[TTRPG Setting] - The World of ArgentDawnia - Help Create A Shared Fantasy World!

Argent Dawn
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I’ve incorporated the new material into the codex above, and reformatted the thread. I’m now going to return to colouring in and labelling that map.

Here’s how progress is coming along:

[Album] ArgentDawnia in Progress

The colour palette was inspired by real Medieval vellum maps, such as the Herefordshire Mappa Mundi (well worth researching, it’s fascinating) -

[Album] Herefordshire Mappa Mundi

and various 13th Century dyes -

[Album] Medieval Cloth Colours

I’ve a question about typefaces. Would you prefer them to be more stylized, or more legible?
I’m divided between this font:

And this font:

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Nation/Kingdom Name: The Thalassocratic Confederation of the Krasarang
Government Type: Semi-democratic, federal republic
Coat of Arms or Banner: A simple banner, bisected horizontally. The top half in forest green, representing the land. The bottom half, in ultramarine to represent the sea.
Capital: Grande Nayeli

Ethnic Groups/Species: 45% Pandaren, 15% Jinyu, 15% Hozen, 15% Humans, 10% Other
Religions: August Celestials represent the main faith in the Confederation. Other faiths comprise of local deities, ancestor worship, and estabished faiths from other realms.
Imports Iron, Coal, Textiles
Exports Sugar, Spices, Lumber, Seafood, Exotic pelts, Pearls
Hallmarks: Dozens of islands and various, land-based, states. Collective defence. Fast ships.
Signature Weapon: The Krasari Scimitar, a weapon brought by the human settlers of the Sultunate of Nuisia (a notable member state of the Confederation)
National Dish: Krasari Green Curry, a mild curry of various spices and herbs, cooked with seafood.

Interesting Things About The Thalassocratic Confederation of the Krasarang

The Confederation comprises of dozens of petty kingdoms, republics, city-states and other tribal polities that gather under a common banner in the name of collective defence and bargaining. The foundations of the modern state lie mainly with the Pandaren settlers of the ruling House of Zhu, who established early dominion over various territories of the Krasarang until the reformation of the Zhu Dominions into the first Confederation.

The main priority of the Confederation is that of peace and trade, often plying their exotic wares in far flung bazaars of the known world as well as providing revenue for the central treasury via a sizable merchant fleet.

Characters of The Thalassocratic Confederation of the Krasarang

The culture and ethnic mix of the Confederation has made it a melting pot of different customs and styles. One city-state can be vastly different to another in terms of the style of government and the dominant race.

However, the Dhan Krasar (the main legislative body of the Confederation) in conjuction with the powerful Sect of Chi’ji, have made headways in establishing a Pandaren as the common language of the states, as well as a form of national attire - Krasarfu - a long tunic of jacquard silk, bound at the waist with an obi and accompanied with safa pagdi. The attire itself has made headways among the ruling classes with the Confederation, but many still retain their own traditional clothes.

In general, the Confederation are happy to provide refuge for those in need, as per laws that state the importance of hospitality to all, barring foes.

*Places of Interest:

Despite being comprised of a large archipelago, the Krasarang derives it’s name from the mainland portion of the Confederation, and the Krasari River that runs through it. Along this river, the Jinyu kingdoms and clans hold sway over travel from the interior to the coast.

The capital, Grande Nayeli, is built on a large collection of islands within the Nayeli Lagoon. A mixture of various architectural styles, criss-crossed with canals, the city itself is an oragnised chaos that sits in the shadow of the seamount upon which the Temple of the Celestials and the parliamentary building of the Dhan Krasar sit.

The general interior is considered dangerous to plenty of unprepared travellers, whom often find a grizzly end at the fangs of the ferocious Krasari Tigers, or by bandits and rebels that gather in areas that the Confederation have failed to incorporate into their claimed domain.

Politics And War

The Dhan Krasar, and by extension, the ruling Grand Vizier, Jin Ha (a Pandaren) often have a challenge of finding compromise between the various states, owing to the diverse and complicated makeup of the Confederation.

Each state carries out domestic affairs to their own business, however, they provide a Senator to the Dhan, whom represents interests and votes on matters that impact the overall state. To this, the Dhan often finds itself torn between factions who favour a more or less centralised Confederation. This complicated political situation is often taken advantage of by the Pandaren states, who have returned a Pandaren to the office of Grand Vizier the most times.

Each state are responsible for their own military forces, with efforts to create a centralised army often hampered by fears of a return to the Imperial period. However, the Articles of Confederation stipulate that against an external aggressor, the Thalassocratic Confederation all must come to the defence of their homeland. Notably, the human-ruled states often provide the finest soldiers in the Confederation, often being employed as mercenaries in other realms.
Inspirations/Cultural Analogues:
Southern Chinese, Indonesia, South-east Asia, Zanzibar, Stros Mkai, Krasarang Wilds

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As I colour in the map, I’m trying to piece together the new lands in my head. I’m thinking the vast steppes of Ebon spread eastwards of the map, with The Distantpeak standing triumphantly at the heart of the plains.

Dealing with the lands of the Krasarang Confederacy and Bluemoon is slightly trickier. In essence, it’s an alterate universe version of Pandaria, with many of the same locales with names unchanged and relative locations unaltered.

At the same time, The Confederacy is clearly major empire, home to no small number of islands and islets and varied locales. I imagine half the page will consist of grasslands meeting the crooked peninsula of Hé Shan (a name I came up with for the Eastern Lands, similar intended etymology to Tian Shan), with a theocratic fiefdom on their front door.

If there’s anyone who can speak or write Chinese who can suggest names for the land’s various city states and petty kingdoms, I’d be greatly appreciative.

As for Alerhionia, I’ll stick that just west of Coltheim and Thuzaradin, across a narrow gulf. I’m looking forwards to drawing its landmarks.

I’ll work something out.

If you still want to provide, by all means, continue to contribute! There’s no hurry.

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Thought you might be interested in seeing how the map’s coming along…

[Album] Almost Coloured In! Almost...

I’ve now done pretty much all the land. It’s just the mountains and man-made elements left. As you can see, it’s slow work.

If you’re hestitant about posting any new kingdoms for fear of giving me more work, don’t worry.

If anything, I find having more to work with provides more context, helping me decide what needs to be drawn and what can be left out, and where to place things in relationship to each other.

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I amusingly cannot unsee the Westeros-Essos map shape. Though, I can see where you’ve drawn inspiration from the Mappa Mundi

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Now you’ve mentioned it, I can’t see it either. Perhaps one way I can purposefully de-Westeros it would by placing the steppe/Pandarian inspired countries to the west, and Alerhionia to the east. Nowhere in its description is its biome specified, so it could exist as part of, or just beyond the desert and ash-wastes.

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Damn, I really ought to start making one for Des here, if only to balance out all these evil kingdoms :stuck_out_tongue:

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Nation/Kingdom Name: Tenasan Caverns
Government Type: Unknown for the undead. Small village council of the living but often ignored by the mass of undead.
Coat of Arms or Banner: A rotting banner with no symbols but always of rotting fabric.
Capital: The Eternal Vigil
Less a city, more of a town, located on the mouth of the great caverns and caves that lead into the earth.

Ethnic Groups/Species: 95% Undead. 5% Other, mostly swamp elves.
Religions: None. No gods or faiths here.
Exports: Mushrooms and fungus, for food and medicine, herbs and labour
Imports: Corpses
Hallmarks: Cultivation, balance and finding a purpose
Signature Weapon: Spore Mines. Growths that explode near living that inflict all matter of horrible afflictions onto the eyes, lungs and skin of those near by.
National Dish: Seafood Stew. Only eaten by the living, but mostly made with mushrooms and fish.

Interesting Things About Tenasan Caverns:

  1. The Caverns are the largest known caverns in the land, formed by years of waves and fierce storms carving away hard rock. When the ocean levels dropped, the caverns remained strong and in time, new life took hold.
  2. The Caverns host the largest undead population in the world as well, drawn by the cool nature of the enviroment and the isolation that it brings.
  3. The living are welcomed in the caverns but rarely few do venture in save for brave or desperate traders, alchemists and researchers who wish to gather materials themselves. The town with living are often relatives of the deceased or those who like the isolation that the area brings.
  4. If the undead of the canvern feel like they have achived a mindset for a different purpose, they often will venture out into the world to offer themselves as labour for various nations. Poorly received but few would turn away the idea of workers who need no food or rest to do the tasks that few wish to do. For these undead, they do not mind, for it has given them a new purpose in their continued existence.

Characters of the Tenasan Caverns.

  1. Most of the undead that roam the caverns are the ones who are considered ‘good’, no malice in their bodies, but with no where to go in this world. To pass the time, help them adapt and give them a sense of purpose, many become gardeners in the cavern, helping to grow the various fungus and mushrooms as well as rarer herbs and materials used in many helpful spells and medicine. Very few people are honest that their supply of mushrooms come from these caverns.
  2. The oldest undead in the caverns only goes by the name ‘Them’. Ancient by undead standards, they roam endlessly, never in one spot for more than an hour. It is rumoured that they were the first necromancer, betrayed and raised as a corpse like those they raised, but ‘Them’ never tells their tale.
  3. Despite made of many different undead creatures, none are considered above or below each other. They even regard the living as their equals, yet that has not been kindly received. Regardless, if you ever were in the caverns, resting for whatever reasons, you would often find yourself waking up to see an undead or more, standing guard over you, ensuring you were not disturbed, even if it is a little unsettling.

Places of Interest:
The Great Stalagmite.
A meeting area in case a matter of great importance needs to be told to the undead who roam here, the great Stalagmite is often left untouched and avoided, letting the endless drips of water from above slowly grow it over the centuries.
The Corpse Pit.
A rather unpleasant area, where the bodies of traitors, crimminals and other unpleasant indivduals are delivered from kingdoms as ‘trade’ for the undead. Their bodies are sorted, examined and then used to help grow the fungus in the caves.
The Wall of the Past.
A long wall, chiseled into with countless names, mark the registery of the undead of the caverns. Easy access for the living, those who wish to visit their ancestors or lost love ones can arrive and leave gifts and letters here without having to face them. Few choose to meet them in person.

Politics And War
The undead do not have kings or queens or any who rule them. They simply exist here, away from all, so that they may find purpose. As such, they do not engage with the politics of the living and stay away.
However, if they were ever forced to fight, to protect or defend themselves, ‘Them’ would be at the call, as the oldest undead, to do what they must so that they can find their purpose without force.
If they were to go to war, it is unknown how many undead roam the caverns, and that size of such a horde would be filled with many individuals of war. Knights and mages, engineers and craftsman. A full army that does not sleep or stop, and would not stop until the enemy is driven away.

Inspirations/Cultural Analogues:
A bit of a hippy commune inspiration, tied with some monk ideals.

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Finally, after several days and many hours of hard work, the completely coloured in and labelled map of Argent Dawnia’s central region, the Lands of Dark Sorcery.

I’ll begin work on maps for the other lands as soon as I’ve had a nice break. Feel free to contribute lore, quest ideas, and stories for aspiring Dungeon Masters to mine from this world.

The album includes both a labelled version and an unlabelled version.
Imgur

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Damn, I really ought to start making one for Des here, if only to balance out all these evil kingdoms

Please, go ahead. I know just the spot for Desartin’s land.

Tenasan Caverns

I like this very much, it’s quite original. Well done!

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I’m gonna be surrounded, aren’t I?

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AND CRUSHED BY MY TERIBLE HORDES.

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Good, that means I can attack in every direction!

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The Armies of the Thalassocratic Confederation of the Krasarang shall defend the needy! Provided we can pass a majority vote in the Dhan Krasari…

ETA until full mobilisation: 3 years.

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To make things a little more readable, I’ve split the world into regions. I’ve also indexed the contents so you can quickly skip to any region’s description.

The first map depicts the Lands of Dark Sorcery.

All the kingdom submissions made post-Annihilor, pre-Desartin, will be part of The Sunlands.

I’ll work out the third region’s name once or if we have enough kingdoms to make a third region.

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Thanks. I figured I’d try to design a semi-neutral faction that sorta was ‘there’ but neither a threat or an ally.
Just people with no where to go and they exist here until they figure out what to do. And of course, had a bit of a hidden threat to them as well to deter any ‘easy invasion’ ideas.

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It reminds me a lot of the Dead Nations of Planescape: Torment. While it’s a staid concept by now, in the late 90’s having zombies and skeletons generally more humane than the living was quite revelatory.

It also serves a useful function by providing a place for intelligent undead to go to or come from, and is even better, because until more underdark nations appear, I won’t have to draw too much on the map to fit it in, just the entrance to their caverns.

I appreciate you using the Swamp Elves, too. That means they made an impression.

=

You may also notice that I’ve added direct links to each nation’s profile on the thread’s contents page.

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I love these updates. the world is coming along nicely.

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That’s great, because I have another one.

I’ve begun work on The Sunlands’ map.

[Album] imgur.com

I’m probably going to reject this particular sketch, partly because the scale’s off (Lorrenburg is now a massive metropolis), and Grande Nayali is not at the mouth of the Krasar River.

Either way, this should act as a good sketch, a statement of intent.

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Crisis in the Confederation:

In order to supplement government finances, the Grand Vizier, Jin Ha, proposed a bill to impose taxation upon the core shipping routes within the Confederation, including taking a larger cut of mooring and cargo fees within the many ports that dot the nation.

The general response has been that of outrage by the various states, with many outright stating their intent to refuse entry to officials from the Confederal Treasury and Customs service, into their ports. Within the Dhan Krasar, various Senators have decried this act as ignominious and autocratic in nature, a sign of overreach by the central Government to impose an imperial authority over the Confederation.

Notably, the Senator for the Sultanate of of Nuisia, Ak Hatan, has motioned a vote of no-confidence in the premiership of the Grand Vizier - an unprecedented act, but received as an appropriate response to Jin Ha’s folly. It remains to be seen if the vote will actually pass…

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