Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site rabbit.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!decvax!harpo!eagle!allegra!alice!rabbit!jj From: jj@rabbit.UUCP Newsgroups: net.games.pbm Subject: (Rolemaster)The Campaign of the Four Quarters, very basics Message-ID: <2200@rabbit.UUCP> Date: Mon, 14-Nov-83 21:37:15 EST Article-I.D.: rabbit.2200 Posted: Mon Nov 14 21:37:15 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 15-Nov-83 22:38:27 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 65 On the island of Ban'Dorcha (called Ban, for short), six (perhaps to become eight) young men and women have just completed apprenticeship. These young folk, being the stoutest of heart, and the soundest of mind, have graduated at the top of their class in their various guilds. The King of the Southern Quarter, known as Ravenslock, has invited these fine young people to the traditional year-end feast. This feast, held to celebrate the successful harvest and hunt, also serves as court for the year's successes and injustices. Needless to say, the happy graduates are more than willing to attend. (The following is an aside, concerning the geography of Ban'Dorcha.) Ban'Dorcha is a large island at a high lattitude. Due to the warm ocean current, this island is not as cold as would be expected for a place that straddles the 60 degree latitudes. The island (we will stick to English units, that being a freak of these folk, that they use such units.) is about 130 miles in north/south extent, and about 55 miles in east/west extent. The shape of the island is best described as an elongated Lima bean SEED, with the stem end of the seed pointing east. The northern and southern quarters of the island (each about 1/4 the total land area) are best described as flat, with rolling hills inland, shallow beaches (north and south), and fertile soil. The eastern and western quarters are mountainous, with precipitous shores, and a coastline with inlets often resembling fiords. While these quarters are not as fertile, due to the high lattitude and high altitude, they do serve as grazing land for sheep, goats, and even some hardy cattle. The only really large town on the island is in the southern quarter, and is called Ravenswood, after the traditional name of the king of the southern quarter. There are MANY small towns, mostly surviving on farming, with textiles and wools used for the major trade. The island is reasonably metal rich, being an upthrust part of the former sea bottom, and iron, gold, silver, copper, tin, and lead are all used, iron, copper, tin, and lead as industrial/household materials, and gold/silver as jewelry and exchange media. While the island is not at war, and has not been at war for a while (about 90 years), the art of fighting is still practiced, and as a result weapons are commonly available, although not commonly bandied about in the open. The other three quarters of the island are currently administered by lords, appointed for life (but not for family) by Ravenslock. Due to the forces and styles of the occasional invaders of Ban, armor and sword are favored over hand-hand combat. While magic is acknowledged as a postive source of energy, it is looked on with some suspicion, this suspicion fueled by old legends about dark elves, or dark alfar, or dark gnomes, or ice-wizards, depending on just who/what you hear tell the story. The climate, which is cool, has fostered a respect for fire-creating and using magic above all other, with the possible exception of healing. Conversely, the use of "ice magic" is regarded with great suspicion, bordering on paranoia (at least among the lower classes). This brings us to the celebration at Ravenswood, which will be chronicled in the next installment of this narrative. -- (allegra,harpo,ulysses)!rabbit!jj