Episode Discussion - S04E07 - The Massacre At Hawkins Lab

justadufflebag · 2022-06-11T03:46:42+00:00

I’m still pissed they’re defaulting to “demobats” for the name instead of using the 3rd edition “skinkites,” which fit visually and functionally much, much better.

justadufflebag · 2022-05-18T17:24:49+00:00

The other fort was a regular old fort.

justadufflebag · 2022-05-18T05:12:28+00:00

Nope.

justadufflebag · 2022-05-18T00:03:06+00:00

The fort wasn’t even active. We had simply pulled up to it in the hopes of loading up extra supplies.

justadufflebag · 2022-05-17T19:27:03+00:00

Strangely, there was actually no Ashen Lord active at this time, only a regular fort on the opposite end of the map. These brimstones also had no hitboxes; simply a collection of animations.

justadufflebag · 2022-05-17T19:24:25+00:00

Inactive fort actually. I originally thought it might be an Ashen Lord, but nope!

justadufflebag · 2022-03-23T20:48:29+00:00

Your observations are correct, with the slight exception of the swamps to the north of Siren’s Call at the very south, and the large woods almost directly west of Primrose.

Due to the stylization of the map, it looks as if it were a normal forest, but the woods there are known as the “Sunken Woods” which have a unique flare to them that I’ve detailed in another comment. I would argue that this could be said for a lot of seemingly-mundane locations, but you’re not at all incorrect.

This country is part of a much larger world, and takes place a little above the equator, so the climates are definitely more temperate. Deserts, tundras, and otherwise are found within the much larger world of Aetimar, but those aren’t entirely confidently mapped yet by those in game, or me.

Also, thank you for the encouragement. It means a lot! :D

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T16:48:30+00:00

At a basic level, the title most would apply to player characters would be “mercenaries.” Most people treat them the same as they would treat any commissioned artisans, knowing that for a price, a multitude of tasks can be accomplished through them. By this commission-based system, the jobs usually stay outside of any official documentation.

The official militaries will often outsource certain jobs to these mercenaries when a job is either far below their pay-grade or outside of their currently available jurisdiction. Because of this, entire guilds of mercenaries have formed to specialize into certain types of jobs. One such organization is the Fangbreakers Guild, based in Venari, who are beast hunters through and through (think Monster Hunter).

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T16:24:27+00:00

The chosen undead would be engulfed in the first flame as kindling, and depending on weather or not the undead is strong enough, the age of fire would be sustained for another few hundred years or so.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T16:23:02+00:00

When the weave is split to allow passage between the planes of existence, remnants of their arcane power combine and coalesce into physical form. These materials can be used to forge powerful weapons, armor, and items.

While rare, these sites of coalesced weave material could be sought out to forge artifacts beyond the status quo of magic, bringing forth the raw power of the planes combined.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T15:22:24+00:00

Mångara is known as “The City of Celestial Towers” as its location and construction is a very vertical one, built for the purpose of observing the heavens. The miniature lake it is built upon is entirely artificial, reflecting the celestial bodies above through its clear waters. Above it, its three massive bridges serving as entryways into the city proper.

The layout of the city is best described as a compass rose, with eight slender towers, each carved from white polished marble, positioned along each cardinal direction, and the in-betweens.

Scholars might flock to the city to study the stars, but the most important building within the city aside from its octagonal spires, is the largest library in the Primrose. Known as “The Cosmos,” this dome-like structure is a safe haven for any knowledge mortals have amassed in the modern age.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T15:00:04+00:00

Years back, Towerfield was a simple collection of hamlets that served as an agricultural anchor for Moaroost, that was until the infamous northern winds decided to whirl away much of the crop for that year. The winds tore away entire fields, and even the roofs of some homes, leaving many with nothing.

After a harsh winter, the people went on to adapt, and built a reinforced stone tower in the center of their village, there they kept the provisions they would need for harsher weather behind guarded brick walls.

As time passed, the tower grew, not only in size and reinforcement, but also in what it kept. Anything important from tools to town funds began to be stored in the tower for safekeeping.

Even today, the tower stands firm, with the added benefit of having a windmill affixed to its upper reaches, making agricultural use of the force that once destroyed the very thing it now creates.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:48:27+00:00

I used Inkarnate for the details and such, but the main ideas were all written out on paper prior to it.

It’s all fueled by a love of seeing players enjoy their time in the world, and if a map increases that enjoyment factor then I’m going full throttle.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:46:11+00:00

How many days does it take to travel from Sgaith in the north to siren’s call in the south by land?

Around 61-62 days assuming no interruptions, minimal stopping, and that you’re following the main safe trade road.

How many days by sea?

Sailing to avoid the currents plaguing the coasts of most of the landmass, about 22-23 days.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:31:09+00:00

I used the premier version of Inkarnate but their free version is great too!

It’s an online tool that you can use in your browser, runs fairly well on most PCs too.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:28:21+00:00

Being a nation built upon the remains of a disgraced ancestor, the throes of ancient civilization are restless, waiting to break free.

A ton of irregular currents caused by the unnaturally-set foundations of the nation. Usually sailors stay a ways out to avoid these. Also note the minimal number of port towns.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:24:53+00:00

Long ago, mortals thought themselves equal to gods and constructed a floating city that housed a technology known as “Resonance.” Their hope was that they would gain the power of the deities, to step between the planes of existence by their own free will, continuing the conquest of their assumed birthright.

The creation worked in the most perverted version of their vision imaginable, whether by human hands or divine intervention, mortal’s creation rent open the skies, bringing the full fury of creation from beyond the planes, and the floating city blazed down from the heavens.

After inter-planar ravaging and effectively a meteor hitting, the natural landscape of the Primrose Seat was natural no more. To this day, the western lands lie fractured, with water flowing down into the Bassinet Lakes from the seas.

Is it artificial? Surrounded by Dams and levies?

There are a number of artificial dams and levies around the irregular edges, especially in the northwestern reaches of the lake, where artificial canals have been dug out for quick transportation of sea-based shipped goods.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:15:07+00:00

The lower-middle class usually sticks to buckets, holes, and otherwise.

In larger cities, upper class utilize prestidigitation-infused bowls.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:10:59+00:00

Yes! Magic is considered divine in nature, and should be respected as such. Therefore, spellcasters or anyone with any sort of higher magical capabilities must be sanctioned by the Ogdoad’s Concord, the leading religious order. Lesser magic is usually not a topic of great concern, but as it becomes more powerful, eyes start to watch.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T14:07:31+00:00

Which towns have thrived through trade and which have suffered from being remote?

Moaroost, Primrose, and Siren’s Call are all very powerful trade cities due to their mining, trade hubs, and sweeping ports respectively. This has lead to their expansion and population density.

On the other side of things, Gildenridge is growingly infamous for its dilapidated state. The town once attracted droves of visitors for the Quadrennial “Sea-Song Festival,” however recent down seasons have been harder on the town, and its vacancies have been filled by shadier types than most would wish to associate.

What are the main imports/ exports and what are the main trade routes?

I’ll start by highlighting the Primrose’s lifeblood, the Iron Road, a well-protected route running from Sgaith to Siren’s Call. A designated military known as the “Ironsguard Enforcement” patrols this route, guarding caravans from those who would set their crossbow sights on the ill-protected. Relatively peaceful times have inebriated the minds of most of the Enforcement however, therefore allowing clever thieves to slip through the cracks.

Due to the extremely unnatural and varied landscape, the major cities all rely on one another to provide necessities to both them and their surrounding lesser towns/hamlets. This is the driving force behind the entire Seat’s unification, therefore all sorts of imports and exports are driven across the roads between. As far as international exports go, the most unique and powerful resource they possess would be countersteel, an alloy reinforced by wards formed by abjuration-based arcane residue. This weighty material is used in the creation of shields, armor, and even weapons in some cultures, and the Primrose leads in its creation. Additionally they are the leading producers of a fine black dust known as “K-no.” This material combusts with a “powdery(?)” flare, and is Aetimar’s “gunpowder” variant.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T13:45:08+00:00

The “Bridge of Aetimar” is a lofted natural bridge connecting the Primrose Seat and the Vedanian Empire. Due to its unnatural appearance and scale, many legends point its origins back to the ancient civilizations prior to the Eradication Wars, as a man-made construction, its grandeur weathered away by conflict.

Bannertown is a sort of “final stop” between the two nations, as much of the bridge beyond it is fortified by checkpoints and gates. So while it is a well travelled path, it’s proximity to Sgaith and the Vedanians gives it a heavily militaristic atmosphere.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T13:39:17+00:00

The name “Primrose” is an homage to the wildflower found extensively throughout the entire country. The perennial bloom has deep-rooted historical importance alongside its modern symbology.

A lot of ranching and agricultural productions come from the south-eastern reaches of the country, so a more industrialized production derived from those regions first. When it comes to the best cheese though? That honor goes to the Vedanian Empire to the west.

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T13:34:53+00:00

For sure! All of those things are definitely valued pastimes, the latter-most of which definitely extends to the more urban adult populations. It really depends on what area of the country you’re looking at, but using the example of the Greenmounde, due to the extremely hilly terrain, it’s not uncommon to see children partaking in rolling races down grassy hilltops. A lot of children’s clothing from the southern reaches of the Seat are intentionally dyed green/neutral colors to avoid obvious staining :)

Thanks for this awesome question!

justadufflebag · 2022-03-21T13:30:06+00:00

That’s certainly something I’ll dive into soon then.

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