance and sing along.
also this about the nearby mount fu and the ukuyu mountains
Ikuyu Mountains
The Ikuyus are the highest and most expansive mountain range in Wa, covering about 80 percent of Tsukishima and dividing it into western and eastern sections. Many peaks are over 15,000 feet high. The Ikuyus contain about 350 volcanoes. Many are still active.
The Ikuyu Mountains are the most beautiful natural features in all of Wa. The highest peaks are capped with ice and snow the year round. Calm lakes fill the bowls of the inactive volcanoes, while lush green forests surround their bases. There are several features of the Ikuyus of interest to the traveler:
Mount Fo, an inactive volcano, is the second largest peak of the Ikuyus and is located just north of Tifuido on the west coast of Tsukishima. A silver cord tied to a tree at the top of Mount Fo stretches across the Sea of Blossoms to attach to a similar tree at the top of Mount Chusa on the island of Shidekima. The cord was placed by order of Komoku the Wide Gazing to prevent Shidekima from drifting away. The trees to which the cord is attached are heavily guarded at all times.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Mar 2020 08:36:36 |
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Post-Spellplague any info on Kara-Tur/Wa
