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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 19:09:57
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So I'm starting a campaign with two of my kids and I want the game to be entirely exploration. I'm having them begin the game awakening by Yggdrasil's Child on Ruathym, no memories of their past other than their skills and abilities, no knowledge of where they are at or what to do next.
They're then guided by some mysterious voice that tells them only a little of where they are at and to discover the world in order to discover the bigger mystery of who, and why, they began there.
They'll head out the site, find a young skald (human bard 1), who was there to scribe his name on the tree, being attacked by an angry boar. Their first battle will be with the boar, saving the skald, who befriends them, is intrigued by their predicament and uses it as a reason to venture out into the world beyond the island (he's going to be a permanent NPC who'll be their "Torilian Guide" so to speak, even though the guy is young and level 1 and is learning as much as they are, but at least he knows enough to help).
I've read everything I could find on Ruathym, and the neighboring islands like Tuern, but a few things I'd like to know are:
1) Any detailed map of the island? Even if fanmade, it'd help gimme an idea of the geography of the place.
2) What are the inhabitants besides the Ruathen humans? Do dwarves live here also, or are they gone (the lore isn't specific on whether the dwarves stayed after building their fortress or not)?
3) The lore mentions 4 kingdoms/tribes here, I only see reference to one. What are the others? Are they all allied now?
4) What creatures/monsters/flora/fauna here, or could be living, here?
5) Besides Yggdrasil's Child, the town of Ruathym, Holgerstead, Hastor, Inthar, and Rethgaard, are there any other special sites? What else could be found here?
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SaMoCon
Senior Scribe
USA
403 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2021 : 00:14:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Razz
So I'm starting a campaign with two of my kids and I want the game to be entirely exploration. I'm having them begin the game awakening by Yggdrasil's Child on Ruathym, no memories of their past other than their skills and abilities, no knowledge of where they are at or what to do next.
They're then guided by some mysterious voice that tells them only a little of where they are at and to discover the world in order to discover the bigger mystery of who, and why, they began there.
They'll head out the site, find a young skald (human bard 1), who was there to scribe his name on the tree, being attacked by an angry boar. Their first battle will be with the boar, saving the skald, who befriends them, is intrigued by their predicament and uses it as a reason to venture out into the world beyond the island (he's going to be a permanent NPC who'll be their "Torilian Guide" so to speak, even though the guy is young and level 1 and is learning as much as they are, but at least he knows enough to help).
I've read everything I could find on Ruathym, and the neighboring islands like Tuern, but a few things I'd like to know are:
1) Any detailed map of the island? Even if fanmade, it'd help gimme an idea of the geography of the place.
2) What are the inhabitants besides the Ruathen humans? Do dwarves live here also, or are they gone (the lore isn't specific on whether the dwarves stayed after building their fortress or not)?
3) The lore mentions 4 kingdoms/tribes here, I only see reference to one. What are the others? Are they all allied now?
4) What creatures/monsters/flora/fauna here, or could be living, here?
5) Besides Yggdrasil's Child, the town of Ruathym, Holgerstead, Hastor, Inthar, and Rethgaard, are there any other special sites? What else could be found here?
1) Okay, a quick internet search brought up this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FantasyMaps/comments/b5b2s0/region_map_ruathym/
2) Dwarves did remain and had a bad relationship with the northmen/illuskan humans that settled the island. This animosity has improved somewhat as of the 1360s onward. Humans and dwarves are the only player races mentioned in the sources I have at my disposal.
3) Nothing I have describes this any further but there are hints that each tribe/kingdom was headed by a king/leader and that there is some parallel to the title of First Axe used when describing leaders of the other settlements on Rauthym.
4) The island is described as sub-arctic and the history of the northmen/illuskans living there said that the land could not support a growing population leading to mass migration/colonization of other islands & the Sword Coast North. The amount of arable land is limited, probably only found where the settlements were placed leaving the other areas as rocky mountains/hills, evergreen forests, and steppe/tundra. Anything that would be large and dangerous would be flying, high mountain dwelling, deep earth delving, or water breathing since anything else would have been killed by the close proximity with the warrior culture of northmen. Maybe some giant eagles that prey on seals and the sharks that chase the seals, a pack of winter wolves that has clung to life despite many hunts to eradicate them, maybe a few isolated feystags hiding amongst the deer & boar in the forests, and a few families of scrags lurking the littorals for panfish & unwary humans.
5) Again, this may be canvas the designers intended for you to fill. None of my sources has anything else.
If I may make a suggestion. The "disembodied voice" may be a little difficult for younger players to empathize with, and may cause them to resist like they were dealing with an unwanted authority figure. What I have always received the most positive response from is using an actor of limited knowledge and capability that embraces the fantastical nature of the setting and engages the players' wonder. My favorite has been the animal familiar that has survived the passing of its powerful master, but there are other agents in lesser fae creatures, bottled but still communicative outsiders, sentient magical objects... you get the idea. As long as you have decided what information it does or does not have before hand, your players will be treating this thing as a relevant character and not your proxy. The players will also be more comfortable with it because the power ratio should always be in their favor (they can ignore the familiar, swat the fae, leave the jar-device behind, and put away the object while the only things the agent can do is leave if mobile or remain silent if not). |
Make the best use of the system that's there, then modify the mechanics that don't allow you to have the fun you are looking for. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11689 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2021 : 15:52:18
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| Specifically because of the tree, I've put that there are kercpa living on the island near the tree. In a strange twists, you could do something like one of the druids that guards the tree is a shapechanged kercpa (and maybe they can take on the shape of a humanoid, but they still have some squirrel like tendencies). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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deserk
Learned Scribe
Norway
237 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2021 : 19:20:07
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Information on the emerald dragon Raulothim also gives some further details on Ruathym and specifically the isle of Axard, which serves as the dragon's lair. It is also mentioned that there is a halfling family from Holgerstead known as the Taerserr who trade with the dragon. So it would suggest that in addition to dwarves, halflings also have a presence on the isles.
Source an old 3rd edition FR article from WotC website: https://web.archive.org/web/20180725074304/https://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/wn/20031119a
But you could logically introduce other races as well, by having them originate as thralls captured long ago by Ruathen reavers, that could have either worked and gradually been rewarded with their freedom or escaped captivity by forming hidden communities in the forest or mountains. Given the Ruathens many wars with the elves and orcs on the mainland, it's not entirely implausible that some half-orcs or half-elves might have been brought here. Personally I think the mysterious yet generally peaceable and nomadic Alaghi (vaguely wolf-like yeti/apemen) would be an interesting race to use as well. They could have been some of the island's original inhabitants, and might have been forced into hiding after dwarven and subsquently Illuskan colonization.
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Edited by - deserk on 31 Jan 2021 19:33:59 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11689 Posts |
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deserk
Learned Scribe
Norway
237 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2021 : 18:38:41
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Dwarves Deep (pg. 63) tells us this about the Madbeards: "This crazed band of berserker fighting-dwarves is thought to dwell somewhere on an island near Uttersea, in the Trackless Sea north and west of Ruathym."
So the Madbeards are most assuredly a splinter group of the Haunghdannar dwarves and they are laired in an unknown island NW of Ruathym. It isn't exactly explicitly stated whether the people who dwell in Rethgaard are still dwarves, but it seems a likely possibility, given the settlement's isolation and reluctance to align with Ruathym or aid it during the Luskan invasion. Speaking personally, I would welcome a unique sailor-focused dwarven culture in my game at least. |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2021 : 23:21:01
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| OK, thank you all. I first grab all the official lore I can and make use of that before I decide to "grab my crayons and color the rest myself" so to speak. This info gives me several ideas to start and work with. Appreciated! |
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Ruathym Questions
