Here you can see the first-ever map that I drew for The Wildlanders campaign. It's a map of the local area. Initially, the passage stretching from Stoneborough to Bahar Dar was known as "The Corridor." Over time this entire map zone, including the barbarian plateaus, Forge of Zarbizul, Zazamanc, Makdazadok, and Hamsterfield, became "The Corridor."
Stoneborough sits in the WNW corner of this map. It's denoted by a little hut with a chimney. The Stoneborough Ranger Stations (a.k.a. guard towers) can be seen nearby. From Stoneborough, it's a 26 mile due-east journey to the city of Bahar Dar. Along the way are several caves, including the "Cleft Cave" which the Wildlanders fought through in one of their first major battles.
As you can see from the map, the cave network is quite extensive. Underground passages link all the caves, although over time some of the tunnels have been purposely collapsed and/or blocked. With the aid of Ungarmax's Dwarves, Liam Meadows of Hamsterfield is in the process of clearing the tunnels and securing the entire cave network.
Other sites of interest are represented clearly on this map. For instance, looking south from Bahar Dar, the fortress of Zazamanc is about 6 miles away. Continuing south, there's the "east plateau" of the Grak tribe, denoted by a large tomahawk. Still further south, on the SSE edge of the map, lies Hamsterfield, which is also denoted by a small hut with a little chimney emanating smoke.
Go back up the Stoneborough on the map. If you look south from there, past the guard tower you can see the "west plateau" of Krebb's tribe. South of that is the tower of Makdazadok.
Directly in the center of the map are icons representing the giant lands and the Forge of Zarbizul. Another area of giant lands lies on the far northern edge of the map. The Wildlanders have not sought out this "second" giant territory in their travels so far.
Although this map was created at the very earliest juncture, none of the features on it ever changed substantially. Originally, the Forge of Zarbizul was going to be offset slightly from the "Huts of the Hill Giants" in the center of the map. However, by the time the Uncanny Dodgers were ready to seek out the Forge, a substantial amount of local history and Dwarvish lore had already been fleshed out. It made more sense, from a narrative point-of-view, to say that Nardeb Narud had constructed the Huts, which were then in use by the line of Narud until the time of Zarbizul. After the fall of Mahanaxar Narud, the Hill Giants co-opted the huts and maintained residence there until they were routed out by the Uncanny Dodgers.
interesting to read this last part about the timing of the occupation of the Huts by the Giants. how did Mahanaxar & his kin come to be imprisoned by the Derro below Zazamanc?
ReplyDeleteDiantho Noldo is able to relate to you the human side of the story...
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the Derro of Zazamanc, far from being descended from a long line of Underdark kinsfolk, were actually the progeny of Niflung Narud, prince regent and oldest brother of Zarbizul.
Like his ancient ancestor Algamish, Niflung displayed internal weakness when tempted by power and earthly pleasure. In the case of Niflung, he was passed over for kingship due to he halting gait, which many scholars attribute to the curse laid on him at his birth. King Thalzahar tried to wrest him from the breast of his mother, but the newborn Niflung clung so tightly that Thalzahar pulled the child's leg from its hip socket instead. As a half-lame cripple, Niflung could never be king, although all of the Dwarves save Thalzahar and the priests held him in high regard.
Upon the ascension of Zarbizul, Niflung was given the stewardship of Zazamanc. There, Malkizedek approached the prince regent, promising Niflung riches and human women if he would but stay clear of the coming conflict between Zarbizul and the minions of Malkizedek. Niflung, jealous of his brother's elevation, agreed.
Malkizedek delivered a steady stream of human concubines to Niflung. Many of the women bore the dwarf twisted, misshapen offspring which became the line of Derro. These half-breed human/dwarves were short lived and prone to interbreeding. In the hundred years that Zarbizul reigned, Niflung sired countless Derro - a full three generations worth!
After historic period of strife known as the Ravaging, when the minions of Malkizedek were caused by Zarbizul to turn against each other, Niflung was left to govern Zazamanc while the young boy-dwarf Mahanaxar took control of the throne.
By that time, the line of Derro had grown strong. They had also grown resentful of their sire and of the full-blood Dwarves who cast them down into the darkness of Zazamanc. All the Derro needed was a push from Malkizedek, and they rose up to slay Niflung and seize control of the Citadel.
With the Derro as his new, non-vampire thralls, and the line of Narud badly weakened as a result of the Ravaging, Malkizedek knew that the overthrown of the line of Narud was at hand. Mahanxar and all the dwarves will capture and enslaved, left to do the work in the mines below Zazamanc and to work the forge below the Huts.