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Thread: City Design by Journal Entry -Reboot!-

  1. #11
    Guild Journeyer Sular's Avatar
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    Some kind of defended colony or frontier fortress perhaps? Perhaps there is some important trade route upon which the early economy of this city was founded. Furs perhaps, or timber, or, as we have someone interested in smithing, perhaps something to do with mining, smelting, and/or the ore trade?

  2. #12
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    i will get to work on some details right way!

    As for the realm, it's going to be fairly sword-and shield.. while there can be some simple geared machines, water powered mills, etc.. steam power and such will not be existant... at least for common people...

    As for the idea behind the realm, it's kind of my take on the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.. Everything in the world is made of the elements in different combinations, lifeforms included... These elements are the usual four, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water... The elements are all capable of good an evil, so there is also a sort of yin/yang premise at play as well... When people have a higher concetration of an element it can show, in their personality (fire people will be passionate, charismatic, fierce... they may have red hair etc)... everyone is made of the elements, but a few are exceptional... they are deemed elementals, and are able to control their elemental affinity in different ways... these "Elementals" are the ruling class of the nation, they exsist in houses, all practicing similar arts... elemental traits are thought to be genetic, so it is important for those who are elementals to breed with other elementals, to keep the blood lines pure... on occasion a commoner is born with elemental abilities, in which case they are snatched up by different house recruiters based on their elemental affinity... also, since no bloodline is 100% pure, it is also possible that a child of a house may not have any abilities... these children are often stripped of their nobility, made a commoner of the house... or sometimes even abandoned altogether... children usually don't show any affinity until their teenage years, so these noble children are usually kept out of the public eye until they reach adulthood and begin showing signs of their abilities...

    The lands are fairly peaceful, all the elemental clans have reached a form of peace, each house belongs to one of the four elements, and one house is declared the leader of that elemental order... out of those four elemental leaders one is deemed head of the elementals, which is a position that lasts for 5 years... after such the elemental rulership is passed on to the next elemental order in line. Positions of Royalty or nobility are always taken by elementals, but it is possible for many other higher positions to be held by ordinary folk.. although they are usually still tied to a house in some way. As for characters i'm not going to really allow any elementals, not yet anyways...

    sorry if any of this makes no sense.. it is 3:45 in the morning... I'm off to bed.. I'll get you a general map of the local area tomorrow, and se eif i can get a few more details together.

    As far as those who wish to create a character, since the fort has been completed, word has spread... and many are coming far and wide to start a new life and make it rich finding the deposits in the nearby mountain ranges... Anyone who decides to create their own character will be part of the first caravan arriving to the city.

    Right now, there are only a handful of soldiers on duty at the fort. There is also a team of about 10 men who were the main workforce when building the fort... Some of those men will be leaving to get back to their family, which others will be staying on, wishing to make it rich on the slopes of the land. They are all living in tents, but more permanent shelters will be the primary objective at first... There is no well, but there is a river nearby... and you are also welcome to dig a well...

    ok ok, falling asleep.. here i go!
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  3. #13
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    busy weekend. hate when that happens.. ok.. so i've done some work on the region.. again, the world is basically not designed at all, right now the world as a whole will be mainly one big continent populated by humans (elves and dwarves, etc are as of yet myth, but goblins orcs and other baddies harrass in the frontier north).. the main civilizations of the realm are found in the southern half of the continent, and as you move north it becomes more and more sparse... there is a mountain range that pretty much splits the southern half of the realm from the northern half (which the mt range on the included map is part of)... north of the range no one has really explored... the mt passes are treacherous and full of goblins, orcs and worse... and even if people were to get through there is little hope for any supplies to make it over in any sustainable sense... the areas like the area this city will be founded are as of yet untapped, with a few hardy pioneer types settling in their own homesteads...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Mt's and forests are general areas, scale is undecided yet, but it won't be too long, i'm thinking travel to the mt ranges and back to the city to be about a days hike.. but i'm not sure.. suggestions?
    The fort is marked with a red flag, and the three existing frontier farms are identified as well.


    Region Map:
    This map may change in the future, but here is a quick representation of what i am looking at... The mountain range at the top is quite large, part of the range that extends across the entire continent, the range is what many call the "Cap of the Earth", tho no one really knows for far beyond the land extends... There are 3 families who have been in the area for some time, decriptions will follow in time... These families sustain themselves, harvesting crops, livestock and lumber for their own uses, but have been willing to increase their work to help supply the building camp with lumber and food.

    The fort itself is located on a hill overlooking the fork in the river, and is a stout, squat one story wooden structure, with thick walls of dirt and lumber, and can house a garrison of up to about 10 (very uncomfortably), at the moment there are 3 soldiers present.

    The main reason this fort has been built is to build a base of operations for mining expeditions in the mountain ranges. Recently an expedition from a southern mining guild has found hints of ore and other riches by panning the rivers, tracing the source to the mountain range near the end of the river (on the map the right fork)... on the expedition the men were attacked by savage orcs, only a few returned, but they returned with enough to warrant the building of an outpost, where men can make the northern reaches safe so that miners can get at the rich veins safely.


    Thats all i got for region stuff for the moment, let me know what you think.. i'll answer any other questions you may have... I will create a list of current resources and characters involved with the city shortly.
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  4. #14
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sular View Post
    Some kind of defended colony or frontier fortress perhaps? Perhaps there is some important trade route upon which the early economy of this city was founded. Furs perhaps, or timber, or, as we have someone interested in smithing, perhaps something to do with mining, smelting, and/or the ore trade?
    Yup, the fort is meant to shore up the north, first.. in the name of the lord who built it (details on that to come), and second to gain the rich resources there... the lumber in the area is in itself a treasure, since strong, tall lumber like that does not exist in the souther reaches anymore, furs would also be a resource, as well as anything else that goes along with a fairly uninhabited land... the main resource they are after however is the ore found in the mountains... unfortunately it will be harder to get to, since the mountains are quite unsafe at the moment, but the fort is meant to be a base camp for any wishing to try their luck, or for those whom wish to help make the ranges safe... (yes there will be rewards for orc and goblin ears brought back) So, as someone mentioned being a smith, for now they will have to rely on shipments of ore from the south, but as the city progresses it will be easier and easier to get their hands on local ore...

    also i wanted to state that if you disagree with any of the idea's i've stated please feel free to question me, or offer alternative ideas... I prefer realism over my plans, so if you think something just doesn't make sense please let me know!
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  5. #15
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    Just waiting to see your first journal entry so I can take that into account and then move forward!

    Also, do the rivers have names?

    Does the region have a name?
    Last edited by angellus00; 03-12-2012 at 06:17 PM.

  6. #16
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    You know, I don't have names at the moment... like i said the mountain range is refered to as "The Cap of the World" or just "The Cap"... as for the rivers.. There are 2, the left branch is part of the main river, and is called the "Vilenna" river, and the branch to the right going into the mt is the "Weilmis"... Not entirely fixed on those names, if you have and suggestions let me know.. as for the realm, I got nothing, any suggestions for that? I'd like something a bit frontiery.. you know, like Northland, Hinterland, etc... The fort is fort Jyassik, named after the expedition leader lost when they were attacked exploring the area.

    Journal entry will come soon
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  7. #17
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    Ok, so, here's the first post... I'm going to ask that your posts be placed inside quote tags to make them easier to spot... also adding the character's name who's speaking... I'll try to keep a list of the players so we can remember names and such. Right now, in this post, i've identified several people, whom I'll list here with brief descriptions.

    Fyrdrick - Captain of the guard, in charge of the safety of the outpost
    Baxis - One of the recruits, a young man... confident, inexperienced, a fairly good scout.
    Thane - A recruit, older than Baxis, generally a jerk to deal with
    Havlair - Head of the mining guild, stationed in the south, set up the creation of this outpost, offering land and rights to those who are willing to relocate to the outpost.
    Therris - Eldest son of the Winterdale family, one of the frontier familes in the area (the one to the left of the city). Therris and his family are all redheads.

    Fyrdrick- Captain of the Guard
    Today we set the final log in place, the final plank in fort Jyassik's doorway. It's for the best, for I can tell many of the men are anxious to be on their way; life out here isn't for everyone. Baxis took the first watch, taking position on the roof... practically taking the rungs in two strides getting up there. He's barely past his boyhood years, but he's a capable soldier. Thane however is another story. He goes out of his way to cause trouble, as if he resents being posted here. Still, they both do their duty, which is all I ask in the end.

    The caravan should arrive any day with some much needed supplies, but it will leave with the majority of the guild workers; I'm still unsure if any of them have chosen to stay. Havlair promised his decrees would bring settlers here... but we won't know how our outpost will fare until it arrives. He also informed me that a merchant will be arriving with the caravan to set up a permanent trade post here. He'll sell general goods, but knowing the guild he'll be stocked with prospector gear and little else... It's not wise to expect much else from guild members than to try to make money.

    Yesterday Baxis came across the first signs of goblins while scouting to the north. Along the river he found one of the devils bodies, gutted by a boar. So far we've been lucky and they've yet to get the courage to come much closer... I don't think our current company has much experience in combat, and I don't feel like sharing my bunk with a dozen guild workers in the fort.

    One of the woodsmen stopped by today, his name was Therris. He's been supplying us with food from his family's crops. He seems respectable, but is tough as nails, like the rest of his family. You'd have to be to make it out here... We could use more like him at the outpost, how I've thought of recruiting him and sending Thane packing!

    Our next task will be working on further fortifying the landscape around the outpost, progress will be much slower then with the guild's workers but we'll do what we can.
    Last edited by loogie; 03-14-2012 at 09:36 AM.
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  8. #18
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    Adam Citrine - Journeymen Smith - Tall, broad, blonde hair, full blonde beard - Friendly, honest

    It hasn't been long since I was promoted to Journeymen and started looking
    for a place to setup my own workshop. I wanted somewhere that I would be
    the only smith because the newest Journeymen always has to have the lowest
    prices around to get work.

    I thought I had the perfect idea, free land, a new trade post near The Cap,
    and I had heard there were rumors of new metal deposits so a smith would be
    needed.

    Arriving at this little backwoods place was another matter. They don't even
    have a well!!

    I was going to setup right by the fort but a smith needs better access to
    water to do his work. I need several different mixes of water and salt to
    perform proper quenching and I don't want to have to carry it that far.

    I decided to set up closer to the river fork. I don't know how long it'll
    take for me to build the smity but I brought my own cart to haul supplies
    and I can sleep under that for a time if I have too.

    Adam C
    Last edited by angellus00; 03-13-2012 at 09:17 PM.

  9. #19
    Guild Novice Facebook Connected David Corsalini's Avatar
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    Marcus Kvarn, 1,82m, brown short hair, 90kg, ambitious -hunter
    Damriel Kvarn, 1,75m, light brown long hair, 60kg, quiet -hunter
    Marcus' Diary, Page 1
    Ahhh... The Cap! I've always heard about The Cap but that's the first time i can actually see it on the horizon.
    We should be one, maybe two days from Fort Jyassik. For now it's me and my little brother Damriel. I was thinking to bring our older sister, Carol, with us and I'm still in doubt if I was wrong to leave her behind. Maybe... no... MAYBE, I'll send her a message to come up here if our plan goes right.
    Our plan... well, our plan is pretty simple, we want to get out of our dad's way! He's not that bad as a parent, but we don't want to live under his shadow for the rest of our life! He was and, actually, he still is a great hunter and he even started a company of hunters. So in our town we're known only because we're his sons.
    One month ago one of Damriel's friend told him about this fort, I think that one of his relatives has been working on the construction site since the beginning.
    So me and Damriel went crazy about the idea of starting our own hunting crew up here. We're not yet set on the name, but that has to come later, now we have to let those people know that we're the dudes to search if they need a mine cleaned up or if they want an orc's head hanging over their fireplace.
    Looking to the future I can imagine an head office with a shop near the Fort, managed by Carol, and a bigger crew, for bigger prey.
    Looking at the present... how bloody cold is up here? I think these first days inside the tent will be particularly hard, but we can adapt pretty fast. We have to find a warm place to stay in a few days, cause like my dad says "only an hunter is good healt can be a good hunter".
    I hope our gear will do the work. Damriel is been saying that he want to become a master with his bow, I think I'll have to craft a better one for him. I'll stick to my short swords, I like them light and fast. I'm sure there will be at least one weaponsmith and maybe, if we're lucky, someone who can craft armor from pelt and bones (note to self: search for this kind of guy and hire him for the shop).
    Fellow diary, that's the first page for you and I hope that the days to come will be the first pages of a new life for me. Goodnight.

  10. #20
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    Great Great.. i originally meant to put the name of the writer in the quote tags "=[name]" bit.. but the auto text makes it look bad.. I like your idea better of just putting the name at the top.

    don't feel you need to post every single journal entry for every single day here, think of this project as if you were a historian, searching through the thousands of journals, records, and such of everyone that had to do with the city at some point... you'll be picking out the select ones that pertain to the cities description, important events and history... writing the entire journal cover-to-cover is far to much work, and while it's something you are welcome to do, many entries in a persons diary won't have much relevant information for the city itself... Also we're looking for insights into the city and its history... so it is even likely that there will be incomplete entries.. or single entries from one person that is never mentioned again... keep the picture of a History Channel special about the city in your head.. one of those ones where they get people to read the journal entry out in character... I'll try to fill in any gaps, and if you have any questions feel free to ask... but in essence I'm happy with you taking creative license... I'd just like content... I want to be able to look into the most popular inn in the city, and doing a bit of research find out that there was a fire at one point that burnt down the entire left wing, and that it had to be rebuilt... this time in stone... or, like we've already discovered... the smithy was located where it is because there was no adiquate water source when he first arrived... little details that make a city feel less planned and more.. grown.

    Also, I'd like to state that this isn't a traditional roleplaying idea, so your not expected to post something and wait for my express reply as to what the results will be... I'm going to try to inform you of the people and resources available to you, and important events along the way, but you are free to come to your own conclusions in many aspects... for instance, if you are looking for a tanner, you are welcome to say there is one arriving in the caravan you came with... this isn't going to be a huge migration, we're looking at probably the most... 20 people... this isn't even considered a city yet, so in many cases families won't be arriving, but just the men, looking for work.. doing a job... There are no houses, there are no facilities.. there is a fort, and really, your not so much allowed to go in there unless there is an emergency.

    When you arrive there will be a lot of chaos, but Fyrdrick and the Guild's representative Liam (yes I just created him now) will begin designating jobs for people to do (not necissarily to your strengths)... for instance, right now, the task will be to build permanent shelters, facilities and the like... so.. Marcus and Damriel might be arriving expecting a bustling little city, but in fact are going to find a fort and some tents... They will be welcomed warmly enough, but any thoughts of hunting are going to go out the window as they will be recruited to begin building a few small "boarding" houses, which will be shared housing for all of the folk arriving.
    Last edited by loogie; 03-14-2012 at 10:12 AM.
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