Part
I, The Southeast: Karameikos, Five Shires, Minrothad, Ierendi and
Thyatis
We all
know quite well the map of the Known World. But if we look at it a
bit more carefully, we cannot fail to notice that most of it is not
“known” at all, as only a very small part of the map is
really filled with human or demihuman settlements. It occurred to me
that it could be interesting to make a map taking this into account.
The project started some time ago with a bigger trail map of the
Known World which is now at the Vault of Pandius:
http://pandius.com/m_uknwnt.html.
The
canon TM1 and TM2 maps (Thorfinn Tait’s replicas are linked in
the page above) covered only the area from Darokin to the Isle of
Dawn, so I made a bigger map covering what could be considered the
whole of the Known World region, from Sind to Thyatis and from
Southern Norwold to the Adri Varma plateau. But that was only the
first step. I wanted a map that could show how much of the territory
was controlled by humans and how much by other races.
Such a map
could in fact be very useful for DMs when PCs are travelling off the
beaten path. The Isle of Dawn is not covered in this article because
I already detailed its wilderlands to the best of my knowledge of
canon and fanon sources in Threshold issue #11.
In the article I
also try to provide a count in each nation of the whole population,
not only the human and demihuman inhabitants. Obviously each DM will
have her or his own idea about how numerous non-human populations
should be; these are just my estimates. In general I prefer a more
numerous non-human population, because I want it to be a real
competition for humans, and the Known World as wild and unknown as
possible. Even if the Gazetteers are the main sources of my work
here, I also made extensive use of Simone Neri’s Demografia
Mystariana1
which already did something similar, gathering and detailing the
available canon information on the various races inhabiting the Known
World and trying to determine the number of inhabitants. My
population numbers for non-human creatures however are generally way
higher than his, so he may not agree with several assumptions I made
in this article.
In many wilderness areas of the Known World the
canon information is almost non-existent and even the fan production
is scarce. The purpose of this article is not really to detail these
areas, but rather to gather all the available information and to
estimate what creatures could inhabit them, and how numerous they
could be.
Also note that population dynamics may be much
more important than population numbers. Real world people have a
yearly growth rate from -1% to +4%, while the world average is +1.2%.
The normal yearly death rate in a population is between 0.5% and
1.5%, while the yearly birth rate is normally from 0.5% to 4.5%.
Non-human populations could have hugely different dynamics.
Let’s
assume 1,000 humans live near to 1,000 humanoids and 1,000 elves, and
give to these populations hugely different growth rates:
Population |
Birth rate by year |
Death rate by year |
Yearly Growth |
Elves |
0.5% |
0.25% |
+0.25% |
Humans |
2.5% |
1.2% |
+1.3% |
Humanoids |
5% |
2.5% |
+2.5% |
Population dynamics by year |
|||||||
|
Year 0 |
Year 2 |
Year 5 |
Year 10 |
Year 50 |
Year 100 |
Year 1000 |
Elves |
1000 |
1005 |
1012 |
1025 |
1125 |
1250 |
2,500 |
Humans |
1000 |
1026 |
1065 |
1130 |
1650 |
2300 |
13,000 |
Humanoids |
1000 |
1050 |
1125 |
1250 |
2250 |
3500 |
26,000 |
If
you consider that the growth rate of humanoids could be even higher
than this, it’s pretty obvious that races with a higher growth
rate could easily supplant races with a lower growth rate in the
space of a few centuries.
The actual growth rate should be decided
by the DM and may be influenced by many different factors, such as
availability of food and good housing, infant mortality, health care,
environment conditions, pestilences and maladies, wars and much more.
Yellow:
“Civilized” lands, high human (or halfling) density,
average 75 humans (or halflings) per square mile. The Five Shires,
and halflings in general, have been considered similar to humans
because their social organization is not very different (they build
villages with extensive farms aboveground), while elves, dwarves,
lupins and other peoples have been depicted with different colors.
The average density of more than 75 people per square mile, means
about 5,000 people in an 8 miles hex. Obviously the true figure is
quite different between the hexes which contain a big city, where the
population can be over 50,000 or even over 500,000 (Thyatis City) and
the hexes which are still heavily inhabited by humans but rural,
where the population may be as low as 1,300 or 2,000 people, with a
density of 20-30 people per square mile. All the yellow hexes, even
those which do not canonically contain a city or a town, should be
considered to have at least a 500 people town and at least 4 villages
with a total population of over 1,000 people, and extensive
farms.
Typical 8 miles hex: One city or town and 4-7 villages or
settlements, one wood 1-2 miles across, one river or stream, roads
and an inn every 3 or 4 miles.
In the yellow areas, humans should
be the dominant population. Other races should have a minimal
presence, if any, and normally only normal animals should be
encountered, rather than “monsters”. This may not apply
to special creatures which can thrive or hide in apparently civilized
areas, such as undead, werecreatures and other shapeshifters. Also,
the underground of many civilized areas could still contain monsters
of any kind, yet the countryside should be considered mostly a safe
area.
Orange: Borderlands, low human or halfling
population, average 25 people per square mile. May contain also other
races, average 2.5 people per square mile. This means about 1,500
human inhabitants in each 8 miles hex and 150 other creatures. Many
wild animals present, some monsters. Huge variations are still
possible with maybe one hex having almost 3,000 inhabitants and the
next one having just a small settlement of 100 people, but all
borderlands hexes should have at least one human or demihuman
settlement.
Typical hex: One town and 3 villages or homesteads,
or 5 villages or homesteads, one wood or other wild area up to 4
miles across, one river or stream, no paved road but trails, an inn
every 8 or 10 miles, if any.
Purple: Humanoids, giants and
others, average 25 per square mile. May also contain small number of
humans, average 1.2 per square miles. These are the wilderlands,
where very few humans dare to tread. These regions should be
inhabited mostly by humanoids, giants, faery folk and other
intelligent races, and many wild animals and monsters. Each of these
hexes could contain 1,500 inhabitants of different races and a minor
number of humans, such as hunters, trappers, adventurers, rebels,
bandits, traders or mercenaries, numbering no more than a hundred. In
the wilderlands several hexes may well be empty of any intelligent
creatures, housing only normal animals and monsters, or maybe just a
dragon family.
Typical hex: 3-4 humanoid lairs, caves or
villages, or settlements of other races. Mostly forested or wild
areas, with no human trails and no inns.
Sidebar: Dragons
Most
of the dragons living
in the Known World should live in the orange or purple areas, at
least one in each 8 mile hex. Obviously if a hex has a family of 5
dragons, four adjacent hexes will probably have no dragons. In the
Known World map depicted above, the approximate number of dragons
should be well over 5,000. That may seem a high number, but consider
that each 8 miles hex could theoretically support a sizable number of
animals
in the forested and temperate areas: up to 50,000 rodents, 25,000
birds, 1,000 big herbivores (deers, boars, goats), about 1,000 medium
size omnivores and 60-100 big carnivores (bears, wolves, mountain
lions), so probably from 1 to 3 super predators too.
Regardless,
the number of dragons should not be linked to the amount of prey, as
intelligent creatures with access to richness and magic will probably
have plenty of means and minions to procure them abundant food. The
actual number of dragons is mostly dependant on how much each DM
wants dragons to be common in his or her campaign.
Green:
Elves, average 20 per square mile. May also contain small numbers of
fairies, average 2.5 per square mile. Each hex should have about
1,000-1,500 elves in 2-5 settlements and 100-150 fairy folks in one
settlement or sacred grove.
Dark green: Elven borderlands,
average 10 elves per square miles. Should also contain fairies,
average 10 per square mile. Each hex about 500-700 elves in 1-3
settlements and as many fairy folk in 1-3 settlements.
Brown:
Dwarves and/or gnomes, average 70 per square miles. Each hex should
be inhabited by 4,000-5,000 dwarves with very low numbers of other
creatures, if any.
Typical hex: One dwarven city or town with
extensive mines and at least 4 other settlements or forts with mines,
some cultivated areas near the settlements.
Dark Brown:
Dwarven borderlands, average 15 per square miles. Should contain also
humanoids and other races, average 15 per square mile.
Typical
hex: About 1,000 dwarves or gnomes in 2 or 3 settlements, with mines
and small cultivated areas. About 1,000 other creatures in 2 or 3
settlements, normally forested mountains or hills with many wild
animals.
Blue: Lupins or Rakasta, average 40 per square
mile. Typical: about 2,500-3,000 lupins in 2-5 settlements, with
cultivated areas and domesticated animals. May also contain 100-300
other creatures or humanoids in 1-2 lairs.
Yellow-green:
Humans and elves of Wendar, average 50 per square mile.
Typical
hex : about 3,000-35,000 people in 3-6 settlements with cultivated
areas and domesticated animals, one wood of at least 2 miles, trails
or roads, one inn, stream. May also contain 100-200 fairy folk in the
wooded areas.
Gold: Wendar borderlands, average 20 humans
or elves per square mile. May also contain fairies, average 5 per
square miles. Typical hex: one or two woods in at least half of the
territory, 1,000-1,500 people in 2-5 settlements, trails, stream.
300-400 fairy folks in one or two settlements in the wooded
areas.
Grey: Oghriz of the Adri Varma, average 25 per
square mile. Typical hex: 1,500-2,000 oghriz in 3-6 settlements or
nomadic tribes.
Light orange: Mixed Oghriz, humanoids and
humans, average 25 per square mile. Typical hex: 1,500-2,000 oghriz,
humans or humanoids in 3-6 settlements.
In
Karameikos I have depicted about 80 yellow hexes of civilized
areas in the nation, meaning a population of more than 400,000 people
living in “civilized” areas2.
These areas should contain mostly domesticated and small animals,
with predators and monsters only attacking rarely in the harsher
winters. Ruins and caves with undead, werecreatures or constructs
could still be present, as well as extensive underground areas.
In
Karameikos I have depicted about 130 orange hexes, so more
than 100,000 people should inhabit the borderlands. Such areas could
probably be also inhabited by many wild animals, other intelligent
creatures and some monsters.
By assuming that at least a group of
300 humanoids may inhabit each one of these hexes, the humanoid
populations of the borderlands could be calculated at 40,000. This
figure could include not only goblinoids but also the other
intelligent creatures which appear in canon modules placed in
Karameikos, such as giants, brutemen, harpies, centaurs, satyrs,
minotaurs, troglodytes, lizardmen and others as appropriate for each
region.
The regions depicted in purple are full
wilderlands. Karameikos has about 270 wilderland hexes, from which we
could assume a non-human population of about 430,000 people.
This
should include not only goblinoids but also troglodytes, lizardmen,
giants, centaurs, satyrs, harpies, brutemen and any other intelligent
race we have reason to believe may live in the region as mentioned
from canon sources. Note that my calculation is about ten times
higher than the figure of about 40,000 non-human inhabitants supposed
by Simone Neri in his article in Threshold issue #1. Obviously many
DMs may disagree on my numbers, but I prefer to think such
populations should be organized enough (with horticulture, livestock
and extensive lairs) to support a population much higher than
commonly known. Also in my opinion if they are less than one tenth of
the human population they cannot constitute a relevant threat or
competition in the wilderlands. The purple areas however could also
still contain a minor number of human hunters, trappers, adventurers,
rebels, bandits, traders or mercenaries. We could suppose a number of
at least 20,000 such people living, temporarily or not, in the
wilderlands.
Most of the dragons living in Karameikos are
in the orange or purple areas. A territory as big as Karameikos could
easily support at least 350 of them. A nation like Karameikos could
also have up to 25,000 big carnivores and probably several hundred
werecreatures of the appropriate type.
The areas depicted in
green and dark green are those inhabited by elves. Green areas
are settled by elves with a population density of about 20 people per
square mile, while the dark green areas probably should have a
density of less than 10 people per square mile. This would
lead to an estimate of the Callarii population of about 45,000 and
the Vyalia population (Karameikos only) to 55,000. The areas in dark
green should also contain fairy folk with a density of 10 per square
mile, so about 5,000 in Callarii lands and 10,000 in Vyalia lands.
This figure too is quite higher than the one proposed by Simone Neri
for the same reasons I wrote before: I believe ancient and magical
races should be organized enough in their territories to be able to
support a larger population. Also I want them to be a relevant force
in Karameikos and in the Known World.
The areas depicted in brown
are those inhabited by gnomes and dwarves whose density should be
quite high considering they have a well developed city, technology
and the ability to inhabit underground areas. Therefore I believe the
density should be at least from 60 to 80 people per square mile, so
estimates for the inhabitants of the Highforge area are at about
35,000.
My final estimation of the total population of
intelligent creatures in Karameikos is over 1,100,000, with humans
about half of this, with 500,000 people.
The small blue area
is the Lost Valley of Hutaaka, which also contains some ancient
Traldar. The density of this area should be decided by the DM,
depending on how many Hutaakans and ancient Traldar he or she wishes
to have and what food sources are available and so the population
could vary from 15,000 to 1,500.
Area:
32 x 20 miles, or 640 square miles.
Days to cross3:
10 days east-west or 6 days north-south, normally it is possible to
cover only 3 miles per day due to the treacherous terrain.
Intelligent inhabitants: probably up to 15,000 (lizardmen,
troglodytes, trolls, caymen, hobgoblins, humans, undead, sphinxes and
at least 10 black dragons), with extensive underground areas.
In
Canon products:
- The AC2 Combat
Shield and Mini-Adventure supplement from 1984 could be considered
the first (not explicit) mention of the Blight Swamp: it contains the
adventure “The Treasure of the Hideous One” which
features the expedition of Colonel Rosentos in the swamp, with a
hydra, a giant serpentweed, a ghost, bandits with an elven chieftain,
savage human natives, a vampire and cay-men.
- In Gazetteer 1 The
Grand Duchy of Karameikos, it is described as a “an ugly
landscape of dying trees and rotting vegetation” and black
dragons are the only mentioned inhabitants.
- In Karameikos
Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, lizardmen, bonesnappers and other
reptilian creatures quite hostile to man are mentioned, as well as
pirate bases and former humanoid troops of the Black Eagle Baron.
There is also an Encounters table however which includes AD&D
creatures and refers to all Known World swamps.
In
Fan productions:
- For a list of
monsters, check Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous Atlas
(http://pandius.com/ma_kara.html)
and Agathokles’ Wandering Monsters Tables:
http://pandius.com/kwndmnst.html.
- According to Geoff Gander’s Mental Ramblings:
http://pandius.com/mentramb.html
there is a frogfolk temple in the swamp and some
strange hin: http://pandius.com/middream.html.
In
the Almanac 1019 an Expedition in the Swamp was organized by the Five
Shires: http://pandius.com/1019yar.html#yar25a
- According to Simone Neri’s history in
Threshold issue #1 and here: http://pandius.com/karhstry.html
Trinkla the Black Seer was buried in the swamp with
the Black Opal Eye, until it was recovered. The tale of Rosentos’
expedition is also put in the context of Karameikos History. Also
check Simone’s Demography of Karameikos In Threshold issue #1
and here: http://pandius.com/kardemog.html
and the discussion over these articles here:
http://pandius.com/karancrn.html
and here: http://pandius.com/kdmgthgt.html
about the ruins and the populations of the
wilderlands.
- According to Ville Lähde in The Division of
the Five Campaign: http://pandius.com/5div.html
a lich named Hazar has created a cult in the swamp,
allied with a black dragon.
- According to Agathokles in Lords of
the Cruth Lowlands: http://pandius.com/CruthLowlands-joined.pdf
the Black dragon Vulomar rules the swamp and more
details are given on Rosentos and Trinkla.
- Rashak’s
Reavers gnolls were described by Agathokles here:
http://pandius.com/karagobl.html
with map here: http://pandius.com/karatrib.html.
A list of the humanoid tribes described by Agathokles was also
compiled by Greg Weatherup here: http://pandius.com/htrbsumm.html
- Steven B. Wilson wrote a basic timeline of the
Eyes of Traldar here: http://pandius.com/traleyes.html
- Robert Ligon wrote much about Luln
(http://pandius.com/luln2.html)
and created a detailed history of Western Karameikos here:
http://pandius.com/lulnchrn.html
- See also my work on Koskatep in Threshold
(mainly Level 8 in issue #10, about ancient lizardmen) and my History
of Traladara: http://pandius.com/tralhist.html
which mention the Flesheaters Trolls. In Threshold
issue #12 I also detailed the past of the Known World, and the people
who inhabited it and may still inhabit it, hidden in the most wild
and remote places.
- See also Mokrath, Serpent Eye in Threshold
issue #10 and the 2300 BC Map of Grondheim:
http://pandius.com/m_grndhm.html
where the swamp is still a lake.
- According to
Sean Meaney here: http://pandius.com/silnith.html,
hobgoblins have a village named Silnithiniv in the swamp, which I
included in my detailed 3.2 map of Traladara:
http://pandius.com/kara1020.html.
Area:
50 x 16 miles, or 832 square miles
Days to cross: 12 days
east-west or 4 days north-south due to thick forest and deep streams.
Intelligent Inhabitants: More than 15,000 (faeries, fauns,
centaurs, elves, werecreatures, harpies, hobgoblins, gnolls, up to 15
dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 1
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, it is written the Riverfork (right)
and Achelos (left) Woods are largely unexplored and uninhabited by
humans, and very ominous.
- The AD&D adventure Carcass Fracas
in Dungeon Magazine #57 is set in this area, featuring thouls.
-
In Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, the description is
similar but Achelos only is reported on the map and is given as the
Traladaran name of the Riverfork woods. The Estate of Achelos has
been created for Alfheim elves. Encounter table for Forest included
too.
In Fan productions:
-
Agathokles’ Lords of the Cruth Lowlands, see
link above, is the best source for the area, with Zirchev’s
werewolves, a green dragon, faeries, Lindenelm elves (mentioned in
canon in the background of a pre-rolled PC of M5 module Talons of
Night, page 28) and the Turnwood magic point.
- According to
Simone Neri’s history, see above, the Lindenelm elves are the
last remnants of a mercenary clan who sided with Taymoran
necromancers.
- The Turnwood is also mentioned here
http://pandius.com/hghmgcpt.html
by Gordon McCormick and in the Grondheim map by John
Calvin, see above.
- For a list of monsters, check also Sheldon
Morris’ Monstrous Atlas and Agathokles’ Wandering
Monsters Tables as above
- I also wrote something about the area
here: http://pandius.com/rvrforka.html
as companion to my detailed 3.2 map of Traladara,
link above. I did not place Alfheim elves in the Achelos woods
because I wanted to keep it as a wild area.
- Thorn's Chronicle
by Robert J. Nuttman, Jr. has something else here:
http://pandius.com/tc_trllt.html
about the Darine, Traladaran gypsies, which I think
were created by Jennifer Guerra here: http://pandius.com/darine.html
- Sean Meaney has something more about the
village of Petra here: http://pandius.com/petracom.html
and here: http://pandius.com/buildcmp.html
- The Achelos adventure by Patrick Sullivan is
also a major source of information on Western Karameikos:
http://pandius.com/ach_camp.html
Area:
130 x 60 miles or 7,360 square miles
Days to cross: 20 days
east-ovest or 9 days north-south due to difficult terrain (only the
Karameikan part).
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 200,000. (Ogres,
giants, orcs, gnolls, humans, halflings, fairies, centaurs, elves,
werecreatures, faenare, harpies, fungoids, troglodytes, rockmen,
brutemen and up to 120 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 1
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, ogres are mentioned in the Western
hills.
- B1: In Search of Adventure was placed by the Expert set
in this area.
- The Lost Valley of Hutaaka of B10 Night’s
Dark Terror is also set in the north eastern part of this area.
-
The adventure The Trouble with Milvyn Wimbly in Dungeon Magazine #5
could be easily set in the area.
- In Karameikos Kingdom of
Adventure Boxed Set, the Cruth lowlands are said to be prowled by
ogres and giants, and also be a home to wizards and other individuals
who value their privacy. The range average height is given at
4000-4500 feet.
- Joshuan’s Almanac mentions a great
dungeon complex discovered under Mount Pavel in 1013 AC.
In
Fan productions:
- The Achelos
adventure by Patrick Sullivan was the first major source of
information on Western Karameikos, see above.
- Agathokles’
Lords of the Cruth Lowlands is now the best source for the area as
for the previous areas.
- Rashak’s Reavers gnolls were
described by Agathokles, see above the work done by him and Greg
Weatherup here.
- For a list of monsters, check also Sheldon
Morris’ Monstrous Atlas and Agathokles’ Wandering
Monsters Tables linked in area 1.
- I also set my megadungeon of
Koskatep here (see Threshold from issue #1) and wrote the history of
Cruth ogres here: http://pandius.com/cruthogr.html
as companion to my detailed 3.2 map of Traladara,
link above.
- Robert Ligon created a detailed history of Western
Karameikos, see above.
- There was also recently a discussion on
The Piazza about locating Skull Mountain from 1977 Holmes D&D
edition in the area:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15940
- Cuchulainisle was created by Kevin Wyton here:
http://pandius.com/cuchul.html
Area:
64 x 64 miles or 4,000 square miles
Days to cross: 3 or 4 days
east-west on the road, 7 or 8 days outside the road, at least 10 days
north-south.
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 100,000. (Bugbears,
hobgoblins, goblins, orcs, werecreatures, fairies, centaurs, undead,
up to 60 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 1
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, bugbears are mentioned in the
Southwestern forests and Lord Koriszegy and his keep are described.
-
The adventure In The Dread of Night in Dungeon Magazine #24 was set
on the Westron road and was later used by myself and Agathokles as
the basis to develop the followers of Nyx in Lords of the Cruth
Lowlands and Koskatep.
- The adventure Elexa’s Endeavor in
Dungeon Magazine #53 could be easily set in this area.
- In
Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, Radlebb woods are said to
be inhabited by Callarii elves and Alfheim refugees. The western part
is described as dark, and Koriszegy keep is described as haunted by
the living dead.
- The storyline of the videogame Order of the
Griffon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons:_Order_of_the_Griffon
is centered on a struggle against the Iron Ring,
werewolves and Lord Koriszegy in Western Karameikos.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history in Threshold issue #1 and as linked above. Also
check Simone’s Demography of Karameikos In Threshold issue #1
and as linked above, with the discussion over his articles about the
ruins and the populations of the wilderlands.
- Humanoids of the
area were originally described by Agathokles as linked in area 1.
-
For a list of monsters, check also Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous
Atlas and Agathokles’ Wandering Monsters Tables linked in area
1.
- Robert Ligon created a detailed history of Western
Karameikos here, see above.
- Agathokles also created a campaign
for this area: http://pandius.com/swkarapt.html
- See also some ideas written for the area by
Havard here: http://pandius.com/witchrad.html
and here: http://pandius.com/greymnt.html
Area:
30 x 30 miles or 900 square miles
Days to cross: 4 days east-west
or north-south
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 20,000
(Werecreatures, undead, humans, up to 10 dragons)
In
Canon and Fan productions:
- As far
as I know, this rather large region is not mentioned at all in either
canon products or fan productions (or probably just considered a
settled and safe area). However I decided to develop it a bit by
making the area a haven for werecreatures and rebels, with a dark
secret in the middle of it, the hideout of powerful vampires. See the
discussion over Simone Neri’s articles about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands and my detailed 3.2 map of Traladara,
links above.
- My History of Traladara, linked in area 1, and
Level 7 of Koskatep in Threshold issue #9 also have important
information on this area.
Area:
90 x 36 miles or 3,300 square miles
Days to cross: 16 days
east-west or 8 days north-south
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
80,000 (Goblins, hobgoblins, werecreatures, lizardmen, troglodytes,
fairies, harpies, undead, up to 50 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In
Gazetteer 1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, goblins and hobgoblins are
mentioned in East Karameikos and they obviously appear in B10 Night’s
Dark Terror and DDA4 The Dymrak Dread.
- In Dragon Magazine 171
Bruce Heard identified this area as Argosyl, the domain of the green
dragon Argos: http://pandius.com/whoswho.html
- In Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set,
it is written that the wolf-riding goblins of the Dymrak Forest in
eastern Karameikos have a deserved reputation for their savagery and
animal cunning, and that legends and rumors tell of an adult green
dragon living in the Dymrak Forest.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history and demography of Karameikos in Threshold issue
#1 and the discussion linked in area 1 about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands.
- Humanoids of the area were
originally described by Agathokles as linked in area 1.
- For a
list of monsters, check also Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous Atlas
and Agathokles’ Wandering Monsters Tables linked in area 1.
-
Havard wrote much about the Dymrak Forest in Threshold issue #1 and
here: http://pandius.com/dymwdang.html
but also here: http://pandius.com/dym_gobl.html,
here: http://pandius.com/dymrakpw.html,
here: http://pandius.com/argos.html
and here: http://pandius.com/ddread.html
Area:
64 x 24 miles or 1500 square miles
Days to cross: 10 days
east-west or 4 days north-south
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
40,000. (Centaurs, fairies, goblins, werecreatures, undead,
troglodytes, harpies, trolls, bugbears).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 1
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, centaurs are mentioned in forested
areas and they appear in B10. Wights, banshees, werewolves and
wereboars are said to be common in the moors.
- B5: Horror on the
Hill was placed in this area in the D&D Expert set.
- Part of
B10 Night’s Dark Terror is set in the vicinity of the Moor or
inside it.
- The adventure Hrothgar’s Resting Place in
Dungeon Magazine #25 is set in the area.
- The adventure Tarfil’s
Tomb in Dungeon Magazine #27 is set in the area.
- The adventure
Voyage of the Crimpshrine in Dungeon Magazine #59 is set on the
Volaga to Seragrad.
- In Karameikos
Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, it is described as an eerie area.
-
The adventure Escape from Thunder Rift in the 1993 Dungeon Master
Screen is set in Bywater.
- The town of the First Quest AD&D
1994 Boxed Set is named Krondsfield in the Karameikos Boxed set and I
placed it in the area as no official location is given.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history and demography of Karameikos in Threshold issue
#1 and the discussion linked in area 1 about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands.
- Lumm (which appears in X12
Skarda’s Mirror) and Gorenenov were described as the original
seat of Morphail Gorevitch Woszlany (see Gaz3 The Principalities of
Glantri) by Agathokles in his Traladaran Timeline here:
http://pandius.com/trldtime.html
- Havard developed the centaurs of the Moor here:
http://pandius.com/karcent.html
Area:
48 x 40 miles or 1,900 square miles
Days to cross: 10 days
east-west or 9 days north-south
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
50,000. (Goblins, kobolds, gnolls, stone and hill giants, brutemen,
chameleon men, troglodytes, fairies, gargoyles, werecreatures,
undead, up to 30 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In
Gazetteer 1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, one very old red dragon
and some fairly civilized stone giants are mentioned in the area. It
is also written the region has numerous gnomish and dwarven mines,
but also caves and caverns with lost civilizations, hidden bandit
tribes, ancient sleeping monsters.
- B8: Journey to the Rock was
placed here in the D&D Expert set.
- B9: Castle Caldwell and
Beyond was placed here in the D&D Expert set.
- B11: King’s
Festival and B12: Queen’s Harvest are set in this area.
-
X12: Skarda’s Mirror, is set in Verge.
- The adventure
Ransom in Dungeon Magazine #42 should be set in Highdell.
- In
Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, Eltan’s Spring is
introduced as a location for the adventures included.
- The module
Hail the Heroes is set in the ruins of Zadreth in this area.
-
The town of Irenke appears in the Joshuan Almanac on pages 158 and
159.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history and demography of Karameikos in Threshold issue
#1 and the discussion linked in area 1 about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands.
- Knosht and other locations of
the area are also explained here:
http://www.pandius.com/thrshld.html
by Simone Neri.
-
I placed here A Goblin Kingdom: The Rise of Dhrom Dhum, detailed in
Threshold issue #1 and here: http://pandius.com/dhromdum.html
- Humanoids of the area were originally described
by Agathokles as linked in area 1.
- For a list of monsters, check
also Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous Atlas and Agathokles’
Wandering Monsters Tables linked in area 1.
11
- Volaga hills
Area:
60 x 60 miles or 3,500 square miles
Days to cross: 12 days
east-west or north-south
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 70,000.
(Orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, minotaurs, werecreatures, undead,
troglodytes, fairies, centaurs, hill giants, up to 50 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In
Gazetteer 1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, Orcs and Hobgoblins are
indicated in East Karameikos.
- B3: Palace of the Silver Princess
is set near this area.
- In Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed
Set, it is written that humanoids from the hills often menace
Penhaligon.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history and demography of Karameikos in Threshold issue
#1 and the discussion linked in area 1 about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands.
- Humanoids of the area were
originally described by Agathokles as linked in area 1.
- I placed
in this region Morozko (Old Man Winter) here described by Jennifer
Guerra: http://pandius.com/tales.html
- For a list of monsters, check also Sheldon
Morris’ Monstrous Atlas and Agathokles’ Wandering
Monsters Tables linked in area 1.
Area:
72 x 50 miles or 3,600 square miles
Days to cross: 18 days
east-west or 12 days south-north from Castellan Keep (only the
Karameikan part)
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 90,000. (Orcs,
hobgoblins, kobolds, goblins and others, frost, stone and hill
giants, brutemen, up to 60 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 1
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, frost giants, snow apes and white
dragons are mentioned in the mountains.
- B2: The Keep on the
Borderlands is set in Castellan Keep.
- B7: Rahasia was placed by
the D&D Expert set near the Duke’s road.
- In
Karameikos Kingdom of Adventure Boxed Set, the mountains are said to
reach 9,000 feet in the east, and it is also written that Gold and
silver are found in the southern Altan Tepes, and many people try to
establish mines there. Some meet with great success; most meet with
death at the hands of the humanoids that infest that part of the
country.
In
Fan productions:
- Check Simone
Neri’s history and demography of Karameikos in Threshold issue
#1 and the discussion linked in area 1 about the ruins and the
populations of the wilderlands.
- Simone Neri’s Central
Altan Tepes Mini Gazetteer here: http://pandius.com/altantps.html
is the most complete description of the region.
-
See also this work by Ortega76 on Bergoi and Novaci:
http://pandius.com/altntpes.html
- Humanoids of the area were originally described
by Agathokles as linked in area 1.
- For a list of monsters, check
also Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous Atlas and Agathokles’
Wandering Monsters Tables linked in area 1.
- Check also the Ice
Wall by Gordon McCormick here: http://pandius.com/ice_wall.html
and Return to the Ice Wall by Shawn Stanley in
Threshold issue #1.
- Also relevant is Yuri Molotov - Death
Knight, by John Calvin, in Threshold issue #1 and here:
http://pandius.com/ymoltov2.html,
with expansions here at The Piazza:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14283
- A lot of material also exists on Castellan keep
here: http://pandius.com/ppkeepbl.html
by Paleologos, here:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15930
by Kilr Kowalski, here:
http://pandius.com/castkeep.html
by Lucky and here: http://pandius.com/kotb_ret.html
by Havard.
- See also my maps of the Past Ages of
the Known World in Threshold issue #12, where I imagined here the
Giant Kingdom of Tarsh, partially inspired by Land of the Fomorians:
http://pandius.com/fomorian.html
by Agathokles.
http://pandius.com/Five_shires_people.png
The
only true wilderlands of the Shires are in the Black Spires and the
Cruth Mountains, shown in purple, where orcs, goblins, hobgoblins,
kobolds and bugbears are mentioned. As they are present in nearby
Karameikos, brutemen and troglodytes could also inhabit the
mountains. The Five Shires Gazetteer mentions among other intelligent
creatures living in the mountains, dragons, gargoyles and
manscorpions. The mountains probably have extensive caves with old
dwarven mines, ruins and the typical monsters of the Shires detailed
in the Gazetteer, as Deep Glaurants and Rockfangs.
The Shires part
of the mountain chain is just 8 or 16 miles thick but 220 miles long.
It is about 2,200 square miles and should have about 60,000
intelligent inhabitants.
The Shires have several wooded hills and
deep woods, shown as borderlands, in orange. Some fairy creatures are
mentioned in the Shires, particularly actaeons, dryads, sprites and
unicorns, and also the dangerous black hags. Undead and werecreatures
are known to roam the Shires, mainly in the east, and shapeshifters
such as doppelgangers and mujinas have been spotted as well. There
are 73 hexes of borderlands for a total of 4,700 square miles. The
population of these areas should be up to 120,000 intelligent beings,
probably the majority not being halflings, but rather humanoids in
the north and fairies and other creatures in the forests.
The
total number of dragons in the Shires should be above 100.
The
settled lands, depicted in yellow, amount to 140 hexes for a total of
9,000 square miles. Even considering that the average density of the
hin population is a bit lower than the human one at 60 people per
square mile, the total population in the “civilized” area
should be up to 550,000.
The total intelligent inhabitants of the
Shires should then be more than 730,000 people.
Of this,
halflings are the majority, with about 550,000 people. About 60,000
other integrated races lives in the Shires, mostly humans, lupins4,
gnomes and elves. Some of these people may be ancient inhabitants of
the Shires, while others may be more recent immigrants. Humanoids in
the mountains should number at least 60,000, mostly orcs with
goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, thouls, bugbears and gnolls. Other
races, which includes faerie folk, wood imps, harpies, faenare,
lizardmen, troglodytes, manscorpions, and brutemen, should amount to
at least 60,000 people. No one is able to guess how numerous deep
glaurants and rockmen may be. Werecreatures and shapeshifters are
certainly hidden among the human population.
Dwarves are rare in
the Shires due to the past enmity between the two people. Some could
be encountered if they are in cordial relations with local halflings,
but they could risk some intolerance. Rumors that the heirs of Loktal
Ironshield are still hidden somewhere in the Cruth mountains5
are dismissed by most halflings as stories to scare children.
http://pandius.com/Five_Shires_wilderlands.png
Area:
48 x 48 miles or 2,300 square miles
Days to cross: 7 days
east-west or 8 days south-north (only the Shires part)
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 60,000 (Bugbears, hobgoblins, gnolls,
werecreatures, undead, gargoyles, brutemen, troglodytes, up to 35
dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 8,
The Five Shires, the area is said to be inhabited by fire beetles,
bugbears, carrion crawlers, mountain lions, dragons, gargoyles,
ghouls, goblins, griffons, banshees, hobgoblins, nightwings, orcs,
robber flies, vampires. The area should be mainly inhabited by
bugbears, hobgoblins and some gnolls.
- In Dragon Magazine 171
Bruce Heard identified this area as Azemur, the domain of the gold
dragon Azem, see link in area 8 of Karameikos.
- The adventure
The Trouble with Milvyn Wimbly in Dungeon Magazine #5 could be easily
set in the area.
- The adventure Them apples in Dungeon Magazine
#48 is suggested for this area.
- A possible placement for XS2
Thunderdelve Mountains, ruins of the dwarves living near the Shires
was imagined by Paleologos here: http://pandius.com/thndrdlv.html
In
Fan productions:
- For a list of
monsters, check also Sheldon Morris’ Monstrous Atlas:
http://pandius.com/ma_five.html
- A Five Shires Gazetteer: Alternate Edition was
created by John Walter Biles here:
http://pandius.com/AlternateFiveShiresDraftOne.pdf
- The Dark Shire by Geoff Gander here:
http://pandius.com/drkshire.html
- The Order of the Broken Chain by Ashtagon is
here: http://pandius.com/brknchn.html
- See also Thorn's Chronicle: The Karrnath's
Realm, Eastern Glittering Lands by Robert J. Nuttman, Jr., link under
areas 2 and 3 of Karameikos, for a possible heir of Loktal’s
realm.
- In Threshold issue #12 I also detailed the past of the
Known World, and the people who inhabited it and may still inhabit
it, hidden in the most wild and remote places.
2
- Central and Western Cruth Mountains
Area:
160 x 20 miles or 3,200 square miles
Days to cross: 40 days
east-west or 4-5 days south-north (only the Shires part)
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 80,000 (Goblins, orcs, kobolds, minotaurs,
brutemen, gargoyles, undead, troglodytes, up to 50 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 8,
The Five Shires, the area is said to be inhabited by bears, beetles,
carrion crawlers, mountain lions, dragons, gargoyles, griffons,
banshees, liches, manscorpions, mujinas,
The area should be
mainly inhabited by goblins in the east and orcs and kobolds in the
rest of the range.
-
The adventure M1 Blizzard Pass is set in one of the two mountain
passes of this region.
In Fan
productions:
- In this thread at
the Piazza, started by Ardano Silverbrow:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8019
here: http://pandius.com/loktal_s.html
and here: http://pandius.com/loktal_t.html
Agathokles, John Calvin and others developed a
megadungeon connected to the ancient dwarven king Loktal Ironshield
in the area.
3
- The Woods
Area:
Five main woods from 24 x 8 to 24 x 16 miles or 1,500 square miles
total
Days to cross: From 2 to 8 days to cross.
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 35,000. (Fairies, werecreatures, troglodytes,
lizardmen, up to 25 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 8,
The Five Shires, the woodlands are said to be inhabited by actaeons,
bears, drakes, dryads, ferrets, green dragons, hags, werewolves and
werebears, owl bears, mujinas, stirges, sprites, unicorns, wolves.
In
Fan productions:
- Beau Yarbrough
set a series of adventures near Leafkindle here:
http://pandius.com/five_adv.html
4
- The Coast and the Islands
Area:
320 miles of coast, of which at least 100 miles unsettled
Days to
sail: At least 4 with strong wind, or more.
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 60,000. (Werecreatures, undead, lizardmen,
troglodytes, sphinxes, up to 5 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 8,
The Five Shires, the coast and the islands are said to be inhabited
by giant bats, grab grass, wererats, devil swine, mujinas, robber
flies, spiders.
- The adventure for the Shires in X10 Red Arrow,
Black Shield is set in a ruin near Shireton.
In
Fan production:
- The adventure The
Tomb of Thob Shanwood by Agathokles is set in Southshire.
-
Mulur’s Grave by Sean Meaney is a coral island off the Shires
here: http://pandius.com/mulurgrv.html
http://pandius.com/Minrothad_people.png
Minrothad
has few true wilderlands, except for the volcanic areas and
the interiors of the islands (which often coincide). In total these
lands amount to 30 hexes, or about 1,900 square miles, with a
possible population of 20,000 intelligent creatures on Trader’s
Isle, Fire Island and Blackrock Island (we will examine Fortress
Island and Alfeisle below). Open Island and North Island should not
contain true wilderlands, but only some borderlands. However
Gazetteer 9 The Minrothad Guilds has no true monster list and the
Poor Wizard’s Almanac doesn’t mention any intelligent
creatures. Simone Neri’s Demography of Ierendi and Minrothad in
Threshold issue #3 lists only harpies and lupins as non human or
demihuman inhabitants of the isles, while the older Demografia
Mystariana also lists fairies on Alfeisle and some werecreatures
escaped from the Silver Purge around the islands. Therefore the DM
may freely decide what intelligent creatures may inhabit these
wilderlands, if any. Given the old history of the islands (see also
Threshold issue #12) I think fairies, gremlins, brutemen, gnomes,
storm, fire and cloud giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies,
faenare, fungoids, rockmen, fire and earth elementals, aranea,
kara-kara orcs6,
dragons and lost human populations are all acceptable ideas for the
wild regions of Minrothad. The Undersea is another chapter entirely,
featured in PC3 The Sea People. The Triton Kingdom lays mainly
southwest of Trader’s Isle, water elves and nixies live around
Alfeisle and many kna dwell between Minrothad, Ierendi and
Karameikos. Merrow are more common around Ierendi, but can be
encountered occasionally, as can sea giants, kopru and devilfish.
I
depicted the less settled areas of the islands as borderlands
in orange. In total about 42 hexes and 2,700 square miles with a
possible population of about 120,000 people. Most of these
inhabitants will be humans (or halflings, as appropriate for the
island) but such area could have pirates, ancient ruins, undead,
werecreatures, isolated villages and other interesting adventure
locations.
About 100 dragons should inhabit the Minrothad
isles.
The settled areas in yellow should be mostly
inhabited by humans on Trader’s Isle and North Island (1,540
square miles with a population of about 140,000 people), and by
halflings and some humans in Open Isle with a population of 40,000
people.
On Fortress island only a small part should be
heavily settled by dwarves for a total of about 20,000 people.
Previous inhabitants, maybe humans and others could well number to
15,000 other people.
Alfeisle should have about 15,000
inhabitants in the wilderlands, 55,000 in the borderlands and 110,000
in the more settled areas, with an elf population of 150,000, 5,000
humans and others and 25,000 other intelligent creatures (probably
fairies, harpies, faenare, gremlins, and maybe others).
The total
population of Minrothad should be about 200,000 humans, 170,000
elves, 50,000 halflings, 30,000 dwarves, 5,000 lupins, all integrated
into the Guilds for a total of 455,000 people, and 80,000 other
intelligent creatures in the more remote areas of the islands.
Area:
72 x 32 miles, or 2,200 square miles
Days to cross: 16 days or
more north-south and 3-8 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants:
Up to 50,000 (Fairies, gremlins, brutemen, gnomes, storm, fire and
cloud giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies, faenare, fungoids,
rockmen, fire and earth elementals, aranea, werecreatures, up to 25
dragons)
In Canon products:
-
In Gazetteer 9, The Minrothad Guilds, some adventures are set on
Trader’s Isle where snakes, spiders, wereboars, lizards,
nixies, wererats and a green dragon are encountered.
- The Poor
Wizard’s Almanac only lists birds, donkeys, goats, giant
lizards, monkeys and small pigs as wild animals of the Islands.
-
The module X7 War Rafts of Kron begins in the City of Minrothad.
-
The adventure Isle of the Abbey in Dungeon Magazine #34 could be
easily set in Minrothad.
- The adventure The Djinni’s Ring
in Dungeon Magazine #9 and the adventure The Isle of the Storm Giant
featured in AC10 Bestiary of Dragons and Giants mention “Serendib,
one of the cities of the
Minrothad Guilds”, see also
Threshold issue #3 page 160 by Simone Neri.
In
Fan productions:
- See also Sheldon
Morris’ Monstrous Atlas here:
http://pandius.com/ma_minr.html.
-
Threshold issue #3 contains Simone Neri’s Demography of Ierendi
and Minrothad and issue #3 and #4 contains several other articles
about Minrothad and the Sea of Dread.
- In Threshold issue #3, in
my article The Darkness Beneath, I imagined some of the ancient ruins
which could be found under Minrothad, and in Threshold issue #12 I
also detailed the past of the Known World, and the people who
inhabited it and may still inhabit it, hidden in the most wild and
remote places. Most of this is inspired by the work done by John
Calvin on the 2300 BC setting and Taymora in particular, also
detailed in Threshold issue #12 and here:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewforum.php?f=63
Area:
30 miles long each branch, or 600 square miles in total
Days to
cross: 7 days from Stronghold to the end of either branch
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 15,000 (Gremlins, brutemen, gnomes, storm, fire
and cloud giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies, faenare, fungoids,
rockmen, fire and earth elementals, up to 15 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 9,
The Minrothad Guilds, an adventure is set on Fortress Islands against
fire elementals.
In Fan
productions:
- See above under
Trader’s Isle
Area:
24 x 10 miles, or 240 square miles in total
Days to cross: 6 days
east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 20,000 (Brutemen, storm,
fire and cloud giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies, faenare,
fungoids, rockmen, fire and earth elementals, up to 5 dragons).
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 9,
The Minrothad Guilds, Fire island is the secret seat of the
Privateers Guild.
In Fan
production:
- See above under
Trader’s Isle
Area:
80 x 24 miles, or 2,000 square miles (of wilderlands)
Days to
cross: 20 days north-south or 6 days east-west
Intelligent
Inhabitants: Up to 70,000 (Fairies, gremlins, brutemen, gnomes,
storm, fire and cloud giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies,
faenare, fungoids, rockmen, fire and earth elementals, aranea,
kara-kara orcs, up to 25 dragons)
In Canon
products:
- In Gazetteer 9, The
Minrothad Guilds, an adventure was set on Alfeisle with giant
lizards, dryads, and treants.
In
Fan productions:
- See above under
Trader’s Isle
Area:
16 x 16 miles, or 256 square miles (of wilderlands)
Days to cross:
4 days north-south or east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
7,000 (Fairies, gremlins, brutemen, gnomes, storm, fire and cloud
giants, lizardmen, troglodytes, harpies, faenare, fungoids, rockmen,
fire and earth elementals, werecreatures, up to 5 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 9,
The island is briefly described as housing a community of mystics who
follow an Alphatian tradition.
In
Fan productions:
- See above under
Trader’s Isle.
Ierendi
has extensive wilderlands, as several islands are historically
only lightly settled by humans. Elegy island has at least 450 square
miles of unsettled lands, Ierendi island 1,700 (the whole central
chain), Fletcher island 130, White island 120, Roister island 320,
Aloysius island 400, Honour island 350, Alcove island 380, Utter
island 1,000 and Safari island 2,100, for a total wilderlands area of
7,000 square miles and up to 200,000 intelligent non human
inhabitants. Beside humans and demihumans, other people documented on
Ierendi are lizardmen, goblins, lupins, harpies, elementals and flame
salamanders7,
fire, storm and cloud giants, dragons, rock trolls, white apes,
constructs, undead and werecreatures. Other people, such as rockmen,
geonids, fungoids, troglodytes, brutemen, neshezu8
and more, may also be present at the DM’s discretion.
Depicted
in orange as borderlands are the areas of the islands with
sparse human population, probably with an average population density
of 30 intelligent creatures per square miles, but half of them are
not humans. Elegy island has at least 450 square miles of
borderlands, Ierendi island 4,700, Fletcher island 550, White island
120, Roister island 120, Aloysius island 1,000, Honour island 50,
Alcove island 650, Utter island 900 and Safari island 600, for a
total wilderlands area of 9150 square miles with up to 275,000
inhabitants, 135,000 humans or demihumans and 140,000 of other
creatures.
In yellow are the settled areas with an high density
human or demihuman population. Elegy, White and Roister islands have
no regions of high density population, Ierendi island has 2,500
square miles, Fletcher island 260, Aloysius island 100, Honour island
60, Alcove island 380, Utter island 120 and Safari island 380, for a
total area of highly settled lands of 3,800 square miles with up to
265,000 human inhabitants, with an average density slightly lower
than 70 people per square mile.
The total human population of
Ierendi should be about 400,000 people, mostly human with some
demihuman minorities (20,000 halflings, about 5,000 lupins, elves,
gnomes and dwarves), but the islands should be able to support at
least 340,000 other intelligent creatures.
Elegy island
has been depicted as all wilderlands or borderlands because it should
have minimal population, probably 10,000 human inhabitants and 20,000
others, where others in this case should be mostly undead and some
lizardmen. Ierendi island has been depicted as borderlands in
all the western region, almost 4,800 square miles that should contain
160,000 inhabitants, half of them humans and half of them not. 50,000
other creatures should inhabit the central chain. All the non human
creatures listed above could be present in Ierendi island.
The
settled area should have 170,000 human inhabitants, for a total human
population of 245,000 humans on the main island (with some
demihumans) and 140,000 other people. Fletcher island should
be inhabited by 10,000 other creatures and 25,000 humans. Alcove
island should have 30,000 human inhabitants and 20,000 other
creatures. Honour island should have 5,000 human inhabitants
and 10,000 other creatures. White island could have a
population of 5,000 inhabitants, even if it appears inhabited only by
insane druids and white apes. Roister Island should have only
2,500 human inhabitants and 10,000 other creatures. Aloysius
island should have 25,000 human inhabitants and 25,000 other
creatures. Utter island should have 20,000 human inhabitants
and 30,000 other creatures. Safari island should have 40,000
human inhabitants and 80,000 other creatures.
The islands could
easily support a population of more than 200 normal dragons and
probably the surrounding sea an even higher number of sea dragons.
The
Wilderlands of Ierendi
Ierendi
wilderlands
http://pandius.com/Ierendi_wilderlands.png
Area:
64 x 16 miles, or 850 square miles
Days to cross: 12 days
north-south or 4 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
25,000 (Lizardmen, fairies, goblins, harpies, troglodytes and
werecreatures. Any other creature possible. Up to 15 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, the Wilderness Preserves are said to occupy
90% of the island, accessible with guides, special licenses or
licensed private tour operators. Exotic creatures are mentioned, such
as gargantuan monsters, wyverns, stirges, oozes and jellies, cave
snakes, hydras, serpents, lizardmen, orcs, hill giants and dragons.
- Among the native fauna, Gazetteer 4 mentions giant rats, wild
boars, giant lizards, dinosaurs, dragons, gulls, parrots and
flamingos, mermen, sea serpents, giant turtles, giant insects.
-
Gastenoo’s World of Adventure and the other Adventure Parks
should instead be located in the areas depicted in orange as
borderlands.
- The Poor Wizard’s Almanac mentions also
giant leeches in swampy areas and lizardmen, and says Safari Island
has monsters from all over the Known World.
- In PC3 The Sea
People the waters around Ierendi should be mostly inhabited by
merrow, but other Undersea races could probably be encountered too.
In
Fan productions:
- See also Sheldon
Morris’ Monstrous Atlas here:
http://pandius.com/ma_iern.html.
-
Threshold issue #3 contains Simone Neri’s Demography of Ierendi
and Minrothad and issue #3 and #4 contains several other articles
about Minrothad and the Sea of Dread.
- In Threshold issue #3, in
my article The Darkness Beneath, I imagined some of the ancient ruins
which could be found under Ierendi, and in Threshold issue #12 I also
detailed the past of the Known World, and the people who inhabited it
and may still inhabit it, hidden in the most wild and remote places.
Most of this is inspired by the work done by John Calvin on the 2300
BC setting and Taymora in particular, also detailed in Threshold
issue #12 and here: http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewforum.php?f=63
- See also The Pirate Kingdom of Ierendi by John
Walter Biles: http://pandius.com/AIGV1.pdf
Area:
80 x 20 miles, or 1600 square miles
Days to cross: 14 days
north-south or 7 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
50,000 (Fairies, lizardmen, goblins, lupins, harpies, elementals and
flame salamanders, fire, storm and cloud giants, rock trolls, white
apes, constructs, undead, werecreatures, rockmen, geonids, fungoids,
troglodytes, brutemen and/or other intelligent primates, see note 8,
up to 25 dragons)
In Canon products:
-
See above. Also In Gazetteer 4, the Kingdom of Ierendi, two adventure
ideas are set in the west of the island to capture stirges and a
giant hydra.
In Fan
productions:
- See area 1 of
Ierendi above.
Area:
72 x 12 miles, or 900 square miles
Days to cross: 12 days
north-south or 3 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
25,000 (As area 2 of Ierendi and up to 15 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, the adventure idea involves a civil war
between Makai and the albinos, with the winning party declaring
independence from Ierendi.
- In Gazetteer 4 it is also written
that the island has disease carrying insects (the mau mau) and giant
insects in the swamps. Probably this is a typo which was meant for
Aloysius island, but the DM may decide that both islands suffer from
the same problem.
In Fan
productions:
- See area 1 and this
Alternate setting for Ierendi v2.0 by Sharon Dornhoff:
http://pandius.com/ierendi2.html
including the Hollow Moon material and the Once in a
Blue Moon article by John Calvin in Threshold issue #4 about the
Albharendi.
- See also Utter Island by Gordon McCormick:
http://pandius.com/utterisl.html
Area:
50 x 20 miles, or 1000 square miles
Days to cross: 11 days
north-south or 4 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
30,000 (As area 2 of Ierendi and up to 10 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, it is written that Utter island has disease
carrying insects (the mau-mau) and giant insects in the swamps.
Probably this is a typo which was meant for Aloysius island, which is
described as inhabited by mau-mau mosquitoes. The adventure features
lizardmen trying to take back the island.
- In Dragon Magazine 171
Bruce Heard identified the Undersea east of Aloysius as Thundiara,
the domain of the sea dragon Thundar, see link in area 8 of
Karameikos.
In Fan
productions:
- See See area 1 of
Ierendi above.
Area:
20 x 20 miles, or 400 square miles
Days to cross: 4-5 days
north-south or east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 10,000 (As
area 2 of Ierendi and up to 5 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, Honour island and its inhabitants are
described in detail. An adventure leading to Honor island also appear
in the Elegy island chapter.
In
Fan productions:
- See area 1 and
also Mentats of Honor Island by Joaquin Menchaca:
http://pandius.com/mentats.html
Area:
35 x 25 miles, or 875 square miles
Days to cross: 7 days
north-south or 5 days east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to
25,000 (As area 2 of Ierendi and up to 15 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, there are some adventures dealing with local
pirates.
In Fan productions:
-
See area 1 of Ierendi above.
Area:
24 x 16 miles, or 380 square miles
Days to cross: 4 days
north-south or east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 10,000 (As
area 2 of Ierendi and up to 10 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the Kingdom of Ierendi, there is adventure involving the dodo bird
and the eccentric wizard Mr Coarke.
In
Fan productions:
See area 1 of
Ierendi above.
Area:
16 x 12 miles, or 192 square miles
Days to cross: 4 days
north-south or east-west
Intelligent Inhabitants: Up to 5,000 (As
area 2 of Ierendi and up to 5 dragons)
In
Canon products:
- In Gazetteer 4,
the island and its unique features are described in detail.
In
Fan productions:
- See area 1 of
Ierendi above and also this recent thread on the Piazza about Orisis
and other Nithian immortals:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15955&p=179334#p179334,
Chimpman’s post in particular.
- Instead of just insane,
the druids could be played as an elite force battling Outer Beings
infiltrations in the Known World. In Marco Dalmonte’s Codex
Immortalis here: http://pandius.com/nithcult.html
Orisis is an identity of Ixion, while Andrew Theisen
here: http://pandius.com/orisis.html
recaps canon sources about him. For the Outer Beings
see http://pandius.com/insanity.html
this article by Geoff Gander.
http://pandius.com/Thyatis_people.png
Thyatis
is one of the more settled and civilized nations of the Known World,
as it can be seen from the extension of the yellow areas. The
settled hexes are about 440, more than 28,000 square miles with a
high human density (about 90 people per square mile) and a population
of 2,600,000 people.
The borderlands in orange are about
240 hexes, or 15,400 square miles with a density of 50 people per
square miles and a population of 800,000 intelligent inhabitants,
half of them humans, demihumans or lupins and half of them other
intelligent races, mostly giants, ogres, kobolds, hobgoblins or
harpies.
The areas in blue are those historically
inhabited by lupins, which are a sizable population in Thyatis. There
are about 100 hexes, 6,400 square miles, of lupin territory in
Thyatis with a population of 300,000 people, (100,000 humans and
200,000 lupins).
The areas in brown are inhabited by
dwarves and gnomes, 14 hexes heavily settled and 27 hexes of
borderland in dark brown, with a total population of 100,000 people,
about 60,000 dwarves, 20,000 humans and 20,000 other creatures.
Areas in green are inhabited mainly by Vyalia elves, 14
hexes with a population of 45,000 people, of which 30,000 are elves,
10,000 humans and about 5,000 fairy folk and other creatures.
In
purple as usual are the true wilderlands of the Empire, 255
hexes and more than 16,000 square miles of Imperial Territories with
a population of 600,000 intelligent creatures, mostly giants, ogres,
kobolds, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, harpies, faenare, werecreatures
and fairies. The humans which live among them are usually illegal
colonists, bandits, escaped slaves, rebels or werecreatures.
The
total population of Thyatis should be 3,100,000 humans, 220,000
lupins, 70,000 dwarves and gnomes, 40,000 elves, 15,000 halflings,
1,000,000 others for a total of about 4,445,000 intelligent
inhabitants. Mainland Thyatis should also be able to support more
than 500 dragons.
The
Wilderlands of Thyatis
Thyatis
wilderlands
http://pandius.com/Thyatis_wilderlands.png
1Available here: http://www.kofn.net/download/ambientazioni/demografiaMystariana.pdf in Italian only, but part of it was updated and translated in English in Threshold issue #1 and #3.
2This figure follows the reasoning already well developed by Simone Neri in issue #1 of Threshold magazine: http://pandius.com/Threshold_1.pdf, in his article “The Demography of Karameikos”. As he wrote, the canon population of less than 300,000 inhabitants is utterly unreasonable with a canon population of almost 100,000 people in the main cities only, so I too believe the “rural” population should be increased consistently.
3By foot with light encumbrance. However as this refers to difficult wilderlands, often without trails, the movement rate on horses should not be much different. Note also that the chance of getting lost in these areas, unless the PCs have a good map or a good guide, should be very high, so the actual travel time could easily double.
4Simone Neri’s Demografia Mystariana is the only source I found about lupin presence in the Shires. I like the idea and decided to use it. I assumed lupins have no distinct territories in the Shires, but are mixed among the general population.
5See area 1 below for more information.
6Kara-kara orcs appear in canon only in the module X8 Drums on Fire Mountain, as living in the island of Teki-nura-ria south east of Thyatis. However fans have supposed they could live also in Davania and other sea regions, so they could be appropriate for any wilderlands of the Sea of Dread.
7In BECMI D&D these creatures are not intelligent, but they are in all the other editions of D&D: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons) The creature is included here if the DM wishes to use the intelligent version.
8Intelligent ape-like creatures of the Savage Coast, but a similar people could also live in the southern Known World, see here: http://pandius.com/neshezu3.html. Other possible primate races are the Vanara (http://faerunian.wikia.com/wiki/Vanara) or the Hadozee (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Hadozee_(4e_Race)).